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129 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Interest Group
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A Private Organization or voluntary association that seeks to influence public policy as a way to protect or advance some interest
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Pluralist
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A political scientist who views American politics as best understood in terms of the interaction, conflict, and bargaining of groups.
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Private Interest
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An interest group that seeks to protect or advance the material interests of its members
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Public Interest
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An interest group that advocates for a cause or ideology
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Lobbying
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Effort/action by an interest or advocacy group to influence the behavior of a public official.
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Disturbance Theory
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A theory that locates the origins of interest groups in changes in the economic, social, or political environment that threaten the well-being of some segment of the population
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Ear-marking
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Practice of appropriating money for specific pet projects of members of Congress, usually done at the behest of lobbyists, and added to bills at the last minute with little opportunity for deliberation.
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Amicus curiae
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friend of the court, describes a brief in which individuals not party to a suit may have their views heard
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Grassroots lobbying
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The effort by interest groups to mobilize local constituencies and shape public opinion to support the group's goals and to bring that pressure to bear on elected officials
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Political Action Committee (PAC)
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An entity created by an interest group whose purpose is to collect money and make contributions to candidates in federal elections
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Soft money
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Unregulated expenditures by political parties on general public education, voter registration and mobilization
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527 Organizations
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Groups that can collect and spend money without legal limits to advocate for and against issues; more disguised efforts to support or attack candidates or parties
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Iron triangle
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An enduring alliance of common interest among an interest group, a congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency
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Sub-government
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Same as iron triangle
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Issue networks
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Broad coalitions of public and private interest groups, policy experts, and public officials that form around particular policy issues; said to be more visible to the public and more inclusive
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Revolving door
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Phrase to describe the common practice in which former government officials become lobbyists for interests with whom they formerly dealt in their official capacity
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Responsible Party
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A political party that takes clear, distinct stands on the issues and enacts them as policy when in office.
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Prospective voting model
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a theory of democratic elections in which voters decide what government will do in the near future by choosing one or another responsible party
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Electoral competition model
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A form of election in which parties seeking votes move toward the median voter or the center of the political spectrum
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Median Voter
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Refers to the voter at the exact middle of the political spectrum
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Electoral reward and punishment
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The tendency to vote for the incumbents when times are good and against them when times are bad
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Retrospective voting
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A form of election in which voters look back at the performance of a party in power and cast ballots on the basis of how well it did in office
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Provisional ballot
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A vote that is cast but not counted until determination is made that the voter is properly registered
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Franchise
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The legal right to vote
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Suffrage
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The ability to vote
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Electoral college
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Representatives of the states who fromally elect the president; the number of electors in each state is equal to the total number of its senators and congressional representatives
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Party Convention
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A gathering of delegates who nominate a party's presidential candidate
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Primary election
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Statewide elections in which voters choose delegates to the national party conventions; virtually all delegates are pldged to a specific candidate for the party's nomination
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Caucus nominating system
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A system for selecting delegates to the national party conventions characterized by neighborhood and areawide meetings of party supporters and activists; in sued in fewer states than are primaries
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Turnout
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the proportion of eligible voters who actually vote in a given election
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Referenda
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Procedures available in some states by which state laws or constitutional amendments proposed by the legislature are submitted to the voters for approval or rejection
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Initiatives
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Procedures available in some states for citizens to put proposed laws and constitutional amendment on the ballot for voter approval or rejection
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Superdelegates
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Elected officials from all levels of government who are appointed by party committees to be delegates to the national convention of the Democratic Party; not selected in primary elections or caucuses
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Enumerated powers
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Powers of the federal government specifically mentioned in the Constitution
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Elastic clause
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Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, also called the necessary and proper clause; gives Congress the authority to make whatever laws are necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated responsibilities
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Bicameral
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As applied to a legislative body, consisting of two houses or chambers
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Delegate
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According to the doctrine articulated by Edmund Burke, an elected representative who acts in perfect accord with the wishes of his or her constituents
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Trustee
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" " believes his or her own best judgment, rather than instructions from constituents should be used in making legislative decisions
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Descriptive representation
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Sometimes called statistical representation; means that the composition of a representative body reflects
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Constituency
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The district of a legislator
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Constituent
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A citizen who lives in the district of an elected official
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Reapportionment
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The reallocation of House seats among the states, done after each national census, to ensure that seats are held by the states in proportion to the size of their populations
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Redistricting
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The redrawing of congressional district lines within a state to ensure roughly equal populations within each district
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Majority-minority districts
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Districts drawn to ensure that a racial minority makes up the majority of voters
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Open-seat election
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An election in which there is no incumbent officeholder
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Franking privilege
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Public subsidization of mail from the members of Congress to their constituents
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Casework
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Services performed by members of Congress for constituents
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Pork (barrel)
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Projects designed to bring to the constituency jobs and public money for which the members of Congress can claim credit
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Party Conference
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An organization of the members of a political party in the House or Senate
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Caucus
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A regional, ethnic, racial or economic subgroup within the House or Senate. Also
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Whip
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A political party member in Congress charged with keeping members informed of the plans of the party leadership, counting votes before action on important issues and rounding up party members for votes on bills
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Standing committees
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Relatively permanent congressional committees that address specific areas of legislation
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Hearings
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The taking of testimony by a congressional committee or subcommittee
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Markup
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The process of revising a bill in committee
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Select committee
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Temporary committees in Congress created to conduct studies or investigations; they have no power to report bills
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Joint committees
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Congressional committees with members from both the House and the Senate
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Conference committees
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Ad hoc committees, made up of members of Senate and House, set up to reconcile differences in the provisions of bills
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Seniority
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The principle that one attains a position on the basis of length of service
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Ranking minority member
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The highest ranking member of the minority party on a congressional committee
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Reciprocity
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Deferral by members of Congress to the judgment of subject-matter specialists, mainly on minor technical bills
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Unanimous consent
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Legislative action taken "without objection" as a way to expedite business; used to conduct much of the business of the Senate
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Hold
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A tactic by which a single senator can prevent action on a bill or nomination; based on an implied threat of refusing to agree to unanimous consent on other Senate matters or willingness to filibuster the bill or nomination
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Filibuster
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A parliamentary device used inthe Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote by "talking it to death," made possible by the norm of unlimited debate.
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Cloture
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A vote to end a filibuster or a debate' requires the votes of three-fifths of the Senate
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Hopper
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The box in the House in which proposed bills are placed
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Discharge petition
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A petition signed by 218 House members to force a bill that has been before a committee for at least 30 days while the House in the session out of the committee and onto the floor for consideration
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Unanimous consent
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Legislative action taken "without objection" as a way to expedite business; used to conduct much of the business of the Senate
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Veto
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Presidential disapproval of a bill that has been passed by both houses of Congress. The president's veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house.
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Hold
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A tactic by which a single senator can prevent action on a bill or nomination; based on an implied threat of refusing to agree to unanimous consent on other Senate matters or willingness to filibuster the bill or nomination
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Pocket veto
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rejection of a bill if the president takes no action on it for 10 days and Congress had adjourned during that period
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Filibuster
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A parliamentary device used inthe Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote by "talking it to death," made possible by the norm of unlimited debate.
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Oversight
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Congressional responsibility for monitoring the actions of executive branch agencies and personnel to ensure conformity to federal statues and congressional intent
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Cloture
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A vote to end a filibuster or a debate' requires the votes of three-fifths of the Senate
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Hopper
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The box in the House in which proposed bills are placed
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Impeachment
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House action bringing formal charges against a member of the executive branch on the federal judiciary that may or may not lead to removal from office by the Senate
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Discharge petition
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A petition signed by 218 House members to force a bill that has been before a committee for at least 30 days while the House in the session out of the committee and onto the floor for consideration
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Veto
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Presidential disapproval of a bill that has been passed by both houses of Congress. The president's veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house.
