Unit 4 - branch interaction

Question 1

pork barrel spending

Answer 1

legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states

Question 2

logrolling

Answer 2

trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation

Question 3

congressional oversight

Answer 3

efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and with congressional goals

Question 4

reapportionment

Answer 4

process of determining number of reps for each state using census data

Question 5

redistricting

Answer 5

states’ redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts (follows census)

Question 6

gerrymandering

Answer 6

intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest group/voters

Question 7

speaker of the house

Answer 7

leader of house of reps, chosen by election of members

Question 8

senate majority leader

Answer 8

person who has the most power, head of party with the most seats

Question 9

committee chair

Answer 9

leader of congressional committee who has authority over its agenda

Question 10

discharge petition

Answer 10

motion filled by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee –> the floor of house of rep for a vote

Question 11

house rules committee

Answer 11

determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the house floor, how long it’ll last, and whether amendments are made

Question 12

committee of the whole

Answer 12

all members of the house in the house chamber, governed by diff. rules, easier to consider complex and controversial legislation

Question 13

unanimous consent

Answer 13

agreement in senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill

Question 14

filibuster

Answer 14

individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to postpone action on legislation

Question 15

cloture

Answer 15

senators can end filibuster and proceed to action, 60 senators must agree

Question 16

veto

Answer 16

power of pres. to reject bills passed through Congress by sending it back to its original branch with objections

Question 17

mandatory spending

Answer 17

spending required by existing laws that is “locked in” the budget

Question 18

discretionary spending

Answer 18

spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president

Question 19

deficit

Answer 19

annual shortfall when gov. takes in less money then it spends

Question 20

delegate role

Answer 20

idea that main duty of a member of congress is to carry out the constituents’ wishes

Question 21

trustee role

Answer 21

member of Congress should make decisions based on their knowledge and judgement

Question 22

politico

Answer 22

rep. where members of congress balance choices with interest of constituents and parties in making decisions

Question 23

exec branch

Answer 23

nations laws into effect

Question 24

enumerated powers

Answer 24

expressed in Constitution

Question 25

expressed powers

Answer 25

informal, not in Constitution but used to carry out presidential duties

Question 26

state of the union

Answer 26

annual speech from pres. to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs

Question 27

pocket veto

Answer 27

informal veto caused when a president chooses not to sign a bill within 10 days, Congress adjourns at the end of their session

Question 28

executive privilege

Answer 28

right claimed by presidents to keep certain things confidential from outside scrutiny, especially Congress

Question 29

executive agreement

Answer 29

agreement between president and another nation that does not have the same durability as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification

Question 30

signing statement

Answer 30

written comments issued by pres. while signing a bill that consist of political statements/reasons for signing the bill or their interpretation

Question 31

war powers act/solution

Answer 31

over president Nixon’s veto that restricts the power of the pres. to maintain troops in combat for more than 60 days without congressional authorization

Question 32

impeachment

Answer 32

removing a pres. from office by a majority vote in the house of rep. then a trial in the senate with 2/3 necessary to convict and remove

Question 33

executive office of the president

Answer 33

collection of offices within white house organization designed to provide info to the president

Question 34

bully pulpit

Answer 34

appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support their policies

Question 35

federal bureaucracy

Answer 35

department and agencies within exec. branch that carry out laws

Question 36

merit system

Answer 36

hiring and promotions based on competitive testing results, education, and other qualifications rather than politics

Question 37

bicameral

Answer 37

2 house legislature

Question 38

implied powers

Answer 38

authority of fed. Gov. that goes beyond expressed powers; not granted specifically, but needed for enumerated powers

Question 39

markup/markup session

Answer 39

process during which a bill is revised prior to a final vote in congress

Question 40

executive order

Answer 40

policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval

Question 41

judicial review

Answer 41

authority of the supreme court to strike down a law or executive action if it conflicts with the Constitution

Question 42

appropriation

Answer 42

process through which congressional committees allocate funds to executive branch agencies, bureaus, and departments

Question 43

iron triangle

Answer 43

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared political goals

Question 44

issues network

Answer 44

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

Question 45

advice and consent

Answer 45

constitutional power to the senate (article 2, section 2), the senate can approve or reject certain presidential appointments and treaties

Question 46

conference committee

Answer 46

temporary joint committee between the house and the senate for legislation

Question 47

floor leaders

Answer 47

majority and minority, most seats and fewer seats

Question 48

germane

Answer 48

amendments added onto a bill that must stay close with its purpose

Question 49

interest on the debt

Answer 49

payments made by the federal government to holders as compensation for lending money to the government

Question 50

non-germane amendments

Answer 50

amendment not directly related to the bill

Question 51

president of the senate

Answer 51

VP, breaks ties with a vote, ceremonial role

Question 52

president pro tempore

Answer 52

senior member, takes president of the senate’s role if they’re gone

Question 53

riders

Answer 53

unrelated amendments attached to a bill

Question 54

safe seats

Answer 54

likely incumbent re-election due to strong partisanship

Question 55

sponsor

Answer 55

advocates for bill to be pushed past congress

Question 56

standing committee

Answer 56

specialized committee (education, defense, finance)

Question 57

ambassadors

Answer 57

reps of the pres. sent to foreign countries on behalf of the US

Question 58

cabinet

Answer 58

pres. advisors and execs of specific committees

Question 59

primary staff

Answer 59

aid to pres., manages white house

Question 60

commander in chief

Answer 60

pres, article 2 section 2

Question 61

president succession act

Answer 61

• Vice President
• Speaker of the House of Representatives
• President pro tempore of the Senate
• Then, the Cabinet members in the order their departments were created, starting with the Secretary of State.