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gov test
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bicameralism | A legislature with two chambers (House and Senate) designed to balance power and prevent majority domination. |
| Party & Leadership System | Congressional organization run by political parties; includes Speaker of the House, Majority |
| Committee System | Structure where most congressional work occurs; committees review, amend, and debate bills before they reach the full chamber. |
| Staffing System | Congressional staff who assist members with research, drafting bills, scheduling, and constituent services. |
| Lawmaking | The process of creating, debating, amending, and passing laws. |
| Taxation and Appropriation | Congress’ constitutional power to raise revenue (taxes) and authorize government spending (“power of the purse”). |
| Regulation of Commerce | Congressional authority to regulate interstate and international trade and business activity. |
| War Powers | Congress’ power to declare war and fund the military, balancing the president’s role as commander in chief. |
| Appointments and Treaties | Senate authority to approve presidential appointments and ratify treaties with a two-thirds vote. |
| Impeachment and Removal from Office | House impeaches (charges); Senate holds the trial and can remove the official with a two-thirds vote. |
| Ordain and Establish Inferior Courts | Congress’ power to create lower federal courts beneath the Supreme Court. |
| Oversight | Congress’ authority to monitor the executive branch, enforce accountability, and conduct investigations. |
| Committee Deliberation | The step in the legislative process when committees study, debate, and revise bills. |
| Debate in the House | Floor discussion controlled by the House Rules Committee, which sets time limits and amendment rules. |
| Reconciling Bills | The process of resolving differences between House and Senate versions of a bill, usually through a conference committee. |
| Presidential Action | The president can sign a bill, veto it, ignore it, or allow it to become law without signature. |
| Egalitarianism | The principle that all members of Congress have equal voting power and representation in decision making. |
| Collective Decision-Making | Policy decisions require group agreement and majority rule, not individual authority. |
| Vote Trading (Logrolling) | Legislators exchange support on bills to help each other pass preferred legislation. |
| Filibuster | A Senate tactic of extended debate used to delay or block a vote; can end only with cloture (60 votes). |
| Qualification for President | Must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the U.S. for 14 years. |
| Primaries and Caucuses | State elections or meetings held by parties to choose their presidential nominees. |
| National Conventions | Large party gatherings where nominees are formally chosen and party platforms are announced. |
| General Election | Nationwide election in which voters choose between party nominees for president. |
| Electoral College | System where 538 electors formally elect the president; 270 votes required to win. |
| Expressed Powers | Powers clearly written in the Constitution (veto, commander-in-chief, treaties, appointments). |
| Delegated Powers | Powers granted to the president by Congress to implement and administer laws. |
| Inherent Powers | Powers claimed by presidents during crises or emergencies, not explicitly listed in the Constitution. |
| Administrative Strategies | Presidential actions through federal agencies, regulations, and executive orders to influence policy. |
| Party Strategies | Using political party leadership and congressional allies to support the president’s agenda. |
| Public Strategies | Appealing directly to the public (“going public”) to pressure Congress and gain support. |
| Cabinet Departments | Fifteen major departments headed by secretaries who advise the president (e.g., Defense, State). |
| Executive Office of the President (EOP) | Agencies that directly assist the president, including the NSC, OMB, and CEA. |
| White House Staff | Close presidential advisers who work directly with the president daily; no Senate confirmation required. |
| Independent Executive Agencies | Specialized federal agencies outside cabinet departments (e.g., NASA, EPA). |
| Government Corporations | Government-owned businesses that provide services (e.g., USPS, Amtrak). |
| Arbiter of Disputes | The judiciary’s role in resolving conflicts and interpreting how laws apply to specific cases. |
| Interpreter of Laws | Courts determine what laws mean and whether they are constitutional; includes judicial review. |
| Judicial Review | Power to declare laws or government actions unconstitutional; established by Marbury v. Madison (1803). |
| Hierarchical System | Court structure with multiple levels: district courts → appellate courts → Supreme Court. |
| State Court System | Courts with general jurisdiction over most legal disputes, including criminal and civil cases. |
| Federal Court System | Courts with limited jurisdiction handling federal laws, constitutional issues, and interstate matters. |
| Judicial Districts | The 94 federal trial-court districts where cases begin. |
| Appellate Circuits | The 12 regional courts of appeals (plus the D.C. Circuit) that review lower-court decisions. |
| Specialized Federal Courts | Courts focused on specific areas like tax, bankruptcy, or military appeals. |
| Granting Review (Certiorari) | The Supreme Court’s process of choosing which cases to hear; requires four justices’ votes. |
| Case File Briefs | Written legal arguments submitted by parties and interest groups arguing their positions. |
| Oral Arguments | Attorneys present arguments before the Supreme Court and answer justices’ questions. |
| Conference | Private meeting where justices discuss cases and vote. |
| Opinion Writing | Process of drafting majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions explaining the Court’s reasoning. |
| Judicial Appointments | Judges nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate; they serve for life. |
| Judicial Independence | Principle that courts should be free from political pressure and outside influence. |
| Judicial Impartiality | Judges should make decisions fairly and without bias. |
| Before-the-Fact Mechanisms | Methods that influence courts before decisions occur, including the appointment process. |
| After-the-Fact Mechanisms | Constraints after decisions, such as enforcement limits or Congress rewriting laws. |
| Changing Court Size | Congress’ authority to increase or decrease the number of Supreme Court justices. |
| Judicial Restraint | Judicial philosophy that courts should defer to elected branches unless laws clearly violate the Constitution. |
| Judicial Activism | Philosophy where courts take an active role in shaping policy and protecting rights. |
| Public Policy | Government actions designed to address problems or serve the public interest. |
| Distributive Policy | Policies that provide benefits or services to specific groups or regions (e.g., infrastructure funding). |
| Regulatory Policy | Policies that restrict or control certain behaviors (e.g., pollution rules, safety standards). |
| Redistributive Policy | Policies that shift resources from one group to another (e.g., tax redistribution, welfare). |
| Agenda Setting | Identifying and prioritizing public problems that require government attention. |
| Policy Formulation | Creating and debating possible policy solutions. |
| Policy Adoption | Official selection and approval of a policy by Congress or the president. |
| Policy Implementation | Agencies enforce and execute the adopted policy. |
| Policy Evaluation | Assessing whether a policy works and whether changes are needed. |
| Fiscal Policy | Government tax and spending decisions used to influence the economy. |
| Monetary Policy | Federal Reserve actions that manage the money supply and interest rates to stabilize the economy. |
| Debt-to-GDP Ratio | Comparison of national debt to total economic output; high ratios signal repayment difficulties. |
Created by:
brooklynkyrish