Unit 4

Question 1

trustee

Answer 1

member of Congress who represents constituents interests while taking into account national, collective, and moral concerns

Question 2

delegate

Answer 2

member of Congress who loyally represents constituents direct interests

Question 3

politico

Answer 3

member of congress who acts as a delegate on issues that constituents care about and as a trustee on more complex issues

Question 4

redistricting

Answer 4

redrawing geographic boundaries of legislative districts. Happens every 10 years

Question 5

redistricting

Answer 5

redrawing of geographic boundaries of legislative districts. happens every 10 years

Question 6

Baker v. Carr

Answer 6

Supreme Court case that established “one person, one vote” and held that challenges to redistricting were protected by the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment

Question 7

gerrymandering

Answer 7

using the process of redrawing districts to benefit a political party

Question 8

Shaw v. Reno

Answer 8

Supreme Court case, cannot redistrict based on race (equal protection clause 14th Amendment)

Question 9

logrolling

Answer 9

form of reciprocity in which Congress members support bills they otherwise wouldn’t in exchange for members to vote on bills important to them

Question 10

speaker of the house

Answer 10

elected leader of the house of representatives

Question 11

majority leader

Answer 11

elected head of the party holding majority of seats in house or senate

Question 12

whip system

Answer 12

organization of house leaders who work to spread info and promote party unity in voting and legislation

Question 13

minority leader

Answer 13

elected head of party with minority of seats in house or senate

Question 14

cloture

Answer 14

limiting amount of time debating a bill, needs 60 senators to agree

Question 15

filibuster

Answer 15

used by senators to block bills by continuing to debate

Question 16

power of the purse

Answer 16

congress power to raise and spend money. may cut or freeze funds to other branches

Question 17

House rules committee

Answer 17

determines time limit on debate and types of amendments (open, closed, or modified)

Question 18

oversight committee hearings

Answer 18

congress ensures that bureaucracy implements policies correctly

Question 19

executive orders

Answer 19

president changing government policy without congress approval

Question 20

executive agreement

Answer 20

agreement between executive branch and foreign government, acts as a treaty without senate approval

Question 21

state of the union

Answer 21

annual speech given by president to address congress to report of condition of the country and recommend policies

Question 22

executive privilege

Answer 22

presidents right to keep executive branch convos confidential

Question 23

cabinet

Answer 23

15 executive department heads, implement presidents agenda

Question 24

signing statements

Answer 24

doc issued by president when signing bill into law explaining his/her interpretation of the law, can influence how law is implemented

Question 25

stare decisis

Answer 25

decisions of previous cases are binding and should be followed, judges refer to existing precedents set by previous decisions (Baker v. Carr established precedent that dozens of federal courts later followed)

Question 26

appellate jurisdiction

Answer 26

authority of a court to hear appeals from lower courts and change or uphold that decision

Question 27

judicial review

Answer 27

Supreme Courts power to strike down a law or executive branch action that it finds unconstitutional

Question 28

plaintiff

Answer 28

person who brings case to court

Question 29

defendant

Answer 29

person being charged

Question 30

plea bargaining

Answer 30

negotiating and agreement between plaintiff and defendant before trial

Question 31

precedent

Answer 31

legal norm established in court cases that is applied to future similar cases

Question 32

jurisdiction

Answer 32

the courts legal authority to hear and decide cases

Question 33

district courts

Answer 33

lowest level, in all 50 states

Question 34

appeals court

Answer 34

intermediate level court, hears appeals from district courts

Question 35

Supreme Court (SCOTUS)

Answer 35

highest level of court, 9 justices, hears cases from appeals courts

Question 36

writ of cert.

Answer 36

most common way for case to reach SCOTUS, at least 4/9 justices agree to hear case from appeal from losing party in a lower court

Question 37

Advice and Consent to:

Answer 37

CONGRESS
- ratify treaties
- accept or reject a president’s nomination

Question 38

Appointment Power

Answer 38

President’s ability to appoint ambassadors, SCOTUS justices, and officers of US Cabinet

Question 39

executive rule making and discretionary authority

Answer 39

when Congress passes a law they delegate discretionary and rulemaking authority to the bureaucracy to enforce policies (makes laws more clear)