Bureaucracy and the Judicial Branch

Bureaucracy and Judicial Branch Concepts

• Delegated Discretionary Authority
  Power given from the federal government to agencies to make decisions and implement policies.

• Cabinet
  Refers to the advisory body to the President consisting of heads of executive departments.

• Iron Triangle
  The stable relationship among a bureaucracy, congressional committees, and interest groups.

• Bureaucratic Implementation of Law
  Process by which bureaucracies put laws into action.

• Congressional Oversight (Hearings)
  Congressional review of the actions of an executive agency or department.

• Power of the Purse
  Congress's ability to influence policy through funding.

• Federalist #78
  Explains the role of the judiciary and the concept of judicial review.

• Marbury vs. Madison
  Landmark case that established the principle of judicial review in the U.S.

• Judicial Review
  The power of courts to assess whether a law is constitutional.

• Certiorari (Certing)
  The process by which the Supreme Court agrees to hear a case.

• Process of Becoming a Supreme Court Justice
  Involves nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate.

• Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint
  Different philosophies on the role of courts in influencing policy.

• Lifetime Tenure and Good Behavior
  Supreme Court justices serve for life, pending good behavior.

• Stare Decisis and Precedents
  Legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent.