AP Government Unit 2

advice and consent

Terms in the Constitution describing the U.S. Senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments.

Bicameral

A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses. In US the legislature consists of the House of representatives and the Senate.

Caucuses

1. A group of people who share the same ideals in political or non-political matters. Some caucuses only include members from 1 party like Democratic Caucus. Are standstill and can be a coalition if bipartisan.

Coalitions

Are alliances of various parties

Enumerated Powers

Powers specifically given to Congress in the Constitution; including the power to collect taxes, coin money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, and declare war.

Implied Powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution

House of Representatives

the lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population

Necessary and Proper Clause

Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

Power of the Purse

Constitutional power given to Congress to raise and spend money

Senate

the upper house of Congress, consisting of two representatives from each state

Seventeenth Amendment

1913 constitutional amendment allowing American voters to directly elect US senators

War Powers Act (1973)

President can send troops immediately, but must report to Congress within 48 hours of committing US forces to combat, and Congress must vote within 60 days to approve any military force and its funding.

Cloture rule

Prevents filibustering (60signatures) and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5s vote of the Senate.

Committee of the Whole

A committee that consists of an entire legislative body; used for a procedure in which a legislative body expedites its business by resolving itself into a committee of itself.

Conference Committees

Congressional committees formed when the Senate and the House pass a particular bill in different forms. Party leadership appoints members from each house to iron out the differences and bring back a single bill.

Deficit

An excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues.

Discharge Petitions

a device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor

Discretionary spending

Funding that congressional committees debate and decide how to divide up.

Filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

Germane

In context of germane amendments to a bill, it basically means those directly related to the legislation under constitution.

Hold

A measure to stall a bill

Joint committees

legislative committees formed of members of both the House and Senate

Logrolling

vote trading; voting to support a colleague's bill in return for a promise of future support

Mandatory Spending

Federal spending required by law that continues without the need for annual approvals by Congress.

Omnibus Bill

One very large bill that encompasses many separate bills.

Pork-barrel spending

A provision in a bill that is earmarked for a specific congressional constituency

President of the Senate

the presiding officer of a senate; in Congress, the vice president of the United States; in a state's legislature, either the lieutenant governor or a senator.

President Pro Tempore

The official chair of the Senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party. A ceremonial role.

Rider

A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat.

Rules Committee

A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house. It is like the "traffic cop" of the House floor.

Select committees

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose. Usually very specific.

Senate majority Leader

The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs the legislative program and party strategy.

Speaker of the House

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives.

Sponsor

A member of the House or Senate that introduces a bill and assumes authorship on it.

Unanimous Consent

an agreement by every senator to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation

Ways and Means Committee

A permanent committee that is exclusive to the house and determines tax policy and is the first to outline details when proposals are put forward to raise or lower income taxes.

Whip

a senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking. Keeps the members in place and makes them follow the party's ideals.

Baker v. Carr

case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congressional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state

Delegate model

The view that an elected represent should represent the opinions of his or her constituents.

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Gridlock

A situation in which government is incapable of acting on important issues.

"lame duck" president

president with no real power because his or her period in office will soon end

"one person one vote" principle

The rule that, under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, legislative voting districts must be the same in population size.

Politico model

Members of Congress act as delegates or trustees depending on the issue

Radical gerrymandering

Redistricting to enhance or reduce the chances that a radical or an ethnic group will elect members to the legislature

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts.

Swing district

A riding or constituency where the election outcome is uncertain

Trustee Model

A model of representation in which a member of the House or Senate follows his or her own conscience when deciding issue positions

bargaining and persuasion

A presidents attempt to get congress to agree with and pass the legislative agenda.

Commander in Cheif

President's role as commander of the armed forces

formal powers

specific grants of authority defined in the Constitution or in law

executive agreement

resembles a treaty yet does not require the Senate's two-thirds vote, simply a contract between two heads of state.

executive order

empowers the president to carry out the law or to administer the government

executive privilege

A Presidents has the power to assert executive privilege by: the right to withhold information or their decision making process from another branch (especially congress).

informal powers

powers not laid out in the Constitution but used to carry out presidential duties

line-item veto

an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature

pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

policy agenda

the list of issues that the federal government pays attention to

signing statements

explain the president's interpretation of a bill, their understanding of what is expected of them to carry it out, or just a commentary on the law

veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

ambassadors

a top diplomat appointed to represent the United states with a foreign nation.