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Pocket veto
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rejection of a bill if the president takes no action on it for 10 days and Congress had adjourned during that period
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Oversight
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Congressional responsibility for monitoring the actions of executive branch agencies and personnel to ensure conformity to federal statues and congressional intent
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Impeachment
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House action bringing formal charges against a member of the executive branch on the federal judiciary that may or may not lead to removal from office by the Senate
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Habeas corpus
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The legal doctrine that a person who is arrested must have a timely hearing before a judge
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Trusts
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Large combination of business corporations
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State of the Union
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Annual address to the nation by the president, delivered before a joint session of Congress, on the state of the nation and his legislative proposals for addressing national problems
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Executive order
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A rule or regulation issued by the president that has the force of law, based either on the constitutional powers of the presidency or on congressional statutes
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Treaty
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A formal international agreement between two or more countries; in the US requires the "advice and consent" of the Senate
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Executive agreement
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An agreement with another country signed by the president that has the force of law, like a treaty; does NOT require Senate approval. Used for minor technical matters, now an important tool of presidential power in foreign affairs
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Institutional presidency
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The permanent bureaucracy associated with the presidency, designed to help the incumbent of the office carry out his responsibilities
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Chief of Staff
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A top adviser to the president who also manages the White House staff
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National security adviser
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A top foreign policy and defense adviser to the president who heads the National Security Council
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Executive Office of the President (EOP)
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A group of organizations that advise the president on a wide range of issues; includes the office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, and the Council of Economic Advisers
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Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
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An organization within the Ex Office pf the Pres that advises on the fed budget, domestic legislation, and regulations
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Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
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An organization in the Executive Office of the Pres made up of a small group of economists who advise on economic policy
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National Security Council (NSC)
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An organization in the Exec Office of the Pres made up of officials from the State and Defense Departments, the CIA, and the military, who advise on foreign and security affairs
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Divided Government
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Control of the executive and the legislative branches by different political parties
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Presidential popularity
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The percentage of Americans who approve a presidents handling of his job
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Unitary executive
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Constitutional doctrine that proposes that the executive branch is under the direct control of the president, who has all authority necessary to control the actions of federal bureaucracy personnel and units without interference from the other federal branches
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Appropriation
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Legal authority for a fed agency to spend money from the US treasury
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Judicial review
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The power of the Supreme Court to declare actions of the other branches and levels of government unconstitutional
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Constitutional courts
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Fed courts created by Congress under the authority of Article III of the Constitution
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Legislative courts
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Highly specialized fed courts created by Congress under the authority of Article I of the Constitution
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Original jurisdiction
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The authority of a court to be the first to hear a particular kind of case
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Grand juries
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Groups of citizens who decide whether there is sufficient evidence to bring an indictment against accused persons
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Petit (trial) juries
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Juries that hear evidence and sit in judgment on charges brought in civil or criminal cases
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Circuit courts
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The 12 geographical jurisdictions and one special court that hear appeals from the federal district courts
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Appellate courts
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Courts that hear cases on appeal from other courts
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Briefs
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Documents setting out the arguments in legal cases, prepared by attorneys and presented to courts
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Opinion
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The explanation of the majority's reasoning that accompanies a court decision
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Precedents
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Rulings by courts that guide judicial reasoning in subsequent cases
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Stare decisis
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The legal doctrine that says precedent should guide judicial decision making
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Senatorial courtesy
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The tradition that judicial nominations for federal district court appointments be cleared by the senior senator of the president's party form the relevant state
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Standing
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Authority to bring legal action because one is directly affected by the issues at hand
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Executive privilege
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A presidential claim that certain communications with subordinates may be withheld from Congress and the courts
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Separate but equal doctrine
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The principle articulated in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that laws prescribing separate public facilities and services for nonwhite Americans are permissible if the facilities and services are equal to those provided to whites
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Superprecedent
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landmark rulings, that have been reaffirmed by the Court over the course of many years and whose reasoning has become part of the fabric of American law
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Plaintiff
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One who brings suit in a court
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In forma pauperis
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Describing a process by which indigents may file a quit with the Supreme Court free of charge
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Writ of certiorari
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An announcement that the Supreme Court will hear a case on appeal from a lower court; its issuance requires the vote of four of the nine justices
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Rule of four
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An unwritten practice that requires at least 4 justices of the Supreme Court to agree on a vote
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Amicus curia
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Friend of the court; describes a brief in which individuals not party to a suit may have their views heard
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Opinion of the court
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The majority opinion that accompanies a Supreme Court Decision
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Concurring opinion
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The opinion of one or more judges who vote with the majority on a case but wish to set out different reasons for their decision
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Dissenting opinion
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The opinion of the judge or judges who are in the minority on a particular case before the Supreme Court
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Laissez-faire
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The political-economic doctrine that holds that gov ought not interfere with the operations of the free market
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Judicial activism
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Actions by the courts that go beyond the strict role of the judiciary as interpreter of the law and adjudicator of disputes
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Remedy
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An action that a court determines must be taken to rectify a wrong
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Original intent
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The doctrine that the courts must interpret the Constitution in ways consistent with the intentions of the framers rather than in light of contemporary conditions and needs
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Strict construction
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The doctrine that the provisions ofthe Constitution have a clear meaning and that judges must stick closely to this meaning when rendering decisions
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Test Case
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A case brought to force a ruling on the constitutionality of some law or executive action
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Class action suit
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A suit brought on behalf of a group of people who are in a situation similar to that of the plaintiffs
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