Government Exam: Vocab Flashcards
Term
Two year period where congress meets
Bicameral
Having Two houses
Session
Time period during which, each year, congress conducts business.
Convene
To officially call everyone together for a meeting.
Congress starts January 3rd every year
Adjourn
To suspend business until NEXT session
Recess
To suspend business temporarily DURING session
Prorogue
Presidents power to adjourn a session when the 2 houses can’t agree.
Sine Die
When neither houses can adjourn until they have the consent of the other house
Special session
When the president calls congress in for an emergency meeting.
Gerrymandering
The drawing of district lines in favor of the party in power
Apportion
Distributing seats in congress
Reapportion
Seats are redistributed after 10 years
Off-year Election
Non presidential years
Single-Member district
Geographic district that only has one representative
District
A voting block of mostly 700,000 people
Incumbent
The holding of an office or post
Continuous body
All seats of congress are never up for election at same time
Constituency
The people the members of congress represent
Delegate
Agent of the people
Trustee
Person who holds property, authority, and a position of trust or responsibility.
Partisan
All in favor of their own party. Strong supporters
Politicos
A combination of delegate, trustee, and partisan
Oversight function
Gives congress power to oversee all federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementations.
Speech and Debate Clause
Protects representatives from law suits for slander arising from a speech they give in congress.
Cabinet
A group of self appointed staff the president can talk to for assistance in decision making.
Independent Agencies
Agencies that run outside of the cabinet departments
Statutes
An act of legislation/laws passed by congress
Jurisdiction
The authority of a court to hear or try a case
Civil case
A case that involves a dispute in money between two parties
Criminal case
A case in court that has to do with a criminal
Grand Jury
Decides weather there is enough evidence to bring the accused to trial
Petite Jury
Decides the guilt or innocence of the accused
Plaintiff
A person who files the complaint
Defendant
The person who the case is filed against
District Attorney
Is a prosecuting attorney sent by the government
Magistrate
Issue the warrants, set bails, select the juries, deal with minor offenses.
US Marshall
Police for the federal court/arrest federal offenders
US district court (trial courts)
Handle most of the federal trial cases. Only 89 of these courts in US.
US court of appeals
The “Gatekeepers” of the Supreme Court. Hears most of the appeals the Supreme Court would have to deal with.
Only 12 of these courts in US
US Supreme Court
Only 1 of these courts located in Washington DC. Is the supreme power in the court system
Judicial Review
Power to declare any law unconstitutional
Briefs
Summary of any case in court
Opinions
Rationale for decision making in a court
Common Law
A body of unwritten laws based on precedents established by the courts.
Common Law
A Body of unwritten laws based on precedents established by the courts
