Pol 110 Exam 2 Key Terms

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appropriations

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the amt of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of govt can spend

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bicameral

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two-chambered legislature

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bill

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a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate

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cloture

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a rule allowing three-fifths of the members in the U.S. Senate to set a time limit on a debate over a given bill

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conference/caucus

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a gathering every two years to elect House leaders. (dem- caucus; rep- conference)

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conference meeting

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a joint committee created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

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constituency

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the district and its people compromising the area from which an official is elected

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filibuster

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a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down

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gerrymandering

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the process of redrawing legislative district boundary lines to provide political advantage or disadvantage

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impeachment

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the formal charge by the House of Reps that a govt official has committed "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors"

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incumbency

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the ability to retain office election after election

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joint committee

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a legislative committee formed of members of both the House and the Senate

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logrolling

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agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill

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majority leader

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the elected leader of the majority party in the House of Reps or in the Senate

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minority leader

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the elected leader of the minority party in the House or Senate

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oversight

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the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to excercise power over the activities of executive agencies by overseeing or supervising

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party vote

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a roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 percent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party

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patronage

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the resources available to higher officials, including making partisan appointments to offices, and confering grants, licenvses, or special favors to supporters

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pocket veto

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occurs if the president does not sign a given piece of legislation passed during the final ten days of a legislative session of Congress, by its adjournment, prevents the bill from being returned to it

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pork barrel

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appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created to help local representatives win re-election in their home districts

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redistricting

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the process of redrawing election districts and redistrivuting legislative reps

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Speaker of the House

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the chief presiding officer of the House of Reps; the most important and House leader

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standing committee

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a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or appropriations

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veto

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the president's contitutional power to prevent a bill from becoming a law (overridden by 2/3 vote by each the house and senate)

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whip system

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a communications network in each house of Congress that take polls to learn their members' intentions on specific legislative issues and to assist the mafority and minority leaders in various tasks

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cabinet

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the chief administrators (secretaries) of the major departments of the federal government

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commander in chief

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the power of the president as commander of the national military and the state national guard units

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delegated powers

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constitutional powers that are assigned to one governmental agency but that are exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first

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executive agreement

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made between the president and another country, that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate's "advice and consent"

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executive office of the president

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the permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the president

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executive order

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a ruve or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation

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mandate

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a claim by a victorious candidate that the electorate has given him or her special authority to carry out promises made during the campaign

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New Deal coalition

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the coalition of northern urban liberals, southern white conservatives, organized labor, and blacks that dominated national politics until the 1960s

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veto

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the president's constitutional power to prevent a bill from becoming a law

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War Powers Resolution

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a resolution of Congress that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress, or if American troops are already under attack or serious threat

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administrative adjudication

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the application of rules and precedents to spedifid cases to settle disputes with regulated parties

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bureaucracy

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the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that are employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate effectively the work of their personnel

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department

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the largest subunit of the executive branch

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government corporation

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a government agency that performs a service normally provided by the private sector

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implementation

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the efforts of departments and agencies to carry out the objectives of the organization as laid down by its board of directors (private company) or by law (public agency)

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independent agency

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an agency that is not part of a Cabinet department

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merit system

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a produst of civil service reform, in which appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for the position

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rulemaking

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a quasi-legixlative administrative procass that produces regulations by government agencies

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spoils system

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government jobs given out based on political connections rather than merit

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amicus curiae

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literally, "friend of the court"; individuals or grouips who are not parties to a lawsuit but who seek to assist the Supreme Court in reaching a decision by presenting additional briefs

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appellate court

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a court that hears the appeals of trial court decisions

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briefs

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written documents in which attorneys explain, using case precedents, why the court should find in favor of their client

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chief justice

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justice on the Supreme Court who presides over the Court's public sessions

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civil law

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a system of jurisprudence, including private law and governmental actions, to settle disputes that do not involve criminal penalties

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criminal law

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the branch of law that deals with disputes or actions involving criminal penalties

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defendant

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the one against whom a complaint is brought in a criminal or civil case

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dissenting opinion

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a decision written by a justice in the minority in a particular case in which the justice wishes to express his or her reasoning in the case

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judicial activism

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judicial philosophy that posits that the court should go beyond the words of the Constitution or a statute to consider the broader societal implications of its decisions

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judicial restraint

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judicial philosophy whose adherents refuse to go beyond the clear words of the Constitution in interpreting its meaning

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judicial review

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the power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of actions of the legislative and executive branches, or the states

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jurisdiction

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the sphere of a court's power and authority

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opinion

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the written explanation of the Supreme Court's decision in a particular case

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oral argument

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stage in Supreme Court procedure in which attorneys for both sides appear before the Court to present their positions and answer questions posed by justices

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original jurisdiction

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the authority to initially consider a case

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plaintiff

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the individual or organization that brings a complaint or charges in court

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plea bargains

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negotiated agreements in criminal cases in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty in return for the state's agreement to reduce the severity of the criminal charge the defendant is facing

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precedent

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prior case whose principles are used by judges as the basis for their decisions in present cases

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senatorial courtesy

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the practice whereby the president, before formally naminating a person for a federal judgeship, seeks the indication that senators from the candidate's own state support the nomination

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solicitor general

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the top government lawyer in all cases before the Supreme Court in which the government is a party

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supreme court

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the highest court in a particular state or in the United States

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writ of certiorari

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a decision of at least four of the nine Supreme Cout justices to review a decision of a lower court

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writ of habeas corpus

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a court order that the individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention

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reapportionment

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the redistribution of representation in a legislative body

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rules committee

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a special committee of a legislature, as of the U.S. House of Representatives, having the authority to establish rules or methods for expediting legislative action, and usually determining the date a bill is presented for consideration

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electoral college

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a select body of people who elect somebody to an office on behalf of a larger group

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state of the union address

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The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient

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substantive representation

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reflect the policy preferences of constituents (policy)

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service representation

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responsive to the needs of constituents (casework)

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symbolic representation

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reflect the demographic characteristics of constituents (descriptive)

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trustee system of representation

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use best judgement to make decisions that benefit constituents

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Marbury v. Madison

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first time judicial review was implemented in court case, result was that the court can rule on the constitutionality of the actions of the legislative and executive branches or the states

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signing statement

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president signs bill but doesn't approve and won't enforce

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going public

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presidents appeal to the public and use of public support to influence congress

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constitutional theory

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presidents can only do what is specified by the constitution

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stewardship theory

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presidents can do anything not expressly prohibited by the constitution

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prerogative theory

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presidents can do things forbidden by the constitution if it is in the national interest

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Civil Service System

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federal employment based on merit rather than party loyalty

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Pendleton Act

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January 16, 1883, the Pendleton Act established a merit-based system of selecting government officials and supervising their work

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Supreme Court justices

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9 of them, nominated by president, confirmed by senate, serve for life or until step down

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district courts

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94 of them, 664 judges, 325,00 cases per year

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government corporation

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a government agency that performs a service normally provided by the private sector

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independent regulatory commissions

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give private citizens an opportunity to assist government with significant problems without being beholden to the government or the current administration.