AP Government - Unit 2: The Branches of the Federal Government

All Vocabulary for Unit 2

pork barrel spending

pork barrel spending

legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts of states

oversight

efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals

logrolling

trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation

constituency

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

apportionment

the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data

redistricting

states’ redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census

gerrymandering

the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

partisan gerrymandering

drawing district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party

majority-minority district

a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district

malapportionment

the uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts

incumbency

being already in office as opposed to running for the first time

incumbency advantage

institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election

Speaker of the House

the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members

political action committee (PAC)

an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns

House majority leader

the person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives

whip

a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline

minority leader

the head of the party with the second-highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party’s members

Senate majority leader

the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats

committee chair

leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee’s agenda

discharge petition

a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote

House Rules Committee

a powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor.

Committee of the Whole

consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation

hold

a delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill

unanimous consent agreement

an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill

filibuster

a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation

cloture

a procedure through which senators can end a filibuster and proceed to action, provided 60 senators agree to it

veto

the power of a president to reject a bill passed by Congress, sending it back to the originating branch with objections.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

the executive branch office that assists the president in setting national spending priorities

entitlement program

a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income

mandatory spending

spending required by existing laws that is “locked in” the budget

discretionary spending

spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president

budget surplus

the amount of money remaining when the government takes in more than it spends

budget deficit

the annual shortfall when a government takes in less money than it spends

national debt

the total amount of money owed by the federal government

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, make decisions based on their knowledge and judgement

politico role

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

bipartisanship

agreement between the parties to work together in Congress to pass legislation

gridlock

a slowdown or halt in Congress’s ability to legislate and overcome divisions, especially those based on partisanship

divided government

control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress split between the two major parties

lame duck period

period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees

Executive branch

The branch of government charged with putting the nation’s laws into effort.

Formal or enumerated powers

Powers expressly granted in the Constitution.

Informal powers

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

Treaty

An agreement with a foreign government negotiated by the president and requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate to ratify.

State of the Union Address

The annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs.

Veto

Formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of Congress

Pocket veto

An informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session.

Presidential pardon

Presidential authority to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences and set aside punishment for a crime.

Executive privilege

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

Executive agreement

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

Signing statement

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

Executive order

Policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval.

War Powers Resolution

A law passed over President Nixon’s veto that restricts the power of the president to maintain troops in combat for more than sixty days without congressional authorization.

Impeachment

The process of removing a president from office, with articles of impeachment issued by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate, with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict and remove.

federal judiciary

the branch of the federal government that interprets the laws of the nation

Supreme Court

the highest level of the federal judiciary, which was established in Article III of the Constitution and serves as the highest court in the nation

original jurisdiction

the authority of a court to hear a case first, which includes the finding of facts in the case

appellate jurisdiction

the authority of a court to hear and review decisions made by lower courts in that system

Federalist No. 78

argument by Alexander Hamilton that the federal judiciary would be unlikely to infringe upon rights and liberties but would serve as a check on the other two branches

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

the Supreme Court decision that established judicial review over federal law

judicial review

the authority of the Supreme Court to strike down a law or executive action if it conflicts with the Constitution

criminal law

a category of law covering actions that harm the community

civil law

a category of law covering cases involving private rights and relationships between individuals and groups

federal district courts

the lowest level of the federal judiciary; these courts usually have original jurisdiction in cases that start at the federal level

federal courts of appeals

the middle level of the federal judiciary; these courts review and hear appeals from the federal district courts

precedent

a judicial decision that guides future courts in handling similar cases

stare decisis

the practice of letting a previous legal decision stand

majority opinion

a binding Supreme Court opinion, which serves as precedent for future cases

concurring opinion

an opinion that agrees with the majority decision, offering different or additional reasoning, that does not serve as precedent

dissenting opinion

an opinion that disagrees with the majority opinion and does not serve as precedent

judicial restraint

a philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should be cautious in overturning laws

judicial activism

a philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should wield the power of judicial review, sometimes creating bold new policies

federal bureaucracy

the departments and agencies within the executive branch that carry out the laws of the nation

bureaucrat

an official employed within a government bureaucracy

political patronage

filling of administrative positions as a reward for support, rather than merit

Pendleton Act

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 (also known as Civil Service Reform Act of 1883)

merit system

a system of hiring and promotion based on competitive testing results, education, and other qualifications rather than politics and person connections

iron triangle

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

issue network

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

implementation

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

bureaucratic discretion

the power to decide how a law is implemented and to decide what Congress meant when it passed a law

regulation

the process through which the federal bureaucracy makes rules that have the force of law, to carry out the laws passed by Congress

bureaucratic adjudication

when the federal bureaucracy settles disputes between parties that arise over the implementation of federal laws or determines which individuals or groups are covered under a regulation or program