VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVocab :( [Unit 2] Flashcards
Pork barrel spending
legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states
Logrolling
trading votes to pass legislation
Constituency
A body of voters in a given area who elect a rep or senator
Apportionment
The process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data
Redistricting
redrawing of electoral district boundaries
Gerrymandering
the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters
Partisan Gerrymandering
Drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party
Majority-minority district
A district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district
malapportionment
The uneven distribution of the population among leg districts
Incumbency
being in office already as opposed to running for the first time
Speaker of the House
Leader of house of rep; elected by members
Political Action Committee (PAC)
organization that raises money for campaigns
House majority leader
Second in Command
whip
Job is to ensure party unity and discipline
Minority leader
head of the minority party
Senate Majority Leader
most power in the senate
Discharge petition
A motion filed by a member of congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Rep for a vote
House rules committee
determines when a bill will be debated, how long, and if at all
Committee of the Whole
all the members under the same set of rules
filibuster
senators may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action
cloture
end debate if 60 senators agree to
Entitlement Program
provides benefits to those who qualify under law – regardless of income
Mandatory spending
required by law
Discretionary Spending
for programs and policies not mandatory but necessary
Delegate Role
members of congress are supposed to carry out constituents’ wishes
Trustee Role
members of congress are supposed to make decisions based on knowledge
Politico Role
members of congress are supposed to balance their choices w/ constituents wishes
bipartisanship
parties work together in congress to pass legislation
gridlock
division bc of party disagreement, no progress in court
divided gov
control split between parties
lame duck period
end of presidential term when Congress may block initiatives / nominees
Pocket Veto
Informal veto – ignores the bill
Executive Privilege
A right claimed by the president to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential
Nixon tried to use this but wasn’t allowed
Not all-powerful
Executive Agreement
Agreement between the president and another nation
Not a treaty but used cuz doesn’t require ratification
Signing Statement
Presidents interpretation of the law + ad ons
Executive order
Policy directives that don’t require congressional approval
War Powers Resolution
President can’t have troops deployed for more than 60 days w/o congressional approval
Bully Pit
President appeals to the public to help push policy – force congress too
Original Jurisdiction
authority of a court to be the first to hear a case
Appellate Jurisdiction
authority of a court to hear / review decisions made by a lower court
Judicial Review
Supreme court can strike down laws they deem unconstitutional
Federal District Courts
lowest level of the Judiciary – usually o.g jurisdiction
Federal Court of Appeals
Middle Level of the Judiciary – review and hear stuff from district courts
Precident
A decision that guides future cases
Stare decisis
sticking with precident
Judicial Restraint
caution overturning laws
Judicial Activism
Overturn that sh*t bro – rules were made to be broken
Federal Bureaucracy
Departments and agencies within the executive branch that carry out the laws of the nation
Bureaucrat
Ppl employed in the Bureaucracy
Political Patronage
filling an administrative position as a reward for support – those slut smh
Pendleton Act
[Civil Service Reform Act of 1883]
Enforces hiring / promotion / tenure based on merit
Merit System
A system of hiring based on qualifications
Iron Triangle
coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the:
Bureaucracy
Congress
Interest Groups
to achieve shared policy goals
Issue Network
webs of influence between:
Interest Groups
Policymakers
Policy Advocates
