test 2 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

incumbent

A

a person that currently holds the elected office

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

pork barrel spending

A

spending that benefits a legislator’s constituency

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

constituency

A

The people residing in the area represented by a legislator or elected official

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

open-seat election

A

An election in which there is no incumbent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

reapportionment

A

reallocating seats in the house after a census

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

gerrymandering

A

process of redrawing boundaries to benefit the party in power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

midterm election

A

election that occurs halfway through the president’s term

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

party caucus

A

members of a party in congress that elect the party leader, set policy goals and plan strategies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

party leader

A

members of the house and senate elected by their party caucus to represent them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

standing committee

A

committee responsible for public policy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

conference committee

A

temporary and reviews bills from house and senate before they go to the president

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

senority

A

member of congress’ consecutive years of service

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

bill

A

a proposed law within congress

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

filibuster

A

a person, usually minority, in the senate can talk for as long as they want to prevent the passing of the bill

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

rider

A

amendment to a bill that deals with issues unrelated to the content of the bill

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

cloture

A

to end a filibuster it requires 60 votes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

law

A

bill passed by the house or senate that was signed by the president

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

veto

A

presidential rejection of a bill, congress can override by two-thirds vote

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

lawmaking function

A

authority of congress to write the laws necessary to carry out govs. power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

representation function

A

responsibility of congress members to represent groups in their constituents and interest groups

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

logrolling

A

trading of votes between legislators to get what they want

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

oversight function

A

supervisory power of congress that canters on its constitutional responsibility that the president carries out duties

23
Q

whig theory

A

presidential power that prevailed in the 19th century and held that presidency was a restrained by granted constitutional authority

24
Q

stewardship theory

A

presidential power prevailing among modern presidents that presidential authority is limited by specific prohibited laws

25
Q

unit rule

A

popular vote gets all elector’s from a state except maine and nebraska

26
Q

cabinet

A

leading the executive departments, appointed by the president, confirmed by senate

27
Q

honeymoon period

A

president’s first months in office where congress, public, and press are more supportive (100 days)

28
Q

presidential approval rating

A

measure of the public liking or not of the presidents performance

29
Q

electoral college

A

state-by-state contest for deciding the pres and vice pres during general election, 270 votes to win

30
Q

electors

A

people chosen by their parties to vote in the electoral college

31
Q

presidential primary

A

elections in some states to determine which presidential candidates will represent their party in the general election

32
Q

presidential caucus

A

informal election method having party activists decide which candidate with represent their party

33
Q

jurisdiction

A

the court’s authority to hear cases of a specific kind (original and appellate)

34
Q

original jurisdiction

A

the court to first hear the case|

35
Q

appellate

A

authority of appeals court to review cases that were tried in lower courts and are appealed by losing party

36
Q

judicial review

A

power of the courts to decide whether gov has acted within constitutional rights

37
Q

writ of certiorari

A

permission granted by a higher court to allow losing party in a case to bring the case before it for ruling

38
Q

precedent

A

Rule for settling cases of the same nature

39
Q

brief

A

written statement with information about the case

40
Q

judicial conference

A

closed meeting of the supreme court to discuss and vote on a case

41
Q

decision

A

the vote fo the supreme court in a case that shows who they agree with

42
Q

opinion

A

written explanation for the decision (majority, plurality, concurring, dissenting, and senatorial)

43
Q

majority

A

majority agrees on the decision

44
Q

plurality

A

majority agrees on decision but not legal basis

45
Q

concurring

A

separate opinions by justices who vote majority but disagree with reasoning

46
Q

dissenting

A

opinion of justice for disagreeing with majority

47
Q

senatorial

A

senator in state has a say in the presidential nomination applies to appellate judges

48
Q

facts

A

the circumstances of a legal dispute decided by trial to determine which laws are applicable

49
Q

originalism theory

A

constitution means what was said at the time it was written

50
Q

living constitution theort

A

the constitution’s meaning bends to meet the times

51
Q

judicial restraint

A

judges should follow wording of law, respect judgment of elected legislators

52
Q

judicial activism

A

judges should develop new principles when needed, even if conflicting with elected officials

53
Q

redistricting

A

process of altering districts after a census