AP Gov Unit 4 Vocab Flashcards!!

17th amendment - gave the power of voting for senators to the people instead of the state legislatures

Pork barrel spending - directing money to a specific group to benefit the constituents

Logrolling - voting on one person’s earmarks in return for votes on your own

Oversight - one role of Congress and a check of the executive and judicial branches

Mandatory spending - spending towards programs that must receive funding in the federal budget, like welfare programs (ex: SS)

Discretionary Spending - spending that is optional and is decided each year based on the needs of the current country

Budget surplus - when the government has more money left over than it intended

Budget deficiency - what the government always has; when it spends more than it planned to or had money for

Constituency - body of voters in one area who vote for their representatives

House Majority Leader - 2nd most powerful in the House, represents the majority party

Whip - representative who works with party and party leaders to ensure unity and discipline within their party

Minority leader - the leaders in the House and Senate who represent the minority party

Senate Majority Leader - the person with the most power in the Senate, representing the majority party

Committee chair - chair of a committee that is selected by the majority party and/or party leader

Standing committee - committee that is always active in the House/Senate that works to introduce legislation and represent the constituents best

Joint committee - committee between the House and Senate to bring attention to one issue, is temporary

Conference committee - committee that is between the House and Senate and serves to only resolve difference between two visions of a bill

Select/special committee - committee usually established temporarily to investigate an executive individual and provide oversight

Rules committee - committee in the House that decides how long a bill will be debated for, when it will be voted on, and what rules apply to the debate

Filibuster - attempt by a Senator during debate to delay or stop a legislative bill from passing due to objection

Cloture - vote needed in the Senate to end a filibuster, needs 60 votes

Apportionment - spreading out constituents evenly among congressional districts to best represent the people

Gerrymandering - the uneven distribution of constituents or unfair drawing of congressional districts to benefit a certain group

Partisan gerrymandering - gerrymandering done to benefit one political party over another

Packing - consolidating all members of a party into one district

Cracking - spreading members of a political party into many different districts

Majority - minority district - district where a minority population becomes a majority of constituents

Baker v. Carr - said that states had to obey their state rules and allowed the federal government to weigh in on topics of state redistricting, enhancing the “one person, one vote” idea, stated that Tennessee not residing for 60 years lead to malapportionment, which is a violation of the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause

“One person, one vote” - the idea that every person’s vote is worth as much as somebody else’s

Shaw v. Reno - said that states couldn’t racially gerrymander as it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, but still had to obey the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as well

14th Amendment - amendment that contains the Equal Protection Clause, was used in Shaw v. Reno and was used to rule racial gerrymandering unconstitutional, also contains the Due Process Clause, which requires states to hold all citizens equally to the law

Equal Protection Clause - found in the 14th amendment, used in Shaw v. Reno and ensures that all voters are represented equally in the government, used in Baker v. Carr to rule malapportionment unconstitutional

Due Process Clause - clause in the 14th amendment that requires states to treat all criminals fairly and equally, and to hold all citizens equally to the law

Voting Rights Act of 1965 - prohibited racial discrimination in elections, was used in Shaw v. Reno to rule racial gerrymandering unconstitutional

Malapportionment - the uneven distribution of constituents between congressional districts

Racial gerrymandering - gerrymandering done to benefit one race over another, used to create majority-minority districts

Delegate role - idea that representatives in Congress are there to best represent their constituents and their decisions should solely reflect the people’s wants

Trustee role - idea that representatives in Congress are there to use their expert knowledge and should only base their decisions on what’s for the greater good, and not just on what their constituents want

Politico role - idea that representatives in Congress should use their expertise and what their constituents want to make informed decisions, combination of the delegate and the trustee roles

Bipartisanship - legislation that has the support of both political parties in the government 

Gridlock - when neither party wants to compromise with the other so no bills or budgets can be passed as no one’s willing to work together

22nd amendment (1951) - Limited presidents to two terms, even if non-consecutive. FDR was the last president to serve multiple terms.

