| term |
definition |
| safe seat | an elected office that is predictably won by the same party |
| reapportionment | number of seats per state adjusted by congress after a census |
| redistricting | the redrawing of congressional districts to keep district popuation relatively equal |
| gerrymandering | drawing election district boundaries to benefit a party or incumbent |
| speaker | presiding officer of House of Rep. elected by the majority party in the House |
| majority leader | legislative leader selected by majority party; plans party strategy, keeps party members in line |
| minority leader | leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition in the House; often steps into the Speakership once his/her party gains a majority |
| whip | party leader who is the liaison between leadership and rank and file |
| closed rule | only in House of Rep.; prohibits amendments to a bill, or only the committee reporting the bill can suggest amendments |
| open rule | only in the House; a bill can have amendments made to it |
| refusal of a rule | House rules committee can delay consideration of a bill by refusing to assign a rule (either open or closed) |
| hold | practice in the senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination |
| president pro tempore | officer of the senate selected by the majority pary to act as chair in the absence of the vice president |
| filibuster | senate, whereby a senator holds the floor and therby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue |
| cloture | in the senatet: terminates debate, especially filibuster |
| senatorial courtesy | president's custom of submitting prospective appointees for approval to senators |
| delegate | view that legislators should represent the views of their constituents despite their own views |
| trustee | view that legislators should vote independently based on own judgement of facts |
| log rolling | vote trading among legislators |
| standing committee | permanent committee; focused on a policy area |
| rider | irrelevant provision added to a bill to secure its passage |
| pocket veto | president waits 10 days w/out signing bill and congress has adjourned |
| override | 2/3 vote in each senate and house that approves a bill after president has vetoed |
| joint committee | committee composed of members from both senate and house |
| select/special committee | committee created for a specific purpose |
| discharge position | petition that, if signed by by a majority of House, will force a bill out of committee and bring it to the floor for consideration |
| seniority rule | practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to a member of the majority party whom has had the longest continous service on the committee |
| conference committee | committee appointed by presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different forms |
| pork barrel legistlation | government benefits or programs that may help the economy of a member of congress's district |
| appropriations bills | has to be signed by congress and then the president to approve funds |
| franking privilege | perk incumbents have to help gain reelection: free mailing to constituents |
| executive privilege | the right for a president to withhold or protect information related to national security under certain conditions |
| Executive Order | order issued by a president of governor that has the force of law. |
| Item Veto | Power of an executive to veto parts of legislation; unconstitutional for a president to use, but okay for many governors |
| Impoundment | not spending funds for purposes congress has authorized |
| Continuing Resolutions | extending the authority for government spending for a few days or months |
| Judicial Review | power to authoritatively interpret the constitution |
| Class Action Lawsuit | Lawsuit brought by an individual or a group of people on behalf of all those similarily situated |
| Stare Decisis | the rule of precedent |
| appellate Jurisdiction | the authority to review appeals of the decisions made by lower courts |
| Court of Appeals | Court with appellate jurisdiction that hears appelas from the decisions of lower courts |
| Petit Jury | jury of 6-12 people who determine guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action |
| Habeas Corpus | court order requiring explanation to a judge why a prisoner is held in custody |
| judicial restraint | judicial philosophy proposing proposing that judges should interpret the constitution to reflect what the framers intended and what its words literally say. |
| Judicial Activism | judicial philosophy proposingthat judges should interpret the constitution to reflect current conditions and values |
| Amicus Curiae | Literally "friend of the court"; individuals/groups who present additional information to a case |
| bureaucrat | career government employee |
| bureaucracy | professional corporation of official organized in a pyramidal hierarchy and functioning under impersonal, uniform rules and procedures |
| Spoils system | system of public employment based on rewardignpary loyalists and friends |
| Merit System | system in which selection and employment depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage |
| Office of Personnel Management (OPM) | Agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations. |
| Bureau | largest subunit of a government department or agency |
| Government Corporation | cross between a business corp. and gov. agency; created to secure greater freeedom of action and flexibility for a particular program |
| Independent Agency | government entity that is independent of the legilsative, executive, and judicial branch |
| Independent Regulatory Board | independent agency or commission with regulatory powers whose independence is protected by congress |
| Office of Management and Budget | Presidential staff agency that serves as a clearing house for budgetary requests and managemnet improvements |
| Hatch Act | prohibits federal employees from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protects them from being fired on partisan grounds |
| Iron Triangle | mutually supported relationship among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and governmental agencies that share a common policy concern |
