AP GOV UNIT 2 BUZZWORDS

Standing Committee

A permanent committee in Congress

Speaker of the House

The highest ranking member of the majority party in the House of Representatives; third in line to be president after the president and vice president

Filibuster

A delaying tactic, used in the Senate, that involves speech making to prevent action on a piece of legislation

Cloture

A rule in the Senate that states that 60 out of the 100 senators must vote to end a filibuster

Unanimous Consent

A Senator may request unanimous consent on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure so as to expedite proceedings. If no Senator objects, the Senate permits the action, but if any one Senator objects, the request is rejected

Rules Committee

A committee of the United States House of Representatives. Rather than being responsible for a specific area of policy, as most other committees are, it is in charge of deterring under what rule other bills will come to the floor

Party Polarization

A situation in which members of Congress cannot/will not come to agreement with each other based solely on their political party’s stance on issues

Gerrymandering

The process by which a political party in the majority manipulates the creation of district in their state in such a way to give their party the advantage in elections

Redistricting

The process of creating new districts after the census

Divided Government

One political party controls the presidency and another political party controls one or both houses of Congress

Lame Duck Period

The time period between the election and when the newly elected official takes office; during this period the old elected official is still in office and does not have much influence

Politico Role of Representation

Representative uses the trustee role of representation sometimes and the delegate role of representation sometimes

Trustee Role of Representation

Representative votes based what they think is best and does not follow what the majority do constituents want

Delegate Role of Representation

Representative votes based on what the majority of their constituents want

Judicial Review

Created by the Marburg v. Madison case; the federal judiciary can analyze government actions to determine if those actions are constitutional or not

Life Tenure

Federal judges cannot be fired once they have been appointed by the president and confirmed (approved) by the Senate; they serve for life. They can be impeached though.

Precedent

A judicial ruling that serves as the basis for rulings in later cases

Stare Decisis

“Let the decision stand”; judicial decisions making based on precedent

Judicial activism

A judicial philosophy whereby judges existing laws and precedents loosely and interject their own values in court decisions

Judicial restraint

A judicial philosophy whereby judges closely to statutes and precedents in reaching their decisions

Jurisdiction

The authority of court to hear a case; another definition is the geographic area over which a court or police department has authority

Original jurisdiction

The court in which a case starts

Regulation

A government rule that guides the operation of a government program; another definition in a different context is when the government intervenes in the economy to promote policy; example: the federal government might raise taxes on steel coming from China to discourage American companies from bury Chinese steel

Fine

Monetary (money) penalty a wrongdoer must pay

Iron Triangle

An alliance among an administrative agency, and interest group, and a congress committee. Each member of the iron triangle provides key services, information, or policy for the others

Issue Network

A network that includes policy experts, media pundits, congressional staff members, and interest groups who regularly debate an issue

Civil service/competitive service

Employees of the government are selected and advanced based on merit not on connections

Merit system

Being hired or pro,Pete based on your abilities, not based on your political connections

Political Patronage

Is a situation in which a person is rewarded for supporting a particular politician, such as campaigning or voting for them. Political patronage can sometimes include the exchange of money for political support, For example if United States and told you he would give you $1,000 if you publicly endorse him, he would be engaging in political patronage

Administrative discretion/ discretionary authority

Congress has given agencies decision-making power in expanding rules to carry out the laws Congress has already enacted; Congress does not have the time or expertise to make sure every law is being followed

Rule-making

The process agencies go through to make regulations/rules that are legally binding

Policy implementation

Putting the plan into action

Oversight

The process by which Congress reviews the operations of an agency to determine if the agency is carrying out the policies Congress intended

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization of appointed officials; it includes all of the agencies, people, and procedures through which the federal government operates

Bureaucrat

Someone who works in the bureaucracy

Cabinet Department

One of 15 high level executive branch organizations that help the president run the country; example: department of defense

Independent Agencies

An executive agency that is not part of a cabinet department; in most cases the president appoints the head of the agency and can remove the head at any time

Regulatory Commissions

An agency of the executive branch that controls some part of the economy

Government Corporations

A government agency that performs services that a private company probably would not provide; Example: Tennessee Valley Authority provides electricity to Appalachia (a poor, mountainous region of the east)

Government by Proxy

Federal services are not actually performed by federal employees but by the private contractors or state and local employees

Incrementalism

The slow but steady increase in costs of programs over time because of inflation and increases in wages if bureaucrats; another definition is the slow gradual change in the policy rather than a sudden sharp change

Deregulation

Decreasing the amount of regulation; generally favored more by the Republicans

Appropriation

Determining the number of members of the House of Representatives that each state will have based on the latest census figures

Bicameral

A two house legislature: the U.S. has the House of Representatives and the Senate

Bill

A proposed law

Conference Commitee

A temporary committee created to work out differences between the House and Senate versions of a specific piece of legislation

Impeachment

The process in which the House accuses (usually the president) of “high crimes and misdemeanors”; to impeach means to accuse; the second part of the process is the trial in the Senate where the (usually President) is convicted or acquitted by the votes of Senators

Incumbent

The person already in office who is running for re-election

Majority Leader

The highest ranking member of the majority party in the Senate; the second highest ranking member if the majority party in the House

Minority Leader

The highest ranking member if the minority party in the Senate and the House

Minority Party

The party that does not have the majority of members in the House or the Senate

President Pro Tempore

The longest serving member I’m the majority party of the Senate, presides over the Senate when the Vice President is not there

Select Committee

A temporary committee created for a special purpose

Senatorial courtesy

A practice whereby the Senate will not confirm for a lower federal court judgeship a nominee who is opposed by the senior senator in the president’s party in the nominees state

Seniority

Years of consecutive service in the House of Senate or a committee

Standing Committee

A permanent committee in Congress

Wars Powers Act

A limitation on the power of the president to send troops to other nations; President must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops and the troops must come back within 60-90 days unless Congress extends the time

Whip

The person in the House or the Senate that encourages members to vote the way the party wants them to vote

Amicus Curiae Brief

A brief sent to the Supreme Court in support of one side of the case to try to persuade the Court how to rule

Appellate Court

A court that hears an appeal from a lower court based on a mistake in interpreting the law or applying procedure; no new evidence is allowed and no witnesses are heard

Appellate Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear an appeal

Brief

A written argument stating your side of the case, submitted to the court

Civil Law

Laws dealing with non-criminal items like contracts

Criminal Law

Laws dealing with crimes against persons or property

Rule of Four

At least four Supreme Justices have to agree to hear a case in order to grant a writ of certiorari

Solicitor General

The lawyer that argues cases for the federal government in front of the Supreme Court

Strict Constructionist

Judicial philosophy that limits judicial interpretation to the narrowest interpretation possible the original meaning of the Constitution

Trial Court

Where a case starts out; includes witness testimony and submission of evidence, and sometimes a jury

Writ of Certiorari

A legal document whereby the Supreme Court requests the transcripts and files of a case decided in a lower court so that the Supreme Court can review it to determine if a mistake was made interpreting the law or applying procedure