udget deficit The difference when a government takes in less money than it spends

Bully pulpit presidential appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support his or her policies

Cloture a procedure through which senators can end a debate on a bill and proceed to action, provided three fifths of senators agree

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

Delegate model a person who acts as the voters’ representative at a convention to select the party’s nominee

Discharge petition a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the HoR for a vote

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

Divided government a situation that occurs when control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress is split between the two major parties

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

Executive Office of the President a collection of offices within the White House organization designed mainly to provide information to the president

Executive order policy directives issues by presidents that do not require congressional approval

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

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

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

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

Impeachment The process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing.

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

Issue network webs of influence between interest groups, policy makers, and policy advocates

Iron triangle coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy congress and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

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

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

Judicial Review the authority of the supreme court to strike down a law or executive action if it conflicts with the constitution

“Lame duck” president a president whose term is coming to the end

Logrolling trading of votes on legislative by members of congress to get earmarks passed into legislation

Majority Leader the head of the party with the most seats in congress chosen by the party’s members

Majority Opinion binding supreme court opinions which serve as precedent for future cases

Concurring Opinion an opinion that agrees with the majority opinion 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

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

Original Jurisdiction the authority of a court to act as the first court to hear a case which includes the finding of facts in the case

Oversight Power 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

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

Political Patronage filling administrative positions as a reward for support rather than solely on merit

Merit Based Civil Service filling administrative positions based on competitive testing results education and other qualifications rather than politics and personal connections

Politico Model representation where members of congress balance their choices with interests of their constituents and parties making decisions

Pork Barrel Legislation legislation that directs specific funds to projects in the districts or states

Reapportionment redrawing lines

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

Signing statements text issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consists of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a presidents interpretation of the law itself

Speaker of the house The leader of the house of representatives chosen by an election of its members

Standing Committee most of the work congress gets done, permanent and divided by policy area, 

Stare decisis the practice of letting a previous legal decision stand

Trustee Model the idea that members of congress should act as trustees making decisions based on their judgment

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 60 days without congressional authorization

Whip a member of congress chosen by their party whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline