AP Gov Unit 2 Flashcards
Amicus Curiae Briefs
a text that is authorized in its field to be used as evidence in court
Appellate Jurisdiction
Apportionment, Reapportionment
Age Requirements
Appropriations
Appropriations Bill
Bicameral
Bipartisan
Agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies.
Blue Dog Democrats
Democratic Party in the United States House of Representative who identify as centrists or conservatives.
Budget and Impoundment Control (1974)
Established procedures to prevent the President and other government officials from unilaterally substituting their own funding decisions for those of the Congress.
Budget Process
The process of planning future business activities by establishing performance goals and putting them into a formal plan
Budget Resolution
Congress sets total spending, revenues, the surplus or deficit, and the public debt. The budget may also include reconciliation instructions.
Bully Pulpit
A public office or position of authority that provides its occupant with an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue.
Cabinet Departments
A department or other government agency that directly supports the work of the government’s central executive office, usually the cabinet and/or prime minister, rather than specific ministerial portfolios.
Caucus
A meeting at which local members of political party register their preference among candidates running for office or select delegates to attend a convention
Chairpersons
A chairman or chairwoman
Chief Executive
A chief executive officer, chief administrator officer, central executive officer, or just chief executive, is one of a number of corporate executives in charge of managing an organization – especially an independent legal entity such as a company or nonprofit institution.
Civil Courts
A court dealing with noncriminal cases.
Civil Service
The permanent professional branches of a government’s administration, excluding military and judicial branches and elected politicians.
Coattails
The coattail effect or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.
Commander-in-Chief
A head of state or officer in supreme command of a country’s armed forces.
Common Law
It’s the body of unwritten laws that is based on legal precedents which were established by the courts.
Competing Interests
It’s when the a “conflict of interest” can occur when you or your employer or sponsor have a financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationship with other organizations or people working with them that could possibly help with your research.
Compliance Monitoring
A continuous process to ensure that affected staff is following all policies and procedures in the manual.
Concurring Opinion
It’s an opinion that agrees with the majority opinion but does not agree with the rationale behind it.
Conference Committees
It’s a joint committee of the United States Congress appointed by the House of Representative and Senate to resolve disagreements on a particular bill.
Confirmation Controversies
Congressional Sessions
It’s an annual series of meetings of a Congress.
Congressman, Congresswoman
Constituencies
Continuing Resolutions
Council of Economic Advisors
Courts of Appeal / Circuit Courts
Courts of Origin
Criminal Courts
Defendants
Defense (in a courtroom setting)
Deficits and Debts
Delegate
Discharge Petition
Dissenting Opinion
District Courts
Dual Court System
Earmarks
Department of Education
Entitlements
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Executive Agreements
Executive Orders
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Federal Budget
Filibuster and Cloture
Fiscal Year
Floor (in a political sense)
Formal Powers
Freedom Caucus
General Jurisdiction
A court’s authority to hear any type of case which is not vested in another court.
Gerrymandering
Manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor one party or class.
Hastert Rule (Majority of the Majority)
An informal rule that the House of Representatives use where they make sure they have a majority vote from the majority party before they start the vote.
Hearings
An opportunity to state one’s case.
Holds
A senator telling the Senate leaders that they don’t want whatever nomination or bill they’re voting for to reach the floor.
Homeland Security
Homeland security is a national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism, and minimize the damage from attacks that do occur.
Impeach and Remove
if a federal official commits a crime or otherwise acts improperly, the House of Representatives may impeach—formally charge—that official. If the official subsequently is convicted in a Senate impeachment trial, he is removed from office.
Incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. For example, in an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-election or not.
Independent Agencies
Independent federal agency is a term used to describe an executive agency that operates with some degree of autonomy from the executive branch. These agencies are generally headed by a commission or board made up of five to seven members.
Informal Powers
Power. Definition. Bargaining and persuasion. Setting priorities for Congress and attempting to get majorities to put through the president’s legislative agenda. Issuing executive orders.
Investigative Powers
legislative investigative powers, powers of a lawmaking body to conduct investigations. In most countries this power is exercised primarily to provide a check on the executive branch of government.
Issue Networks (Iron Triangles)
Alliances among bureaucrats, interest groups, and congressional subcommittee members and staff sometimes form to promote their common causes. Also known as subgovernments.
Joint Chiefs
Joint Committee
Judicial Activism
Judicial Review
Lame-Duck
Legislative Gridlock
Legislative Veto
Life Terms
Limited & Exclusive Jurisdiction
Lincoln’s Suspension of Writs
Litigants and Standing to Sue
Logrolling (in a political sense)
Majority Leader
Majority Opinion
Markup
Media Manipulation
Merit Reforms
Minority Leader
Monetarism Theory
Monetary Policies
National Security Council
New Social Media
Nomination Authority
Nuclear Option (in a political sense, not actual nuclear weapons)
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
The Office of Management and Budget oversees the implementation of the President’s vision across the Executive Branch.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) versus the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Both create budget forecasts, however they have many differences between the two.
Omnibus (bill)
An omnibus bill is a proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics
Original Intent / Originalism
The original intent theory, which holds that interpretation of a written constitution is (or should be) consistent with what those who drafted and ratified it intended the meaning to be.
Override
use one’s authority to reject or cancel
Oversight
an unintentional failure to notice or do something.
Patriot Act
Patronage
Plaintiffs
Policy Initiatives
Political Influences on Presidential Appointments
Politico
Pork (in a political sense)
Power of the Purse
Precedents
President of the Senate
Press Conferences
Pro-Tempore
Quasi-Executive Powers (enact)
Quasi-Legislative Powers (Write)
Quasi-Judicial Powers (enforce)
Recess Appointments
Removal Powers
Riders
Rule of 4
Rules Committee
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Select Committee
Senate Judiciary Committee
Senator
Senatorial Advice and Consent
A power of the United States Senate to be consulted on and approve treaties signed and appointments made by the president of the United States to public positions such as Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, Officers of the Armed Forces, United States attorneys, etc.
Speaker (of the House)
The presiding officer in the House of Representatives, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party.
Spin (in a political sense)
A form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure.
Standing Committee
A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area.
Stare Decisis
“Let the decision stand” meaning principle that a question once considered by a court and answered must elicit the same response each time the same issue is brought before the courts.
State
A body of people living in a defined territory who have government with the power tot make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.
Statutory Law
Subpoena
Subpoena Powers
Succession
Terms and Limits
Terms of Office
Testifying Powers
The Federal Reserve
Department of Transportation
Treaty Approval
Trustee
Unanimous Consent Procedures
Department of Veteran’s Affairs
an agency of the federal government that provides benefits for health care and cemetery service to military veterans
Veto and Pocket Veto
The pocket veto is an absolute veto that cannot be overridden. The veto becomes effective when the President fails to sign a bill after Congress has adjourned and is unable to override the veto.
Wars Powers Resolution
A resolution of Congress declaring that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if U.S. troops are already under attack or seriously threatened
Ways and Means Committee
A ways and means committee is a government body that is charged with reviewing and making recommendations for government budgets
Whips (in a political sense)
A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature
White House Office (WHO)
The White House Office is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
Writs of Certiorari (Cert Petitions)
An order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up a case for review
