Studied by 0 peopleEnumerated Powers
powers of the federal government that are specifically addressed in the Constitution
Implied Powers
political powers granted to the United States government that aren't explicitly stated in the Constitution
Debate Rules
Introduction, Statement of fact, Confirmation/proof, Refutation, Conclusion
Speaker of the House
the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the acknowledged leader of the majority party
President of the Senate
the vice president of the United States
Senate Majority Leader
chief spokesperson for the majority party, holds the majority of seats in each House of Congress
Party Leadership
A party is a political organization whose members have similar aims and beliefs
Committee Leadership
a group of people who meet to make decisions or plans for a larger group or organization that they represent
Filibuster
a tactic used in the United States Senate to delay or block a vote on a measure by preventing debate on it from ending
Cloture
the procedural step of ending debate on a proposal and holding a vote to determine if it will pass
Holds in the Senate
An informal practice by which a senator informs Senate leadership that he or she does not wish a particular measure or nomination to reach the floor for consideration
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
Committee of the Whole
a House-specific committee formed by all present members of the House of Representatives in order to debate a bill
Discharge Petitions
A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had a bill for thirty days, may ask to have it brought to the floor
Treaty Ratification
approval of agreement by the state
Confirmation Roles
the method by which the Senate approves presidential appointments to high-level positions in the federal government
Discretionary Spending
money formally approved by Congress and the President during the appropriations process each year
Mandatory Spending
government spending that is required by law and does not require action every year
Entitlement Program
any government-provided or government-managed benefit or service to which some or all individuals are entitled by law
Gerrymandering
the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency
Redistricting
the process of drawing electoral district boundaries, takes place in the United States following the completion of each decennial census to account for population shifts
Constituencies
a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.
“One Person One Vote”
the rule that one person's voting power ought to be roughly equivalent to another person’s within the same state
Partisan Vote
an election in which the names of the candidates are printed on the ballot along with their affiliation
Lame Duck Appointment
when a president has reduced powers and is on their way out of office.
Trustee
a natural or legal person to whom property is legally committed to be administered for the benefit of a beneficiary
Politico
role played by elected representatives who act as trustees or as delegates, depending on the issue
22nd Amendment
limits the number of times a person can be elected as president to two terms
Bicameralism
a government with two separate legislative chambers, or houses, that deliberate separately from each other
Bully Pulpit
a conspicuous position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to
Checks and Balances
a system in the United States government that prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful
Commander in Chief
the supreme commander of the armed forces of a nation or, sometimes, of several allied nations
Delegate
a person selected to represent a group of people in some political assembly of the United States
Divided Government
a government where different political parties control different branches of the government
Executive Order
a declaration by the president or a governor which has the force of law, usually based on existing statutory powers
Gridlock
the government is unable to act or pass laws because rival parties control different parts of the executive branch and the legislature
Holds
an informal practice by which a senator informs Senate leadership that he or she does not wish a particular measure or nomination to reach the floor for consideration
Judicial Activism
the practice of judges making rulings based on their policy views rather than their honest interpretation of the current law
Judicial Restraint
the concept of a judge not injecting his or her own preferences into legal proceedings and rulings
Judicial Review
the power of an independent judiciary, or courts of law, to determine whether the acts of other components of the government are in accordance with the constitution
Logrolling
a practice in which two or more lawmakers agree to support each other's bills
Nomination and Confirmation
empowers the President of the United States to nominate and, with the confirmation (advice and consent) of the United States Senate, to appoint public officials, including justices of the United States Supreme Court
Pork Barrel Legislation
the legislator's practice of slipping funding for a local project into a larger appropriations bill
Precedent/Stare Decisis
the doctrine of precedent, under which a court must follow earlier judicial decisions when the same points arise again in litigation
Signing Statements
a signing statement is a written pronouncement issued by the President of the United States upon the signing of a bill into law.
Veto (including pocket veto)
the President can prevent the bill from becoming law simply by declining to sign it, sometimes called a pocket veto. If the President blocks legislation by pocket veto, Congress cannot later override the veto—instead, the legislature must reintroduce the bill and enact it again.
Note 
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