Exam 3 American Politics

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signing statements

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statements recorded along with signed legislation clarifying the Pres's understanding of the constitutionality of the bill

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head of state

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the apolitical, unifying role of Pres as symbolic rep of whole country

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head of gov

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political role of the press as a leader of a political party and chief arbiter of who gets what resources

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chief administrator

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the press executive role as the head of fed agencies and the person responsible for the implementation of nat policy

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chief foreign policy maker

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the presidents executive role as the primary shaper of relations with other nations

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executive agreements

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Pres arrangements with other countries that create foreign policy w/o the need for Senate approval

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executive orders

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clarifications of congressional policy issued by the Pres and having the full force of law

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senatorial courtesy

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tradition of granting senators of the Pres party considerable power over federal judicial appointments in their home states

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solicitor general

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the Justice Department officer who argues the gov cases before the S.C.

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Pardoning power

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Pres authority to release or excuse a person from the legal penalties of a crime

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inherent powers

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prez powers implies but not states explicitly in the Constitution

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Power to persuade

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A prez's ability to convince Congress, other political actors and the pubic to cooperate with the admin agenda

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going public

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a prez's strategy of appealing to the public on an issue, expecting that public pressure will be brought to bear on other political actors

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cycle efect

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the predictable rise and fall of a prez's popularity at different stages of a term in office

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honeymoon period

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the time following an election when a prez's popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive

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legislative liasion

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executive personnel who work with membs of congress to secure their support in getting a Prez's legislation passed

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divided government

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political rule split between 2 parties: one controlling WH and other controlling one or more houses of Congress

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Executive Office of the President

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collection of nine organizations that help the Pres with policy and pol objectives

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Office of Management and Budget

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org within EOP that oversees the budgets of departments and agencies

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Council of Econ Advisers

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org within EOP that advises the Prez on econ matters

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National Security Council

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org within EOP that provides foreign policy to the Prez

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White House OFfice

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the approximately 400 employees within EOP who work most closely and directly with President

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Representation

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efforts of elected officials to look out for the interests of those who elect them

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national lawmaking

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creation of policy to address the problems and needs of entire nation

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national lawmaking

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creation of policy to address the problems and needs of nation

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polarization

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the ideological distance between parties and the ideological homogeneity within them

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hyper partisanship

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a commitment to party so strong it can transcend other commitments

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policy representation

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congressional work to advance the issues and ideological preferences of constituents

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allocative representation

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congressional work to secure projects, services, and funds for the represented district

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pork barrel

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Public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues

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casework

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legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solve their problems with gov agencies and programs

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franking

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the privilege of free mail service provided to members of Congress

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symbolic representation

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efforts of members of Congress to stand for American ideals or ID with common constituency values

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Congressional oversight

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a committee's investigation of the executive and of gov agencies to ensure they are acting as Congress intends

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strategic politicians

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office seekers who base the decision to run on a rational calculation that they will be successful

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Coattail effect

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the added votes received by congressional candidates of a winning presidential party

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midterm loss

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the tendency for the Prez party to lose congressional seats in an off-year election

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descriptive representation

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the idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents

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party polarization

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greater ideological differences between the parties and increased ideological consensus within the parties

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standing committees

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permanent committees responsible for legislation in particular policy areas

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House Rules Committee

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the committee that determines how and when debate on a bill will take place

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select committee

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a committee appointed to deal with an issue or a problem not suited to a standing committee

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joint committees

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combined house-senate committees formed to coordinate activities and expedite legislation in a certain area

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conference committees

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temporary committees formed to reconcile diffs in House and Senate versions of a bill

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policy entrepreneurship

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practice of legislators becoming experts and taking leadership roles in specific policy areas

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cloture

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vote to end Senate filibuster; needs 2/3 or 60 votes

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omnibus legislation

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large bill that contains so many important elements that membs can't afford to defeat it and the press can't afford to veto it, even if the bill contains elements they don't like

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roll call votes

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public recorded votes on bills and amendments on the floor of House or Senate

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pocket veto

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prez authority to kill a bill submitted within ten days of the end of a legislative session by not signing it

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civil-law tradition

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a legal system based on a detailed comprehensive legal code, usually created by the legislature (only used by Louisiana)

