AP GOV UNIT 2

Bicameral: The congress is considered _______ because it is made up of two separate houses

House of Representatives: Apportioned by population, more connected to their voters, elected every 2 years, and 435 members.

Senate: Apportioned equality, less connected to their voters, elected every 6 years, and 100 members

Coalitions: Form among legislatures working together to advance or defeat a bill. Because Senators serve longer terms, their _____ tend to last longer than the ______ of the House of Representatives.

Enumerated Powers: Power explicitly listed in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. They include: Federal funding, Taxation, Coin money, Federal budget, foreign policy, Military legislation: Declare war, raise armies, pass draft laws, and fund armed forces.

Neccesary and Proper Clause: Nicknamed the “elastic clause” because it allows the power of Congress to expand to meet the needs of the United States so long as it is connected to the enumerated powers.

Speaker of the House: The only leader for the House of Representatives listed in the Constitution. The _____ is always a member of the majority party. The speaker has the power to recognize who can speak and to assign committees.

Whips: In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, _____ render part of the discipline and make sure members of the party follow the main goals. 

Vice President: The president of the Senate, who usually doesn’t vote unless there is a tie. They should also be ready to assume the presidency if the President is unable to serve

Senate Majority Leader: The most powerful position in the Senate, as they set the legislative agenda by deciding which bills reach the floor for debate.

Committees:_______,  while not required by the Constitution, allow for small groups of lawmakers to debate and draft legislation. There are also 4 types of _____.

Standing Committee: A Committee that endures for a long time. Example- House Judiciary Committee

Joint Committee: Committees that have members of both the House and Senate. Example- Committee on the Library of Congress

Select Committee: Committees that is temporary and created for a specific purpose. Example- Watergate Committee.

Conference Committee: Committee that is used to reconcile two versions of a bill. 

House Rules Committee: The _____ decides which bills make it to the floor for debate, therefore has the power to “kill” a bill.

Committee of the Whole: The _____ could contain all 435 members of the House and is a procedural move that relaxes rules of debate so that amendments may be considered and debate moves quickly.

Discharge Petition: In the House, a ______ allows for a bill that is stuck in a committee to be brought out for consideration by a majority vote.

Filibuster: an action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures. Senators are more likely to threaten a ______ to force a cloture vote than speak for hours on end.

Cloture Rule: Requires two-thirds of senators or 60 votes to shut down a filibuster and bring a bill to the floor

Unanimous Consent: Uses _____ to limit debate and move legislation in a timely manner; however, one senator objects with a hold, and the bill will stall.

Hold: an informal practice where a senator informs Senate leadership of their objection to a bill or nomination, effectively delaying its consideration on the floor.

Riders: Added to bills by legislators. These ______ can be beneficial for a representative's agenda, which are usually non-relevant additions to the bill. Analogy of a ____: A group of friends want to order pizza, but one friend will not chip in with the group unless they also order a dessert pizza just for him.

Pork Barrel Spending: When funds in a bill are earmarked for special projects in a representatives district. Example- A group of friends wants to order pizza, but one friend will only chip in if she is promised half of a pizza will be Hawaiian just for her.

Logrolling: When lawmakers agree to vote for each other's bills. Example- A group of friends want to order food, but can’t all agree on which type so they agree to chip in to support each other’s food preferences on different days.

Mandatory Spending: Payments that are required by the law. Example- Debt Interest

Discretionary Spending: Money that is allocated by Congress. Example- Federal Employees

Entitlement Spending: Spending required for required programs. Example- Social Security. 

Deficit: The gap between the budget and the funds available. When the federal government spends more money than it makes, it borrows money to cover the difference if they are not willing to increase taxes or decrease discretionary spending.

Ideological Divisions: Refers to the differences in beliefs and values that shape political opinions and policy preferences among individuals and groups.

Political Polarization: Refers to the growing ideological distance and divide between political parties and their supporters, leading to a decrease in compromise and increased partisanship.

Gridlock: Refers to a situation in which the legislative process is stalled due to the inability of lawmakers to reach an agreement on policy decisions.

Hyperpluralism: Multiple groups or factions become so strong that the government is unable to function.

Divided Government: When the presidency and Congress are controlled by different political parties.

Lame Duck: Presidents are referred to as a  ______ because they are in the last year of their presidency and therefore have relatively little power to enact policy.

Trustee Model: A representative that has been entrusted with the voters’ faith that they will do what is best according to the representative's best judgment.

Delegate Model: A representative who believes that they should vote according to the will of their voters even if it goes against their best judgment.

Politico Model: A representative that blends the trustee and delegate models and votes depending on the situation.

Census: The Constitution requires a population count called the _____ every 10 years. 

Reapportionment: The process of redistributing the seats in the House of Representatives among the states based on the latest census data.

Redistricting: The process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts to reflect population changes and ensure fair representation.

Baker v. Carr: A landmark Supreme Court case from 1962 that established the principle of 'one person, one vote' in legislative redistricting. The ruling allowed federal courts to intervene in and decide cases of legislative apportionment, addressing issues of unequal representation caused by population shifts and legislative districting practices.

Gerrymandering: Drawing the district lines to favor one group over another and will give an advantage to one side. All _______ is redistricting, but not all redistricting is ________!