12th amendment (1804) - allowed the president to choose who they want as their VP instead of the VP being the runner-up of the presidential election 

Formal powers - enumerated powers that are given to the president by Article 2 of the Constitution (ex: appointing SC justices)

Informal powers - implied powers that are not laid out in the constitution, but still very necessary (ex: negotiating with members of Congress, executive orders)

Chief executive - job that the president carries out the laws of the nation and oversees a large and complex system of agencies and bureaucracies (consist of President’s cabinet)

Chief diplomat - job that the president is responsible for guiding US foreign policy and interacting with the heads of other nations (ex: makes treaties)

Commander-in-chief - job that the president is the leader of the armed forces, but war forces are spread out between Congress and the President

Chief legislator - job that the presidents have legislative agendas (bills, tax cuts, reforms, etc) that they want to promote to the people

State of the union address - directed by Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution, encourages the President to “from time to time given Congress info about the state of the union”; modern presidents use it to annually address the government and the people by informing them of their past actions and future wishes

Pocket veto - when the president does nothing with a bill while Congress isn’t in session for at least 10 days, so the bill is automatically vetoed and cannot be overridden by a vote in Congress

Head of state - idea that the president is the living symbol of the nation who carries out ceremonial functions and welcomes foreign rulers

Economic leader - idea that people expect the president to care for the country’s economic prosperity; the President always drafts the federal budget and submits it to Congress; President is responsible for the success/decline of the current economy

Party leader - idea that the president is considered the leader of their political party; members of the parties work hard to get the president reelected and to best support their campaign before, throughout, and after their presidency

Executive order - The rule or command having the force of law; basically a bill that is automatically put into action and bypasses Congress’ approval; only check is that the legislative branch can declare it unconstitutional (ex: Emancipation Proclamation)

Pardon - power of the president, declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment (ex: Joe Biden pardoning all those in jail for marijuana possession)

Reprieve - power of the president, order to delay a punishment; usually given to illegal immigrants

Amnesty - power of the president, pardon towards a group of people

Executive privilege - the right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts from outside scrutiny, especially from Congress

Executive agreement - agreement between the president and another nation that does not have the same durability as a treaty but does not require Senate approval; like a treaty, but only stands while the president is in office

Signing statements - written comments by the President while signing a bill that usually consists of political statements or reasons for singing the bill, but may also include the President’s interpretation of the law itself

War Powers Resolution (1973) - act passed by Congress in 1973 that requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of troops being sent, otherwise the troops have to be sent home after 60 days without Congress’ approval

Bully pulpit - when the president uses their position to address the American public; can include various forms of media such as social media, television, and radio; Roosevelt was the first president to use their tactic and name it

Fireside chats - memorized talks that FDR gave over the radio to the American people; allowed him to charm the public and make it seem like they were in actual conversation; strengthened bond between the president and the people and made him seem less distant/out of touch with reality

Bureaucrat - official employed by government agencies

Executive Office of the President (EOP) - works in the west wing of the White House, serves as the President’s closest advisor; includes the Chief of Staff, the White House office, and the President’s cabinet

Chief of staff - the most powerful political advisor to the president; controls the president’s schedule and always has access to them

National security council - organization that helps the president coordinate US military and foreign policy; oversees the CIA

Council of economic advisors - organization that gives the president advice about complex economic matters, such as employment, inflation, and foreign trade

Bureaucracy - The vast, hierarchical organization of executive branch employees that take care of the federal government’s business; they employ close to 3 million people ranging from the president’s Cabinet to the IRS.

Civil Service Commission - A bipartisan commission that was responsible for overseeing the process of appointment in the federal bureaucracy and ensuring that officials did not require their employees to support their political campaigns.

Civil Service Reform Act (1978) - An act promised by President Carter that aimed to reform the federal bureaucracy by placing limits on how bureaucrats are dismissed, when veterans should be given preference in hiring, and what appointments the President has power of, thus promoting the merit system throughout the bureaucracy and giving power back to the President.

Compliance monitoring - The aspect of executive enforcement that makes sure the firms and companies subject to industry regulations are following their standards and provisions.

Iron triangle - The relationship between three interdependent organizations, including an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group.

Issue networks - Networks that include committee staff, advocates,, leaders of think tanks, academics, interest groups, and the media that focus on one area of specific policy.

Merit system - A system created by the Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) that required many federal appointees to take competitive written exams before getting their job in office.

National Performance Review - The document that President Clinton created to highlight the issues with the federal bureaucracy and provide solutions to minimize federal spending and inefficiency, thus modernizing the federal bureaucracy to fit the current tasks of Congress.