Cabinet

the principals officers in each if the executive departments, essentially an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions.

Chief of staff

the President's "gatekeeper" responsible for the smooth operation of the White House and the swift and accurate flow of business, paper, and information.

inherent powers

those that may not be explicitly listed but are nonetheless within the jurisdiction of the executive

joint chief of staff

The commanding officers of the armed services who advise the president on military policy.

Federalist No.70

Argued that there was a need for a strong executive leader (president) especially in times of war and crisis. Having a weak leader or multiple leaders in charge ran the risk of different opinions and not being efficient when quick decisions were needed. Also argued a single executive would be watched more closely while a group would not.

Imperial Presidency

a powerful executive position guided by a weaker Congress

Jackson, Andrew

7th president of the united states that played a big role in in bringing a noticeable shift of presidential power.

Lincoln, Abraham

also expanded the presidency as he assumed sweeping presidential powers to save the union to limit slavery.

Roosevelt, Franklin D

He became the president during the great depression , the most severe economic crisis in history.

Roosevelt, Theodore

Stretched presidential power in the name of advancing the nation and serving the people.

stewardship theory

Roosevelt's approach to governing that presumed that presidential powers are only strictly limited by the actual limits listed in the Constitution.

Twenty-second Amendment

Ratified in 1951, this amendment limits presidents to two terms of office.

Washington, George

the leading general of the rebels in the colonies who would eventually be the first president of the united states

War Powers act (1973)

Gave any president the power to go to war under certain circumstances, but required that he could only do so for 90 days before being required to officially bring the matter before Congress.

Wilson, Woodrow

Was alongside Theodore Roosevelt in stretching presidential power in the name of advancing the nation and serving the people.

Bully Pulpit

the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

State of the union address

A yearly report by the president to Congress describing the nation's condition and recommending programs and policies

Appellate Jurisdiction

When the Supreme Court acts as an appeals court and takes appeal cases.

Attorney General

The head of all executive attorneys in the U.S. district courts.

Ceritoriar

Latin for "to make more certain". Appellants must offer some violation of established law, procedure, or precedent that led to the incorrect verdict in a trial court.

Federalist No. 78

Written by Alexander Hamilton, this document shared ideas of how the judicial branch needs to be independent and has the power of judicial review.

Judicial Review

When the judicial branch examines acts of the other branches.

Marbury v. Madison

A Supreme Court case that instituted the practice of judicial review.

Original Jurisdiction

The authority to hear a case for the first time.

U.S. District Courts

The lowest tier of the federal court system that holds trials for both civil and criminal cases.

U.S. Circuits Courts of Appeals

The middle tier of the federal court system that hears challenges to district court decisions.

U.S. Supreme Court

The highest court of the United States. Stands alone at the top of the federal court system. It hears cases that have already been decided on by other courts.

Binding Precedent

When a US district court receives a case that parallels an already decided case from the circuit level, the district court is obliged to rule in the same way.

Persuasive Precedent

When the judges can consider past decisions made in other district courts or far away circuit courts as a guiding basis for a decision.

Precedent

A ruling that firmly establishes a legal principle. They are generally followed by other courts.

John Roberts

A chief justice that has guided the Court with judicial minimalism and he the current Chief Justice.

Stare Decisis

Let the decision stand; decisions are based on precedents from previous cases.

Concurring Opinion

Justices who may argue with the majority and join that vote but have reservations about the majority's legal reasoning.

Dissenting Opinion

An opinion that has no force of law and has no immediate legal bearing but allows a justice to explain his or her disagreements to send a message to the legal community or to influence later cases.

Liberal Contructionist

They interpret the Constitution as a living document and takes into account changes and social conditions since ratification.

Majority Opinion

A statement that presents the views of the majority of supreme court justices reflecting a courts ruling.

Petition for Certiorari

A brief arguing why the lower court made a mistake.

Rule of Four

When four of the nine justices accept a case, an appeal is granted. It reflects the courts' commitments to claims by minorities.

Strict Constructionist

A type of constructionist view that interprets the Constitution in its original context.