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Federal Government
Final Chapters 9-13, 15, and 17
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| bipartisanship | a process of cooperation through compromise |
| divided government | a condition in which one or more houses of the legislature is controlled by the party in opposition to the executive |
| first-past-the-post | a system in which the winner of an election is the candidate who wins the greatest number of votes cast, also known as plurality voting |
| gerrymandering | the manipulation of legislative districts in an attempt to favor a particular candidate |
| party platform | the collection of a party's positions on issues it considers politically important |
| party polarization | the shift of party positions from moderate towards ideological extremes |
| party realignment | a shifting of party alliances within the electorate |
| party-in-government | party identifiers who have been elected to office and are responsible for fulfilling the party's promises |
| party-in-the-electorate | members of the voting public who consider themselves part of a political party or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other |
| plurality voting | the election rule by which the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of vote share |
| political machine | an organization that secures votes for a party's candidates or supports the party in other ways, usually in exchange for political favors such as a job in government |
| political parties | organizations made up of groups of people with similar interests that try to directly influence public policy through their members who seek and hold public office |
| precinct | the lowest level of party organization, usually organized around neighborhoods |
| proportional representation | a party-based election rule in which the number of seats a party receives is a function of the share of votes it receives in an election |
| reapportionment | the reallocation of House seats between the states to account for population changes |
| collective good | a good such as public safety or clean air, often produced by government, that is generally available to the population as a whole |
| efficacy | the belief that you make a difference and that government cares about you and your views |
| in-house lobbyist | an employee or executive within an organization who works as a lobbyist on behalf of the organization |
| inside lobbying | the act of contacting and taking the organization's message directly to lawmakers in an attempt to influence policy |
| iron triangle | three-way relationship among congressional committees, interests groups, and the bureaucracy |
| lobbyist | a person who represents an organization before government in an attempt to influence policy |
| outside lobbying | the act of lobbying indirectly by taking the organization's message to the public, often through the use of the media and/or by issue press releases, in hopes that the public will then put pressure on lawmakers |
| particularized benefit | a benefit that generally accrues to a narrow segment of society |
| pluralist | a person who believes many groups healthily compete for access to decision-makers |
| purposive incentives | benefits to overcome collective action problems that appeal to people's support of the issue or cause |
| revolving door laws | laws that require a cooling-off period before government officials can register to lobby after leaving office |
| solidary incentives | benefits based on the concept that people like to associate with those who are similar to them |
| voting cues | sources—including fellow lawmakers, constituents, and interest groups—that lawmakers often use to help them decide how to vote, especially on unfamiliar issues |
| bicameralism | the political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies |
| bill | proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature |
| collective representation | the relationship between Congress and the United States as a whole, and whether the institution itself represents the American people |
| constituency | the body of voters, or constituents, represented by a particular politician |
| delegate model of representation | a model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents |
| descriptive representation | the extent to which a body of representatives represents the descriptive characteristics of their constituencies, such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender |
| enumerated powers | the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs |
| filibuster | a parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it |
| implied powers | the powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government |
| inherent powers | the powers neither enumerated nor implied but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country's existence |
| the powers neither enumerated nor implied but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country's existence | a legislative committee consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certain topics but lacks bill referral authority |
| pork-barrel politics | federal spending intended to benefit a particular district or set of constituents |
| president pro tempore | the senator who acts in the absence of the actual president of the Senate, who is also the vice president of the United States; the president pro tempore is usually the most senior senator of the majority party |
| representation | an elected leader's looking out for his or her constituents while carrying out the duties of the office |
| select committee | a small legislative committee created to fulfill a specific purpose and then disbanded; also called an ad hoc, or special, committee |
| Speaker of the House | the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party; the Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president |
| standing committee | a permanent legislative committee that meets regularly |
| surge-and-decline theory | a theory proposing that the surge of stimulation occurring during presidential elections subsides during midterm elections, accounting for the differences we observe in turnouts and results |
| trustee model of representation | a model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best for their constituents |
| whip | in the House and in the Senate, a high leadership position whose primary duty is to enforce voting discipline in the chambers and conferences |
| bully pulpit | Theodore Roosevelt's notion of the presidency as a platform from which the president could push an agenda |
| cabinet | a group of advisers to the president, consisting of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch who head the fifteen executive departments |
