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54 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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judicial review
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the authority of the courts to declare laws or actions of government officials unconstitutional
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logrolling
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an informal norm of Congress in which members agree to support each other's bills; also called reciprocity
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civil case
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a case in which individuals sue others for denying their rights and causing them harm
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Speaker of the House
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the leader and officer of the House of Representatives; chosen by the majority party
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criminal case
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a case which a government prosecutes a person for violating its laws
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authorizations
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budget legislation that provides agencies and departments with the legal authority to operate
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Warren Court
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the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren; activist Court that expanded the rights of criminal defendents and racial and religious minorities
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filibuster
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a mechanism for delay in the Senate in which one or more members ingage in a continuous speech to prevent the Senate from taking action
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presidential immunity
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immunity of the president from lawsuits for acts that occur during his term in office and are related to his official responsibilities
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cloture
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a method of stepping a filibuster by limiting debate to only 20 more hours; requires a vote of three-fifths of the members of the Senate
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Habeas corpus
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A writ of habeas corpus is a for criminal defendants who have exhusted appeals in state courts to appeal to a federal district court
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appropriations
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budget legislation that specifies the amount of authorized funds that will actually be allocated for agencies and departments to spend
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departments
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executive devisions of the federal government
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redistricting
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the process of redrawing the boundaries of congressional districts within a state to take account of population shifts
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Burger Court
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the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Warren Burger. issued important rulings on abortion and sexual discrimination
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going public
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the process in which Congress or its members carry an issue debate to the public through media; televising floor debates or media appearances by individual members
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policy implementation
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the process by which bureaucrats convert laws into rules and activites that have an actual impact on people and things
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majority leader
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the member of the majority party in the House of Representatives who is second in command to the Speaker. Leader of Senate if also chosen by the majority party
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spoils system (patronage)
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a system in which elected officials appoint their supporters to administrative jobs
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oversight
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congress's responsibility to make sure the bureaucracy is administering federal programs
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jurisdiction
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the authority of a court to hear and decide cases
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standing committees
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permanent congressional committees
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Rehnquist Court
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the U.S. Supreme Court under chief justice William Rehnquist. Conservative court, still has not overturned most previous rulings
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Rules Committee
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the committee in the House of Representatives that sets the terms of debate on a bill
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executive leadership
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the president's control over the bureaucracy in his capacity as chief executive; achieved through budgeting, appointments, administrative reform, lobbying, and mobilizing public opinion
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whips
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members of the House of Representatives who work to maintain party unity by keeping in contact with party members and attempting to win their support. Both majority and minority party have a whip and assistant whips
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Washingtonians
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policy makers and opinion elite
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casework
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the assistance members of Congress provide to their constituents; includes answering questions and doing personal favors for those who ask (also known as constituency service)
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whistleblower
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an individual employee who exposes mismanagement and abuse of discretion in an agency
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Conference Committee
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a committee composed of members of both houses of Congress that is formed to try to resolve the differences when the two houses pass different versions of the same bill
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independent agencies
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government bureaus that are not parts of departments. Their heads are appointed by and responsible to the president
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minority leader
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the leader of the minority party in either the House of Representatives of the Senate
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merit system
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a system of filling bureaucratic jobs on the basis of competence instead on patronage
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constituency service
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the assistance members of Congress provide to residents in their districts; includes answering questions & doing personal favors (also known as casework)
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Civil Service Commission
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an angency established to curb patronage in the federal bureaucracy and replace it w/ merit system
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franking priviledge
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the privilege of members of Congress that allows them to send free mail to their constituents
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district courts
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the trial courts (lower-level courts) in the federal system
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reapportionment
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the process of redistributing the 435 deats in the Hourse of Representatives among the states based on population changes, occurs every 10 years
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Marbury v. Madison
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the 1803 case inwhich the U.S. Supreme Court announced the doctrine of judicial review
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gerrymander
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a congressional district whose boundaries are drawn so as to maximize the political advantage of a party or racial group; bizarre shapes
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power to persuade
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president's informal power to gain support by dispensing favors and penalties and by using the prestige of the office
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pork barrel
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funding for special projects, buildings, and other public works in the district or state of a member of Congress.
Provides jobs for constituents and enhance the members' reelection chances |
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neutral competence
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the concept that bureaucrats should be involved or neutral in policymaking and should be chosen only for their expertise-not political affiliation
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Seniority rule
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the member of the majority party with the longest service on a particular congressional committee becomes its chair; applies most of the time
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War Power Act
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enacted by Congress to limit the president's ability to commit troops to combat
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personal presidency
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presidents gain personal power directly from the people and, in return are expected to make sure the people get what they want from government
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senatorial courtesy
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the custom of giving senators of the president's party a virtual veto over appointments to jobs, including judicial appointments, in their states.
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impeachment
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process by which Congress can remove presidents, judges, and other civil officers accused of wrongdoing. House decides questions of impeachment; if majority favors impeachment, Senate decides whether to remove the accused or not
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going public
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Congress or its members carry an issue debate to the public through media
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executive orders
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rules or regulations issued by the president that have the force of law
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courts of appeal
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intermediate courts between trial courts (district courts) and the supreme court (U.S. supreme court)
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judicial restraint
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judges who are reluctant to overrule the other branches of gov't by declaring laws or actions of gov't officials unconstitutional
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regulation
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regulatory agencies establishing standards or guidelines conferring benefits or imposing restrictions on business conduct
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judicial activism
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judges who are not reluctant to overrule the other braches of gov't officials unconstitutional
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