Unit 2 Vocab

Article III

establishes the judicial branch of US government. explicitly creates one Supreme Court, but gives Congress the power to create all other inferior courts. guarantees judicial independence by granting lifetime appointments for justices and preventing Congress from lowering the salaries of sitting justices.

Baker v. Carr (1961)

court case which ruled that Tennessee had acted unconstitutionally by not redistricting since 1901; establishing the "one-person, one-vote" principle that districts should be proportionately represented. also established that the Court had jurisdiction to review state redistricting issues.

bully pulpit

Theodore Roosevelt's notion of the presidency as a platform from which the president could promote an agenda directly to the public.

bureaucracy

An administrative group of nonelected officials charged with implementing policies created by the other branches of government.

cabinet

A group of presidential advisers, including the heads of the executive departments, the attorney general, and other officials chosen by the president.

civil service

The permanent, professional branches of government administration. it is nonpartisan and its employees are hired and promoted based on merit rather than patronage.

cloture

A Senate procedure through which a supermajority of 60 senators can vote to limit the amount of time spent debating a bill and cut off a filibuster.

coalition

An alliance of political groups pursuing a common goal.

Committee of the Whole

A committee of the House on which all representatives serve in order to consider the details of a proposal.

constituents

Voters in a legislative district.

court-curbing measures

Strategies for reducing the power of the Supreme Court or the impact of its rulings.

delegate

A member of Congress who always follows their constituents' voting preferences.

Department of Education

department responsible for administering educational policies to the states and promoting research on education.

Department of Homeland Security

department responsible for protecting the United States from terrorist attacks, controlling borders, and minimizing damage from natural disasters.

Department of Transportation

department responsible for managing highways, rails, and air travel.

Department of Veterans Affairs

department responsible for promoting the welfare of armed services veterans and managing VA hospitals.

discharge petition

A petition signed by members of the House of Representatives to bring a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote.

discretionary authority

a bureaucratic agency's ability to decide whether or not to take certain courses of action when implementing existing laws.

divided government

When one party controls one or more houses in the legislative branch while the other party controls the executive branch.

Environmental Protection Agency

responsible for protecting human health and the environment by developing and enforcing regulations.

executive agreement

An international agreement between the president and another country, which does not require the consent of the Senate.

executive order

A presidential order to the executive branch that carries the force of law. The Supreme Court can rule these unconstitutional.

Federal Elections Commission

responsible for administering and enforcing the federal campaign finance law.

Federalist No. 70(1788)

In this essay, Hamilton argues that a single executive (led by one person as president) rather than several people acting as a council is the best form for the executive branch of the United States.

Federalist no. 78

in this essay advocating for the ratification of the US Constitution, Hamilton describes the proposed form for the new government's judicial branch. He argues that judges should serve for life pending good behavior to ensure judicial independence, and that the judicial branch will be the "least dangerous" branch of government since it can neither wage war nor collect taxes.

filibuster

A tactic used by senators to block a bill by continuing to hold the floor and speak, adhering to the Senate rule of unlimited debate. The purpose of this tactic is to continue to speak for so long that the bill's supporters eventually back down.

formal powers

Powers expressly granted to the president under Article Il of the Constitution, ex) making treaties, commanding the military, appointing Supreme Court justices, and vetoing legislation.

gerrymandering

The act of changing the boundaries of an electoral district to favor one party over another.

gridlock

When the government is unable to reach compromises or make policy decisions.

House of Representatives

The lower chamber of Congress, in which the number of representatives per state is determined by the state's population, with 435 Representatives total. Members serve two-year terms.

House Rules Committee

The committee responsible for scheduling and managing the flow of legislation on the floor of the House of Representatives in order to make the process more efficient and manageable.

implementation

The process of carrying out the Supreme Court's rulings

inferior courts

all US federal courts below the Supreme Court. Congress retains the power to establish them and to determine how they operate.

informal powers

Powers claimed by presidents as necessary in order to execute the law.

issue network

A group of individuals, public officials, and interest groups that form around a particular issue, usually a proposed public policy that they wish to support or defeat.

John Marshall

An early, influential Chief Justice of the United States who led the Supreme Court from 1801-1835. wrote several foundational Court decisions, including Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland, which enhanced the power of the judicial branch and affirmed the supremacy of federal law over state law.

judicial activism

The belief that the role of a justice is to defend individual rights and liberties, even those not explicitly stated in the Constitution.

judicial independence

Factors that prevent members of the legislative and executive branches from influencing Supreme Court justices, including lifetime appointments for justices and a ban on salary decreases for sitting justices.

judicial restraint

The belief that the role of a justice is to defer decisions (and thus policymaking) to the elected branches of government and stay focused on a narrower interpretation of the Bill of Rights.

judicial review

The Supreme Court's power to review whether acts of the legislative branch, the executive branch, and state governments are consistent with the Constitution, and to strike down acts it finds unconstitutional.

jurisdiction

The field of authority a court has to make legal judgments and decisions.

lame duck

An elected official who continues to hold political office during the period between

the election and the inauguration of their successor.

logrolling

When two legislators agree to trade votes for each other's benefit.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

An early Supreme Court case that affirmed the Court's power of judicial review by striking down a law made by Congress as unconstitutional. In his written opinion, Chief Justice John Marshall declared that “an act of the legislature repugnant to the Constitution is void."

merit system

In the federal bureaucracy, the practice of hiring and promoting individuals based on their qualifications and job performance.

patronage

In the federal bureaucracy, the practice of hiring and promoting individuals based on their political support for a party or candidate rather than on their merit. Also called the spoils system.

pocket veto

An indirect veto, which the president can use by neither signing or vetoing a bill passed by Congress fewer than 10 days before it adjourns.

politico

A member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that their constituents care about, and as a trustee on issues that their constituents don't care about.

pork barrel legislation

The use of federal funding to finance localized projects, typically bringing money into a representative's district in order to please constituents and boost the representative's chances of winning reelection.

precedent

A legal decision that establishes a rule for similar cases going forward.

President of the Senate

The Vice President of the United States, who presides over the Senate's daily proceedings.

presidential nomination

A president's formal proposal of a candidate to fill a position, such as a cabinet member or Supreme Court justice.

redistricting

The process of adjusting electoral districts in the United States.

Securities and Exchange Commission

Regulating the stock market and protecting investors from fraud.

senate

The upper chamber of Congress, in which each state has two representatives regardless of population size, with 100 senators total. they serve six-year terms, with one-third of them running for reelection every two years.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

supreme court case which established that although legislative redistricting must be conscious of race and comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it cannot exceed what is reasonably necessary to avoid racial imbalances. This case created limitations on racial gerrymandering.

signing statement

A presidential statement upon signing a bill into law, which explains how a president's administration intends to interpret the law.

single executive

An executive branch led by a single person.

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and de facto leader of the majority party.

stare decisis

The principle of making legal decisions based on past precedents. From the Latin for "let the decision stand."

State of the Union address

The president's annual message to a joint session of Congress, which includes recommended legislation and evaluations of the nation's top priorities and economic health.

Supreme Court

The highest federal court of the United States, established by Article Ill of the US Constitution, with nine sitting justices today.

trustee

A member of Congress who takes into account the views of their constituents and use their own judgment to decide how to vote.

Twenty-second Amendment (1951)

this amendment applies term limits to the office of the president. no one may be elected president more than twice, or serve as president longer than ten years.

veto

The president's constitutional right to reject a law passed by Congress. Congress may override this with a two-thirds vote.

War Powers Act (1973)

limits the president's power to deploy US armed forces. Every president since Nixon has contested this act as an infringement of their role as Commander in Chief of the armed forces.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

This landmark Supreme Court case established the principle of judicial review in the United States, meaning that American courts have the power to strike down laws and statutes that they find to violate the Constitution of the United States.

Baker v. Carr (1961)

supreme court case which ruled that federal courts have the authority to decide cases that involve equal protection of the laws. This includes redistricting cases that violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection clause. this case helped to establish the principle of "one person - one vote" in a future case that expanded fair democratic participation and helped to protect the voting rights of minority groups.