Shaw v. Reno: A landmark Supreme Court case from 1993 that addressed the constitutionality of racially gerrymandered districts. The case arose when North Carolina created a congressional district designed to ensure the election of an African American representative, which was challenged as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling connects to important discussions on how electoral districting can influence representation and the balance between majority and minority rights in the political process.

Formal Powers of the Executive Branch: The ____ of the executive branch include: Veto legislation, Commander-in-chief, and Executive agreements.

Informal Powers of the Executive Branch: The ____ of the executive branch include: pocket veto legislation, Bargaining and persuasion, executive orders, and signing statements.

Veto: An active process where the president prevents a bill from becoming a law. 

Pocket Veto: A passive process where a bill will not become law if there are less than ten days left in the congressional session and the president does nothing with the bill.

Treaty: Formal agreements between two or more sovereign states that are legally binding under international law. _____ ratification is a power that belongs to the Senate.

Executive Agreement: International agreements made by the president of the United States without the need for Senate approval, allowing for quick and flexible diplomatic actions. Treaties are much harder to break than ________ because _________ can be overturned by the next presidential administration.

Executive Orders: Official directives issued by the President of the United States to manage the operations of the federal government.These orders allow the President to implement policies without needing Congressional approval, making them a powerful tool in shaping domestic and foreign policy.

Signing Statement:  Allows the president to express how the executive branch interprets the laws and how the president intends to execute them, which could be different than what Congress intended.

Presidential Appointment:  Refers to the authority of the President of the United States to nominate individuals to key positions within the federal government, including cabinet members, judges, and ambassadors.

Senate Confirmation: The process by which the U.S. Senate approves or rejects presidential nominations for key government positions, including cabinet members, federal judges, and ambassadors. White House staff is appointed by the president, but is NOT approved by 

the Senate.

Federalist 70: An essay written by Alexander Hamilton, published in 1788, which argues for a strong executive leader in the new government of the United States. Hamilton emphasizes the necessity of energy in the executive branch, suggesting that a single president is more effective and accountable than a plural executive.

Bully Pulpit: Refers to the unique platform that the President of the United States has to advocate for their agenda and influence public opinion.

State of the Union Address: An annual speech delivered by the President of the United States to a joint session of Congress.

Supreme Court: 9 Justices, Appellate and Original Jurisdiction

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: 12 courts, Appellate Jurisdiction

U.S. District Court: 94 courts, Original Jurisdiction

Federalist 78: An essay written by Alexander Hamilton that discusses the role of the judiciary in the new American government, emphasizing its independence and the importance of judicial review. Argues that the judiciary should be the weakest of the three branches of government, as it has no influence over either the sword or the purse, but instead serves as a guardian of the Constitution by interpreting laws and ensuring they align with constitutional principles.

Judicial Review: The idea that the Court has the power to check the other branches of government by declaring laws constitutional or unconstitutional.

Marbury v. Madison: A landmark Supreme Court case from 1803 that established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Court to invalidate laws and executive actions that are found to be unconstitutional. This case significantly shaped the relationship between the judicial branch and the other branches of government, as well as the balance of power between state and federal authorities.

Precedents: As binding templates for future judicial decisions, and unless there are extreme circumstances, they are very difficult to overturn.

Stare Decisis: a legal principle that means 'to stand by things decided,' and it emphasizes the importance of precedent in the judicial decision-making process. This principle ensures that courts follow established case law when making decisions, promoting stability and predictability in the law.

Judicial Activism:  The practice where judges take an active role in interpreting the law and making decisions that can create new legal precedents or change existing ones.

Judicial Restraint: A legal philosophy that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power and to uphold laws and precedents established by the legislative and executive branches.

Bureaucracy: A large and complex system of administration consisting of appointed officials. It features a hierarchical authority structure, job specialization, and established rules and procedures. Responsible for implementing, administering, and enforcing policies, laws, and regulations at the federal level. Made up of millions of people.

Cabinet Secretary: High-ranking officials who head the executive departments of the federal government and serve as key advisors to the president. Memory Tip for Dept of Cabinet: See = State, The = Treasury, Dog = Defense, Jump = Justice, In = Interior, A = Agriculture, Circle = Commerce, Leave = Labor, Her = Housing and Urban Development, Home = Homeland Security, To = Transportation, Entertain = Energy, Educated = Education, Healthy = Health and Human Services, Veterans = Veterans’ Affairs

Agencies: Smaller subdivisions of the executive departments that all work together to accomplish the main goals of the main department. Examples: IRS and ICE

Commissions: Regulatory groups that operate somewhat independently from presidential authority and are run by a board for a specific purpose. Examples: FCC, SEC, FTC

Government Corporations: Hybrid of business and government which is essentially the government which is essentially the government running a business that serves the public good. Examples: PBS, USPS, Amtrak

Delegated Discretionary Authority: The power given to the bureaucracy by Congress that gives them discretion on how to make rules and carry out laws.

Compliance Monitoring: the power given to the bureaucracy to establish rules for certain industries and then hold those industries accountable for complying for those rules.

Iron triangles: Made up of a bureaucratic agency, congressional committee, and an interest group that work together and rely on one another to create policy in specific areas.

Patronage System: A practice of government appointments to people based on their political support, connections, and loyalty rather than their qualifications.

Merit System: A method of selecting candidates for government jobs based on their demonstrated ability, knowledge, and skills through competitive exams or other objective criteria. Intended to ensure that government positions are filled with the most qualified individuals rather than those who have political connections.