Office of Personnel Management - The organization that replaced the Civil Service Commission in 1789, which now runs the merit system, coordinates the federal application process, promotes public service, and finds the most qualified workers for positions in the bureaucracy.

Patronage - The process of rewarding loyal party leaders with jobs in the federal government.

Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) - The act passed by Congress in 1883 to prevent Presidents from only appointing members of their party or people that they liked, creating the merit system and the Civil Service Commission to regulate these processes.

Spoils system - When the President appoints loyal supporters of them and their party into office in return for good work and compliance with what the President wants.

Administrative Procedures Act (1946) - The act passed by Congress in 1946 that guides agencies in developing their rules and procedures to ensure that all organizations, citizens, and industries affected by their policy have some impact on shaping it.

Code of Federal Regulations - A final printing of a regulation that details the creation and current implementation of the regulation, including the regulation’s specific parameters and effective dates; this is printed by the Federal Register in less detail but fully detailed in the US Code of Federal Regulations.

Department of Education - The agency that is given discretionary authority to cancel or lower student debt as it sees fair and necessary.

Delegated discretionary authority - The power to interpret legislation and create rules given to executive departments and agencies.

Department of Homeland Security - The agency that is given discretionary authority over allowing certain exemptions for immigrants as they see fit and fair.

Department of Transportation - The agency that is given discretionary authority over determining which highway projects should get special grants for improvement.

Environmental Protection Agency - The agency that is given discretionary authority over intervening in state or environment issues that influence the general public.

Federal Election Commission - The agency that is given discretionary authority over administering and enforcing federal campaign finance laws to ensure equality of opportunity.

Federal Register - The records keeper of the bureaucracy that prints the history, development, and finalization of regulations implemented in the executive branch.

Independent regulatory agencies - Bureaucratic agencies that can create policies with the enforcement of law for unique industries and jurisdictions, allowing knowledgeable experts to influence enforcement of important, but specific, matters.

Notice-and-comment opportunity - Allows the government to control individuals, corporations, and industries by restricting certain behaviors and placing regulations of their advancements.

Department of Veterans Affairs - The agency that is given discretionary authority over deciding how to administer a health program for and best support veterans of the US.

Securities and Exchange Commission - The agency that is given discretionary authority over determining if financial firms should be disqualified from raising money due to illegal practice.

Jurisdiction - the authority to decide specific cases

Original jurisdiction - the authority to hear the case for the first time

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

US District Courts - the lowest level of the federal judiciary that contains 94 district courts, has juries and witnesses, only has original jurisdiction, and takes federal trial and misdemeanor cases

US Court of Appeals - the 2nd highest level of the federal judiciary, has no juries or witnesses, only hears appellate jurisdiction from district courts, federal administrative agencies, and special cases involving patents, international trade, and federal claims

Supreme Court - the highest level of the federal judiciary, has one chief justice and 8 other judges, has no juries or witnesses, has appellate jurisdiction with regular cases (appeals from lower courts) and original jurisdiction involving ambassadors, foreign ministers, consuls, and states

Marbury v. Madison - the Supreme Court case that established the power of judicial review and set up the Supreme Court to be the supreme interpreter of the Constitution

Judicial review - the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional

Rule of four - the idea that 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, causes justices to be more/less likely to grant cert if a precedent may be involved

Stare decisis - the idea that the Supreme Court may avoid creating a new precedent by following an old one

Judicial restraint - the idea that the court only uses judicial review if needed and that they should defer to the legislative and executive branches by default

Judicial activism - the idea that justices should be willing to overturn laws when necessary, sometimes creating bold, new policy

Criminal law - law that covers actions that harm the community, such as committing an act of violence against another person

Prosecution - the state or federal government that tries to prove the guilt (burden of proof) of the defendant

Civil law - law that covers cases involving private rights and relationships between individuals and groups, judges/juries are involved and the parties in the case may be an individual, corporation, or the government

Plaintiff - party who argues that they’ve been wronged

Defendant - the party accused of violating a right or agreement

Majority opinion - consists of the ruling and reasoning behind a court decision, written by one of the justices of the majority

Concurring opinion - when the justice voting with the majority has differences in the logic or reasoning behind supporting the majority decision

Dissenting opinion - when the justice is voting in the minority ruling’s favor and wants to state their reasoning for not supporting the ruling