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common-law tradition

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a legal system based on the accumulated rulings of judges over time, applied uniformly -judge-made law

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precedent

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a previous decision or ruling that, in common-law tradition, is binding on subsequent decisions

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adversarial system

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trial procedures designed to resolve conflict through the clash of opposing sides, moderated by a neutral, passive judge who applies the law

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inquisitorial system

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trial procedures designed to determine the truth through the intervention of an active judge who seeks evidence and questions witnesses

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substantive laws

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laws whose content, or substance, define what we can or cannot do

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procedural laws

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laws that establish how laws are applied and enforced-how legal proceedings take place

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procedural due process

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procedural laws that protect the rights of indvs who must deal with the legal system

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criminal laws

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laws prohibiting behavior the gov has determined to be harmful to society; violation of a criminal law is called a crime

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civil laws

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laws regulating interactions between individuals; violation of a civil law is called a tort

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constitutional law

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law stated in the Const. or in the body of judicial decisions about the meaning of the Constitution handed down in the courts

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statutory laws

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laws passed by a state or fed legis

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administrative law

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law established by the bureaucracy on behalf of Congress

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exec orders

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clarifications of congressional policy issued by Prez and having the full force of law

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jurisdiction

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court's authority to hear certain cases

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orignial jurisdiction

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authority of a court to hear a case first

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appellate jurisdiction

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authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts

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appeal

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rehearing of a case because the losing party in the original trial argues that a point of law was not applied properly

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strict constructionism

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a judicial approach holding that the Const should be read literally; with the framers' intentions in mind

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judicial interpretivism

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a judicial approach holding that the constitution is a living document and that judges should interpret it according to changing times and values

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writs of certiorari

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formal requests by supreme court to call up the lower court case it decides to hear ion appeal

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Rule of Four

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unwritten requirement that four SC justices must agree to grant a case certiorari in order for the case to be heard

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amicus curiae briefs

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"friend of court" documents filed by interested parties to encourage the Court to grant or deny certiorari or urge it to decide a case in a particular way

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judicial activism

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view that courts should be lawmaking policymaking bodies

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judicial restraint

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view that courts should reject any active lawmaking functions and stick to judicial interpretations of the past

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concurring opinions

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docs written by justices expressing agreement with majority ruling but describing different or additional reasons for the ruling

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dissenting opinions

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documents written by justices expressing disagreement with the majority ruling

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faction

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a group of citizens united by some common passion or interest and opposed to the rights of other citizens or to the interests of the whole community

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interest group

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an org of individuals who share a common political goal and unite for the purpose of influencing gov decisions

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PACs

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fundraising arms of interest groups

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interest group entrepreneurs

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effective group leaders who are likely to have organized the group and can effectively promote its interests among membs and the public

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free rider problem

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the difficulty groups face in recruiting when potential membs can gain the benefits of the group's actions whether they join or not

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collective good

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a good or service that, by its very nature, cannot be denied to anyone who wants to consume

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selective incentives

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benefits that are available only to group membs as an inducement to get them to join

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material benefits

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selective incentives in the form of tangible rewards

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solidary benefits

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selective incentives related to the interaction and bonding among group membs

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expressive benefits

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selective incentives that derive from the opportunity to express values and beliefs and to be committed to a greater cause

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economic interest groups

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groups that organize to influence gov policy for the econ benefit of their members

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equal opportunity interest groups

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groups that organize to promote the civil and econ rights of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups

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public interest groups

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groups that organize to influence gov to produce collective goods or services that benefit the general public

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direct lobbying

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direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions

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indirect lobbying

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attempts to influence gov policymakers by encouraging the gen public to put pressure on them

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revolving door

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tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector

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issue advocacy ads

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ads that support issues or candidates without telling constituents how to vote

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527 groups

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groups that mobilize voters with issue advocacy ads on tv and radio but may not directly advocate the election or defeat of a particular candidate

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social protest

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public activities designed to bring attention to political causes, usually generated by those without access to conventional means of expressing votes

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grassroots lobbying

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indirect lobbying efforts that spring from widespread public concern

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astroturf lobbying

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indirect lobbying efforts that manipulate or create public sentiment, 'astroturf' being artificial grassroots