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American Government > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

rule

A

legally binding regulation congress can pass legislation override with prez approval or override veto

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2
Q

inherent powers

A

powers vested in the national government particularly in the area of foreign and defense policy which do not depend on any specific grant authority by the constitution but rather exists because the US is a sovereign power

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3
Q

impeach

A

act of formally accusing an official of the executive or judicial branches of an impeachable offense

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4
Q

bicameral

A

two house legislature

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5
Q

executive office of the president

A

group of white house offices and agencies that develop and implement the policies and programs of the president

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6
Q

constitutional define office of president

A

35 year old natural born citizen resident of US for at least 14 years 2-4 year term max

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7
Q

conferees

A

members of a conference comittee

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8
Q

legislative markup

A

process in which legislators go over measure line by line revising amending or rewriting

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9
Q

house majority leader

A

second raking figure in the majority party in the house

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10
Q

conference committee

A

special congressional committee created to negotiate differences on similar pieces of legislation passed by the house and senate

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11
Q

multiple referral of legislation

A

practice of allowing more than one committee to consider legislation

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12
Q

speaker of the house

A

presiding officer in the house and the leader of the majority party in the chamber

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13
Q

minority leader

A

head of the minority party in the house and senate

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14
Q

table

A

to postpone consideration of a measure during the legislative process

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15
Q

conference report

A

a revised bill produced by a conference committee

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16
Q

whips

A

assistant floor leaders in house and senate

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17
Q

discharge petition

A

procedure where majority of members of the house can force a committee to report a bill to the floor of the house

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18
Q

pocket veto

A

prez allow measure to die without signature after congress has adjourned

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19
Q

standing committee

A

permanent legislative committee with authority to draft legislation in a particular area

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20
Q

appropriation bill

A

legislative authorization to spend money for particular purposes

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21
Q

veto

A

action by chief executive refusing to approve a measure passed by the legislature

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22
Q

special or select committee

A

committee established for a limited time only

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23
Q

logrolling

A

arrangement in which two or more members of congress agree in advance to support each others favored legislation

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24
Q

rally effect

A

tendency of the general public to support incumbent president during a time of international threat

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25
Q

supermajority

A

voting margin that is greater than a simple majority

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26
Q

honeymoon effect

A

tendency of a president to enjoy a high level of public support during the early months of an administration

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27
Q

chief executive

A

head of the executive branch of the government

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28
Q

office of management and budget

A

agency that assists the president in preparing the budget

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29
Q

reprieve

A

executive action that delays punishment for a crime

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30
Q

franking privilege

A

free postage for member of congress

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31
Q

north Atlantic treaty organization

A

NATO a regional military alliance consisting of US canada most european democracies

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32
Q

war powers act

A

law limiting prez ability to commit armed forces to combat abroad without consulting congress and congressional approval

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33
Q

lame duck

A

official whose influence is diminished because unable to or will not seek reelection

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34
Q

national security council

A

agency in the executive office of the prez that advises the chief executive on matters involving national security

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35
Q

pardon

A

executive action that frees an accused or convicted person from all penalties for an offense

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36
Q

executive agreemement

A

international understanding between the prez and foreign nations that does not require senate ratification

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37
Q

presidential signing statement

A

pronouncement issued by the president at the time a bill passed by congress is signed into law

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38
Q

civilian supremacy of the armed forces

A

concept that the armed forces should be under the direct control of civilian authorities

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39
Q

defense department

A

provides national defense

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40
Q

homeland security

A

protects against terrorism and responds to natural disasters

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41
Q

rulemaking

A

regulatory process used by government agencies to enact legally binding reguations

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42
Q

treasury department

A

manages government finances

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43
Q

veterans affairs department

A

administers programs aiding veterans

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44
Q

state department

A

foreign policy negotiating treaties/executive agreements

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45
Q

education department

A

administers federal education policy including NCLB

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46
Q

collective bargaining

A

negotiation between an employer and a union representing employees over the terms and conditions of employment

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47
Q

cabinet departments

A

major administrative units of the federal government that have responsibility for the conduct of a wide range of government operations

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48
Q

energy department

A

manages energy policy and research

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49
Q

civil service system

A

hiring system based on merit rather than political connections

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50
Q

transportation department

A

national transport system highway mass transit programs

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51
Q

hatch act

A

measure designed to restrict political activities of federal employees to voting and private expression of views

52
Q

housing and urban development

A

manages urban and housing programs

53
Q

spoils system

A

method of hiring government employees from among the friends relatives and supporters of elected officeholders

54
Q

health and human services department

A

implements health welfare and old age security programs

55
Q

quasi governmental company

A

a private profit seeking corporation created by congress to serve a public purpose

56
Q

issue network

A

group of political actors that is actively involved with policymaking in a particular issue area

57
Q

labor department

A

administers labor laws

58
Q

independent regulatory commission

A

agency outside the major executive departments that is charged with the regulation of important aspects of the economy

59
Q

subgovernment IRON TRIANGLE

A

cozy three sided relationship among government agencies interest groups and key members of congress in which all parties benefit

60
Q

commerce departments

A

assists businesses and conducts the US census

61
Q

government corporations

A

corporations organizationally similar to private corporations except that the government rather than stockholders owns them

62
Q

captured agencies

A

agencies that work to benefit the economic interests they regulate rather than serving the public interest

63
Q

agriculture department

A

promotes agriculture implements food/nutrition programs

64
Q

fire alarm oversight

A

indirect system congressional surveillance…allows citizens and organized interest groups to examine charge for violations seek remedies from agencies courts and congress itself

65
Q

independent executive agencies

A

executive branch agencies that are not part of any of the 15 cabinet level departments

66
Q

impeachment

A

process in which an executive/judicial official is formally accused of an offense that could warrant removal from office

67
Q

executive order

A

directive issued by the president to an administrative agency or executive department

68
Q

chief of state

A

the official head of the government

69
Q

floor

A

full house or full senate taking official action

70
Q

omnibus bills

A

complex highly detailed legislative proposals covering one or more subjects or programs

71
Q

filibuster

A

attempt to defeat a measure through prolonged debate

72
Q

senate president pro tempore

A

presiding officer of the senate in the vice presidents absence

73
Q

bill

A

a proposed law

74
Q

non germane amendments

A

amendments which are unrelated to the subject matter of the original measure

75
Q

seniority

A

length of service

76
Q

resolution

A

legislative statement of opinion on a certain matter

77
Q

killer amendment

A

amendment designed to make a measure so unattractive that it will lack enough support to pass

78
Q

senate majority leader

A

head of the majority party in the senate

79
Q

sponsor

A

member who introduces a measure

80
Q

cloture

A

procedure for ending a filibuster

81
Q

term limitation

A

movement to restrict the number of terms public officials may serve

82
Q

party caucus

A

all the party members of the house or senate meeting as a group

83
Q

unanimous consent agreement

A

UCA formal understanding on the procedures for conducting senate business that requires acceptance by every member of the chamber

84
Q

structured rules

A

rules that specify the conditions for debate and amendments

85
Q

joint comittee

A

committee that includes members from both houses of congress

86
Q

constituency service

A

action of membersof congress attending to the individual particular needs of constituents

87
Q

house rules committee

A

standing committee that determines the rules under which a specific bill can be debated amended and considered on the house floor

88
Q

rider

A

provision unlikely to become law on its own merits that is attached to an important measure so that it will ride through the legislative process

89
Q

interior department

A

manages nations national resources wildlife and public lands

90
Q

inner cabinet

A

secretary of state secretary of defense secretary of the treasury and the attorney general

91
Q

cost benefit analysis

A

evaluation of a proposed policy or regulation based on a comparison of its expected benefits and anticipated costs

92
Q

justice department

A

enforces the law

93
Q

presidents cabinet

A

advisory group created by the president that includes the department heads and other officials chosen by the president

94
Q

regulatory negotiations

A

process by which representatives of the interests that would be impacted by a rule work with government officials to negotiate the terms of the rule

95
Q

class action lawsuit

A

lawsuit brought by one or more people on behalf of themselves and others in a similar situation

96
Q

judicial review

A

power of courts to declare unconstitutional the actions of the other branches and units of government

97
Q

strict construction

A

doctrine of constitutional interpretation holding that the document should be interpreted narrowly

98
Q

loose construction

A

doctrine of constitutional interpretation holding that the document should be interpreted narrowly

99
Q

loose construction

A

doctrine–constitution interpreted loosely

100
Q

judicial activism

A

charge that judges are going beyond their authority by making the law and not just interpreting it

101
Q

judicial restraint

A

concept that judges should defer to the policy making judgement of the legislative and executive branches of government unless their actions clearly violate the law or the constitution

102
Q

trial

A

formal examination of a judicial dispute in accordance with law before a single judge

103
Q

appeal

A

taking of a case from a lower court to a higher court by the losing party in a lower court decision

104
Q

senatorial courtesy

A

custom that senators from the presidents party have a veto on judicial appointments from their states

105
Q

jurisdiction

A

authority of a court to hear a case

106
Q

civil case

A

legal dispute concerning a private conflict between two parties individuals corporations or government agencies

107
Q

CRIMINAL CASE

A

LEGAL DISPUTE DEALING WITH AN ALLEGED VIOLATION OF A PENAL LAW

108
Q

writ of habeas corpus

A

court order require that government authorities either release a person held in custody or demonstrate that the person is detained in accordance with law

109
Q

legal brief

A

written legal arguement

110
Q

affirm

A

action of an appeals court to uphold the decision of a lower court

111
Q

remand

A

decision of an appeals court to return a case to a lower court for reconsideration in light of an appeals court decision

112
Q

original jurisdiction

A

set of cases a court may hear as a trial court

113
Q

test cases

A

lawsuits initiated to assess the constitutionality of a legislative or executive act

114
Q

in forma pauperis

A

process whereby an indigent litigant can file an appeal of a case to the supreme court without paying the usual fees

115
Q

conference

A

closed meeting attended only by the members of the courts

116
Q

rule of four

A

decision process used by the supreme court to determine which cases to consider on appeal holding that the court will hear a case if four of the nine justices agree to the review

117
Q

certiorari cert

A

technical term for the supreme courts decision to hear arguments and make a ruling in a case

118
Q

per curiam opinion

A

unsigned written opinion of a court

119
Q

amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief

A

written legal argument presented by parties not directly involved in ht ecase including interest groups and units of government

120
Q

majority opinion

A

official written statement of the supreme court that explains and justifies its ruling and serves as a guideline for lower courts when similar legal issues arise in the future

121
Q

concurring opinion

A

judicial statement that agrees with the courts ruling but disagrees with the reasoning of the majority opinion

122
Q

dissenting opinion

A

judicial statement that disagrees with the decision of the courts majority

123
Q

statutory law

A

law that is written by the legislature

124
Q

Supreme Court greatest impact on

A

Civil rights & liberties

124
Q

constitutional law

A

law that involves the interpretation and application of the constitution

125
Q

Barber political scientist

A

Character performance. Reagan passive positive

126
Q

Recess appointment

A

Prez fill vacancies while congress on recess

American Government (2 decks)

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