| executive agreement | an international agreement between the president and another country made by the executive branch and without formal consent by the Senate |
| Executive Office of the President | the administrative organization that reports directly to the president and made up of important offices, units, and staff of the current president and headed by the White House chief of staff |
| executive order | a rule or order issued by the president without the cooperation of Congress and having the force of law |
| executive privilege | the president's right to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public |
| impeachment | the act of charging a government official with serious wrongdoing, which in some cases may lead to the removal of that official from office |
| king caucus | an informal meeting held in the nineteenth century, sometimes called a congressional caucus, made up of legislators in the Congress who met to decide on presidential nominees for their respective parties |
| line-item veto | a power created through law in 1996 and overturned by the Supreme Court in 1998 that allowed the president to veto specific aspects of bills passed by Congress while signing into law what remained |
| Office of Management and Budget | office within the Executive Office of the President charged with producing the president's budget, overseeing its implementation, and overseeing the executive bureaucracy |
| rally around the flag effect | a spike in presidential popularity during international crises |
| signing statement | a statement a president issues with the intent to influence the way a specific bill the president signs should be enforced |
| amicus curiae | literally a "friend of the court" and used for a brief filed by someone who is interested in but not party to a case |
| appellate court | a court that reviews cases already decided by a lower or trial court and that may change the lower court's decision |
| appellate jurisdiction | the power of a court to hear a case on appeal from a lower court and possibly change the lower court's decision |
| brief | a written legal argument presented to a court by one of the parties in a case |
| civil law | a non-criminal law defining private rights and remedies |
| docket | the list of cases pending on a court's calenda |
| judicial activism | a judicial philosophy in which a justice is more likely to overturn decisions or rule actions by the other branches unconstitutional, especially in an attempt to broaden individual rights and liberties |
| judicial restraint | a judicial philosophy in which a justice is more likely to let stand the decisions or actions of the other branches of government |
| judicial review | the power of the courts to review actions taken by the other branches of government and the states and to rule on whether those actions are constitutional |
| precedent | the principles or guidelines established by courts in earlier cases that frame the ongoing operation of the courts, steering the direction of the entire system |
| stare decisis | the principle by which courts rely on past decisions and their precedents when making decisions in new cases |
| bureaucracy | an administrative group of nonelected officials charged with carrying out functions connected to a series of policies and programs |
| bureaucrats | the civil servants or political appointees who fill nonelected positions in government and make up the bureaucracy |
| civil servants | the individuals who fill nonelected positions in government and make up the bureaucracy; also known as bureaucrats |
| whistleblower | a person who publicizes misdeeds committed within a bureaucracy or other organization |
| balance of power | a situation in which no one nation or region is much more powerful militarily than any other in the world |
| congressional executive agreement | an international agreement that is not a treaty and that is negotiated by the president and approved by a simple majority of the House and Senate |
| containment | the effort by the United States and Western European allies, begun during the Cold War, to prevent the spread of communism |
| foreign policy | a government's goals in dealing with other countries or regions and the strategy used to achieve them |
| How many party systems have there been in US history? | 5 or 6, depending on who you ask |
| A party system is | The different historical eras as defined by which parties were active at the time |
| ___________ are held to choose candidates who will then run in the later general election | primary elections |
| Which of the following are reasons that parties exist? Choose all that apply | to facilitate policymaking to facilitate collective action in the electoral process to deal with the problems of politicians' ambition |
| The goal of a political party is to | to win elections |
| An ___________ is an organized individuals that make policy-related appeals to government. | interest group |
| A combination of interest groups, congress, and the bureaucracy is sometimes called what? | iron triangle |
| What are the 2 main things that interest groups do when they interact with the government? | shape policies, gather information to provide to elected officials |
| A collective action problem is defined as | problems that occur because people should work together, but don't |
| The _______ is one of the larges interest groups in the United States | American Association of Retired Persons |
| Which of the following is a way that lobbyists can influence policymakers? | ensure those policymakers that they will raise money and support their next campaign for reelection. |
| How old do you have to be to run for Congress? | 25 House, 30 Senate |
| Congress is | the most important branch of the US governmen |
| Congress uses the committee system because | It is easier for small groups to write legislation than a large group |
| Who elects the Speaker of the House? | The majority party |
| After a bill is introduced, what is the next step? | It is referred to a committee |
| Which of the following are examples of the types of Presidential Powers? | Executive Legislative Judicial Diplomatic |
| Which of the following are examples of the President's diplomatic powers? | Legitimize a nation-state appoint ambassadors make treaties |
| The President has both _______ and ________ powers | expressed, implied |
| Which of the following Presidential powers are not specifically written in the Constitution? | executive order |
| What is the "bully pulpit?" | The use of the media to mobilize the public |
| ________, __________, and ___________ are the three main strategies of the President. | party leadership, mobilizing public opinion, and administrative |
| _________ is the ability to look at laws passed by Congress, state legislatures, and executive actions | judicial review |
| There are _____ US district courts, with approximate ____ judges. | 94, 640 |
| ________ means that in order to bring a case, the parties must have a substantial stake in the outcome | standing |
| Which of the followings types of cases do the federal courts have original jurisdiction? | cases involving the consitution |
| A(s) _____ contains difference legal, economic, or historical arguments. | amicus curiae |
| In order to get to SCOTUS, you have to have exhausted your appeals at all of levels of the state and/or federal systm. | True |
| What is the name of a formal request that SCOTUS hear your case? | writ of certiorari |
| The Supreme Court hears around ____ cases per year | 80 |
| The Supreme Court can review ___________, including _________ | Presidential actions, executive privalege |
| Judicial review involves which of the following | examining the validity of laws |
| Precedent can constrain the decisions that Judges are able to make. | True |
| The main reason that bureaucracies exist is.. | They make running the government simpler and more efficient. |
| ____________ is a bureaucratic action that settles disputes | administrative adjudication |
| When bureaucratic agencies create regulations, they are acting in a legislative manner | True |
| Civil service exams are | competitive exams used to determine ability and take politics out of hiring for bureaucratic agencies |
| Bureaucracies are not mentioned in the Constitution, their power is a form of ________, granted by _________. | delegated power, Congress |
| Bureaucratic experts are often relied upon by the President and Congress to determine how policies should be implemented and enforced | True |
| The _______ appoints the heads of bureaucratic agencies. These selections must be affirmed by the __________. | President, senate |
| Which of the following is an example of how Bureaucracies maintain the Union? | revenue collection |
| Bureaucratic agencies are funded by ________, which are determined by ________. | appropriations, congress |
| Which of the following is not part of foreign policy: | education |
| Which part of the government has the most influence in Foreign Policy? | Executive branch |
| _________is the collection of policies that determines relations with other countries: | Foreign Policy |
| ________ are members of the voting public who consider themselves part of a political party or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other | party-in-the-electorate |
| A shifting of party alliances within the electorate is known as: | party realignment |
| ________ is a condition in which one or more houses of the legislature is controlled by the party in opposition to the executive. | divided government |
| There are only two political parties in the United States. T/F | False |
| Which of the following does not represent a major contributing factor in party realignment? | demographic shifts |
| Organizations made up of groups of people with similar interests that try to directly influence public policy through their members who seek and hold public office are not as: | political parties |
| Which supporter of federalism warned people about the dangers of political parties? | George Washington |
| In the first-past-the-post system a candidate needs a majority of votes to win. T/F | False |
| Party polarization is the shift of party positions from moderate towards ideological extremes. T/F | True |
| The reallocation of House seats between the states to account for population changes happens after every presidential election. T/F | False |
| In which type of electoral system do voters select the party of their choice rather than an individual candidate? | proportional representation |
| ____________ is a system in which the winner of an election is the candidate who wins the greatest number of votes cast. | first-past-the-post |
| Someone who lobbies on behalf of a company that he or she works for as part of his or her job is ________. | an in house lobbyist |
| Which of the following is the best example of a solidary benefit? | joining a group to be with others like you |
| Which statement is true? | Collective goods offer broadly distributed benefits, while private goods offer particularized benefits |
| Why might several competing corporations join together in an association? | because there is often strength in numbers because they often have common issues that may affect an entire industry because they can all benefit from governmental policies |
| Efficacy is the belief that you make a difference and that government cares about you and your viewsthe belief that you make a difference and that government cares about you and your views. T/F | True |
| What type of incentives appeal to someone’s concern about a cause? | purposive incentives |
| Revolving door laws are designed to do which of the following? | prevent lawmakers from utilizing their legislative relationships by becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving office |
| Which of the following is an aspect of iron triangles? | a symbiotic relationship among Congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups |
| What is a difference between a PAC and a super PAC? | PACs can contribute directly to candidates, but super PACs cannot |
| Material incentives are substantive monetary or physical benefits given to group members to help over come collective action problems. T/F | True |
| _________ is a benefit that generally accrues to a narrow segment of society | particularized benefit |
| Sources such as fellow lawmakers, constituents, and interest groups that lawmakers use to help them decide how to vote, especially on unfamiliar issues are known as: | voting cues |
| ________ is a person who represents an organization before government in an attempt to influence policy | lobbyist |
| In the House, the majority leader is the functional leader. T/F | False |
| Which of the following is an implied power of Congress? | the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states |
| the political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies is called _________ | bicameralism |
| _________ is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives | speaker |
| Stopping a filibuster requires that ________. | the chamber votes for cloture |
| The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between ________. | large and small states |
| While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned ________ | according to the state’s population |
| The powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs are known as | enumerated powers |
| A select committee is different from a standing committee because ________ | a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent |
| Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being ________ | amended |
| House leaders are more powerful than Senate leaders because of ________. | the majoritarian nature of the House—a majority can run it like a cartel |
| A joint committee is: | a legislative committee consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certain topics |
| The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because ________ | districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups |
| The saying “All politics is local” roughly means ________. | the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them |
| ________ is a model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to actin the way they believe is best for their constituents. | trustee |
| A very challenging job for new presidents is to______ | nominate and gain confirmation for their cabinet and hundreds of other officials |
| Among the powers of the president is the line item veto. T/F | False |
| The office charged with producing the president’s budget, overseeing its implementation, and overseeing the executive is called: | Office of Management and Budget |
| President Theodore Roosevelt’s concept of the bully pulpit was the office’s ________. | premier position to pressure through public appeal |
| The people who make up the modern president’s cabinet are the heads of the major federal departments and ________. | must be confirmed by the Senate |
| Which of the following is an example of an executive agreement? | The president signs legally binding nuclear arms terms with Iran without seeking congressional approval. |
| A treaty and executive agreement are the same thing. T/F | False |
| How did the election of 1824 change the way presidents were selected? | The selection of the candidate with fewer electoral votes triggered the rise of party control over nominations. |
| Which of the following is an unintended consequence of the rise of the primary and caucus system? | Sometimes candidates unpopular with the party leadership reach the top |
| The passage of the Tenure of Office Act of 1867 was just one instance in a long line of ________. | struggles for power between the president and the Congress |
| The list of cases pending on a court’s calendar is known as: | docket |
| In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton characterized the judiciary as the ________ branch of government. | least dangerous |
| Of all the court cases in the United States, the majority are handled ________. | at the state level |
| One of the main ways interest groups participate in Supreme Court cases is by ________ | filing amicus curiae briefs |
| A concurring opinion is an opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion of the Court. T/F | False |
| Besides the Supreme Court, there are lower courts in the national system called ________. | district and circuit courts |
| The Supreme Court’s power of judicial review ________. | enables it to declare acts of the other branches unconstitutional |
| A case will be placed on the Court’s docket when ________ justices agree to do so. | four |
| Both state and federal courts hear matters that involve ________ | both civil and criminal law |
| A written legal argument presented to a court by one of the parties in a case is called a _________. | brief |
| In standing by precedent, a judge relies on the principle of ________. | stare decisis |
| The Supreme Court most typically functions as ________. | an appeals court |
| The power of a court to hear a case for the first time is called: | original jurisdiction |
| The lawyer who represents the federal government and argues cases before the Supreme Court is the ________ | solicitor general |
| The Supreme Court consists of ________. | one chief justice and eight associate justices |
| When a Supreme Court ruling is made, justices may write a ________ to show they agree with tthe majority but for different reasons. | concurring opinion |
| The justices of the Supreme Court are ________. | nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate |
| Civil law is non-criminal law defining private rights and remedies.T/F | True |
| The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 helps citizens exercise oversight over the bureaucracy by ________ | opening government records to citizen scrutiny |
| The “spoils system” allocated political appointments on the basis of ________. | party loyalty |
| The Civil Service Commission was created by the ________ | Pendleton Act of 1883 |
| The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 created the Office of Personnel Management and the ________. | Merit Systems Protection Board |
| Which describes the ideal bureaucracy according to Max Weber? | an apolitical, hierarchically organized agency |
| Which of the following models of bureaucracy best accounts for the way bureaucracies tend to push Congress for more funding each year? | the acquisitive model |
| An example of a government corporation is ________. | Amtrak |
| During George Washington’s administration, there were ________ cabinet positions. | 4 |
| Two recent periods of large-scale bureaucratic expansion were ________. | the 1930s and the 1960s |
| When reformers speak of bureaucratic privatization, they mean all the following processes except ________ | whistleblowing |
| a person who publicizes misdeeds committed within a bureaucracy or other organization is known as: | whistleblower |
| Bureaucrats are civil servants. T/F | True |
| The War Powers Resolution ________ | set limits on presidential war powers |
| Why do House members and senators tend to be less active on foreign policy matters than domestic ones? | Constituents are more directly affected by domestic policy topics than foreign ones. |
| ________ is a policy in which a country allows the unfettered flow of goods and services between itself and other countries | free trade |
| A sole executive agreement is likely to be in effect longer than is a treaty. T/F | False |
| The U.S. policy of containment during the Cold War related to keeping ________. | communism from spreading |
| All the following are examples of sharply focused foreign policy outputs except ________. | international agreements |
| Neoconservativism is an isolationist foreign policy approach of a nation keeping to itself and engaging less internationally. T/F | False |
| The Vietnam War was an example of containment policy. T/F | True |
| The goals of U.S. foreign policy include ________. | keeping the country safe securing access to foreign markets protecting human rights |
| Which of the following is not a foreign policy type? | bureaucratic oversight |
| The situation in which no one nation or region is much more powerful militarily than any other in the world is known as: | balance of power |
| In terms of formal powers in the realm of foreign policy, ________ | the president and Congress share power |
| The federal budget process matters in foreign policy for all the following reasons except ________. | the budget for every presidential action has to be approved in advance |
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