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64 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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material benefits = economic incentives |
special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join |
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pluralism |
the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government. The outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation |
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purposive benefits |
selective benefits of group membership that emphasize the purpose and accomplishments of the group |
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solidary benefits |
selective benefits of group membership that emphasize friendship, networking, and consciousness raising |
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elite theory |
wealth equals power; economic elites do not compromise; they actually determine policy regardless of government institutions |
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appropriations |
the amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend |
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bicameral |
characterized as having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses |
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bill |
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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conference committees |
joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation |
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constituency |
the residents in the area from which an official is elected |
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filibuster |
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. Once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster |
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incumbency |
holding a political office for which one is running |
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oversight |
the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies |
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pork barrel legislation |
appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created to help local representatives win re-electionin their home districts |
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select committees |
temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate particular issues or to address issues not within the jusridiction of existing committees |
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Speaker of the House |
the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is the most important party and House leader and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' position within the House |
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standing committees |
a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or agriculture |
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term limits |
legally prescribed limits on the number of terms and elected official can serve |
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veto |
the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress. A presidential veto may be overridden ny a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress |
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franking |
privilege extended to incumbents of "free mail" |
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appropriations committees
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funding of federal programs agencies
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markup |
last opportunity to make changes to the bill |
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Instructed Delegate model |
voting based on the "instructions" from constituents |
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Trustee model |
voting is based on represenatives personal judgement about what is best |
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Rules Committee |
the administrative committee; sets the rules and the agenda; controls the calendar of debate and vote (House only) |
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Ways & Means Committee
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budget and tax laws committees (House only)
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Cabinet |
the secretaries, or chief administrators, of the major departments of the federal govenment. Cabinet secretaries are appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate |
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commander in chief |
the role of the president as commander of the national military and the state national guard units (when called into service) |
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executive agreement |
an agreement, made between the president and another country, that has the force of a treaty but doe not require the Senate's "advice and consent" |
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Executive Office of the President (EOP) |
the permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the president. Created in 1939, the EOP includes the OMB, the CEA, the NSC, and other agencies |
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executive order |
a rule of regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation |
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expressed powers
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specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II)
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legislative initiative = chief legislator
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the president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress
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signing statements
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announcements made by the president when signing bills into law, often presenting the president's interpretation of the law
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veto power
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the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress. A presidential veto may be overridden by two-thirds vote of each house of Congress
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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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White House staff
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analysts and advisors to the president, each of whom is often given the title "special assistant"
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Midterm elections
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Congress only
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appointment power
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presidential power to appoint his Cabinet advisors, all federal judges and Supreme Court justices, federal reserve board, and U.S. Ambassadors
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chief diplomat
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foreign treaty negotiator and appoints U.S. ambassadors
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chief executive
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to enforce, implement, execute laws, court decisions, and treaties
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chief of staff
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runs White House staff. Closest administrator to the president
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head of state
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speaks and represents the United States to the world
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National Security Council (NSC)
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five permanent members: President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the Joint Chiefs. Created by Truman
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press secretary
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spokesman for the president; "spin the news"
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chief justice
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justice on the Supreme Court who presides over the Court's public sessions and whose official title is Chief Justice of the United States
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civil law
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the branch of law that deals with disputes that do not involve criminal penalties
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court of appeals
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a court that hears the appeals of trial court decisions
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criminal law
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the branch of law that regulates the conduct of individuals, defines crimes, and specifies punishment for criminal acts
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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 expresses 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 the document's meaning
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judicial review
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the power of the courts to review and, if necessary, declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional. The Supreme Court asserted this power in Marbury v. Madison
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oral argument
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the stage in Supreme Court procedure in which attorneys from 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. Distinguished from appellate jurisdiction, which is the authority to hear appeals from a lower court's decision
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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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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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stare decisis
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literally, "let the decision stand." The doctrine that a previous decision by a court applies as a precedent in similar cases until the decision is overruled
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trial court
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the first court to hear a criminal or civil case
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supreme court
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the highest court in the United States. This court primarily serves an appellate function
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justiciable dispute
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real case vs. hypothetical "what if" case. Legal solution vs. political or moral reason
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standing to sue
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burden on the plaintiff to show direct damages in a case
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rule of 4
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four justices needed to select a case, otherwise left with lower court decision
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concurrent opinion
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majority vote, but from different point of view
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