AP GOVPOL Mr. Lee Vocab 181 and 222

Appropriations

Sum of money devoted for a purpose

Authorization of spending

Agency can't spend public funds until a committee approves this

Civil Service Commission

Prevented officers from requiring federal employees to contribute to campaigns

Civil Service Reform Act

Altered how bureaucrats were dismissed, limited preferences for veterans to balance genders, and gave upper level appointments to the president

Competitive service

Merit-based jobs that require some type of exam or ambitious hiring process

Compliance monitoring

Making sure the firms and companies subject to industry regulations are following standards and provisions

Discretionary authority

congress granted certain groups the ability to develop rules and interpret legislation within their sphere of influence

Excepted service

non-tested jobs

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

works with state and local law enforcement to find criminals and terrorist organizations threating the USA

Freedom of Information Act

gives the public the right to request access to records or information

Hatch Act

distanced state and federal employees paid with federal funds from politics

Legislative veto

congress' attempt to nullify an action, unconstitutional according to the supreme court

Merit system

Competitive, written exams for job applicants

National Performance Review (NPR)

organized to identify problems and offer solutions and ideas for government spending

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

regulations that have a significant impact on the economy, public health or other major aspects of policy undergo close review

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Human resources department for the federal government and runs the merit system

Patronage

practice of rewarding loyal party leaders with federal jobs

Pendleton Civil Service Act

prevented constant reward to loyal party members

Red tape

vast amount of paperwork, procedures, forms, and formal steps citizens must take to accomplish a government mandated task

Senior Executive Service

system that placed more emphasis on a bureaucrat's skills and experiences than on the lab

Spoils system

appointing regional and local postmasters based on their efforts to help elect presidents

Sunshine Act

requires most federal agencies to hold their meetings in publicly accessible places

Whistleblower Protection Act

Protects federal workers who report or disclose evidence of illegal or improper government action

Appellate jurisdiction

power of federal courts to hear appeals from lower courts and amend or overrule lower courts

Attorney general

leads the department of justice and is the lop legal officer

Binding precedent

when a case parallels an already decided case from a higher court, lower courts are obliged to rule in the same way

Certiorari

an appeal to make more certain an incorrect verdict in the trial court

Class action suit

large groups of plaintiffs claiming common damage by one party

Common law

refers to the body of court decisions that make up part of the law

Concurring opinion

those that agree with the majority opinion but have reservations about the legal reasoning and explain it separately

Defendant

the party answering the action

Dissenting opinion

has no force of law but allows a justice to explain their disagreement with the majority opinion

Dred Scott v. Sandford

ruled Americans of the African descent weren't citizens and could not sure in federal courts. Also, ruled congress lacked the power to ban slavery.

Injunction

court order to the losing party making them act or refrain from acting to address a wrong

Judicial activism

when a judge strikes down laws or reverse public policy

Judicial self-restraint

Courts should not decide a dispute unless there is injury to be relieved by the decision

Liberal constructionist

Someone who believes the Constitution should be interpreted taking the times and social conditions into account

Litmus test

quick determination of an appointee's political philosophy

Majority opinion

the court's opinion, decision, and rationale

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review

John Marshall

father of the supreme court, established customs, and had other justices unite rulings to shape national law

Original jurisdiction

supreme court has authority to hear a case for the first time when affecting ambassadors, public ministers, and states

Per curium opinion

when the court issues a decision without the full explanation

Persuasive precedent

Using past decisions or rulings as a guiding basis for their decision

Petition for certiorari

a brief arguing why the lower court erred

Plaintiff

party initiating the action

Plea bargain

allows the government and defendant to agree to a lesser sentence in exchange for the defendant's admission of guilt

Precedent

a ruling the firmly establishes a legal principle

John Roberts

prefers to apply laws instead of make law and writes more narrow opinions to address questions before the court

Rule of four

when four of nine justices accept a case, one less than majority to reflect commitment to claims by minorities

Senatorial courtesy

a senator's ability to recommend district judge appointments to the white house

Solicitor general

determines which cases to appeal to the supreme court and represents the US in Supreme Court room

Stare decisis

Let the decision stand and governs common law

Supreme Court

top federal court

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Middle federal court

U.S. District Courts

Lowest federal court

Earl Warren

Activist that upheld the individual rights of minorities and the accused

Writ of certiorari

an appeal to the Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision