AP GOV UNIT 4

22nd Amendment

Limits the president to two terms (can be non-consecutive terms).

12th Amendment

The Vice - President is on the same ballot as the President and therefore is elected along with the President.

Formal Powers

Powers given to the president in Article 2 of the Constitution: Veto and sign bills, nominate officials, ambassadors, and federal judges; make treaties, Commander in Chief, grant reprieves and pardons, etc.

Chief Executive

The President carries out the laws of the nation and oversees a large and complex system of agencies and bureaucracies.

Chief Diplomat

The President is responsible for guiding U.S. foreign policy and interaction with the heads of other nations.

Commander-in-Chief

The President is the leader of the armed forces.

Chief Legislator

Presidents have legislative agendas (bills they want to see passed in Congress - tax cuts, healthcare reform, etc.) that they promote to the people.

State of the Union Address

An annual live televised speech given before Congress, members of the Supreme Court, the military and the entire nation.

Pocket Veto

Happens when the president does nothing to a bill and Congress is not in session. The bill is automatically vetoed and cannot be overridden.

Head of State

The president is the living symbol of the nation: greets kings, prime ministers, etc.

Party Leader

The president is generally considered the leader of their political party.

Reprieve

Order to delay punishment.

Amnesty

Pardon toward a group of people.

Pardon

Declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment.

Executive Privilege

A right claimed by Presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress.

Executive Agreements

An agreement between the president and another nation that does not have the same durability as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification.

Signing Statements

Written comments by the president while signing a bill into law that usually consists of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but may also include the president's interpretation of the law itself.

Executive Order

Rule or common having the force of law. Allows the president to bypass Congress; order can be declared constitutional.

Bully Pulpit

The president's ability to use his position to speak out on any issue.

Fireside Chats

Series of radio broadcasts made by FDR to the rest of the nation.

Bureaucrat

officials employed with government agencies

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

works in West Wing of White House; president's closest advisors

Chief of Staff

most powerful political advisor; controls president's schedule and always has access to president

National Security Council

helps president coordinate US military and foreign policy; also oversees CIA

Council of Economic Advisors

gives president advice about complex economic matters such as employment, tax policy, inflation and foreign trade

Spoils System

giving out administrative positions as a reward for support

Pendleton Act of 1883

an act of Congress that created the first United States Civil Service Commission to draw up and enforce rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within the civil service

Merit System

Competitive testing results, educational attainment and other forms of qualifications formed the basis for hiring and promotion rather than politics and personal connections

Iron Triangle

bureaucracy, Congress, and factions; each part of the triangle works with the other two to achieve their shared policy goals

Issue Network

the webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers and policy advocates (often temporary)

Implementation

the bureaucracy's role in putting into action the laws that Congress has passed

Bureaucratic Discretion

Congress leaving some power to the bureaucrats to decide how a law is implemented

Regulation

The process through which the federal bureaucracy fills in critical details of a law

Bureaucratic Adjudication

Sometimes the bureaucracy may have to settle disputes between parties that arise over the implementation of federal laws and presidential executive orders or determine which individuals or groups are covered under a regulation or program

Jurisdiction

authority to hear and decide specific cases

Original jurisdiction

authority to hear the case for the first time

Appellate jurisdiction

authority to review the decision of a lower court to overturn or revise that decision

US District Courts

lowest level of the federal judiciary (94 courts, og jurisdiction, trials with juries & witnesses)

US Court of Appeals

middle level of federal judiciary (13 courts, appellate jurisdiction)

Supreme Court

highest court in the nation (No juries; 9 justices, original and appellate jurisdiction)

Marbury v. Madison

gave the courts the power of judicial review

Judicial review

the power of the SCOTUS to evaluate the constitutionality of laws.

Rule of Four

the Court will hear a case if at least four justices vote to do so

Precedent

a judicial decision that acts as a basis for deciding similar cases in the future

Stare decisis

courts are expected to follow rulings from previous cases with similar legal issues

Judicial restraint

courts restrain from declaring laws unconstitutional

Judicial activism

courts actively declare laws unconstitutional

Criminal law

body of laws that define actions considered harmful or threatening to the public order, safety, and welfare, with the government having the authority to prosecute individuals who violate these laws

Prosecution

legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial against an individual accused of breaking the law

Civil law

Covers cases involving private rights & relationships between individuals & groups

Plaintiff

individual or group that initiates a lawsuit

Defendant

person accused of a crime or having wronged the plaintiff in a lawsuit

Majority Opinion

judicial opinion that reflects the view held by more than half of the judges on a court

Concurring Opinion

written opinion by a judge or justice who agrees with the majority decision in a case, but provides different reasoning or legal justification for reaching that conclusion

Dissenting Opinion

written opinion by a judge on the Supreme Court that disagrees with the majority decision reached in a case

17th Amendment

gave power to the people of each state to elect Senators

Pork - Barrel Spending

Members of Congress allocate and direct money to projects or groups within their districts or states

Logrolling

Approving money for another state so that you can get money approved for what you need in your district

Oversight

Congress can monitor the executive branch's agencies, bureaus, cabinet officials, and their officials.

Mandatory Spending

Spending mandated by law and can't be changed

Discretionary Spending

Spending for programs and politics at discretion of Congress and the President

Budget Surplus

Amount of money left over after spending

Budget Deficit

Government owes more than it raises

Constituency

a body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator

House Majority Leader

Leader of the majority party of the house.

Whip

Maintains unity and communication between party leadership and its members.

Minority Leader

Leader of the minority party of the house.

Senate Majority Leader

Leader of the majority party in the Senate.

Committee Chair

Leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee's agenda.

Standing Committee

Where most of the work is done; permanent and divided by policy area; members tend to serve on these committees for multiple terms.

Joint Committee

Contain members of both the House and the Senate; conduct studies and coordinate between the two houses.

Conference Committee

Temporary joint committee that resolves differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill.

Select or Special Committee

Temporary committees are usually called upon to investigate an issue in response to a crisis or scandal.

Rules Committee

Determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the full House floor, how long the debate will be, and whether changes to the bill will be allowed on the House floor.

Filibuster

A power of an individual senator to talk and talk to delay a motion or vote on the floor.

Cloture

A vote of 60 senators to shut down a debate and end a filibuster.

Apportionment

A body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator.

Gerrymandering

Intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters.

Partisan Gerrymandering

Drawing boundaries to benefit a political party.

Packing

Drawing electoral districts to consolidate the population of a community or constituency into a small number of districts.

Cracking

Drawing electoral districts that divide the population of a community or constituency across several districts.

Racial Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing electoral districts to disadvantage racial minorities.

Majority-minority districts

Electoral districts where the majority of the constituents belong to a racial minority.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

A landmark Supreme Court case that addressed the issue of malapportionment.

One person, one vote

A principle that emphasizes equal representation in voting.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

A Supreme Court case that ruled on the constitutionality of racial gerrymandering.

14th Amendment

Places several limits on state actions and provides that all persons born in the United States are citizens.

Equal Protection Clause

States may not deny persons equal protection under the law, as stated in the 14th Amendment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prevents systematic and widespread voter discrimination experienced by people of color.

Malapportionment

Population is not evenly distributed when determining congressional districts.

Delegate Role

The idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituents' wishes.

Trustee Role

The idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgment.

Politico Role

Represent where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions.

Bipartisanship

Both parties working together.

Gridlock

A slow down in Congress's ability to legislate and overcome divisions.