Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Unit 2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Filibuster | Used in the U.S. Senate to delay the voting on a bill by speaking for a long period of time |
| Cloture | A 3/5 majority vote to end debate in the Senate and force a vote on a bill |
| Speaker of the House | The administrative head, leader of the majority party, controls the House's agenda, maintains order, and holds significant power when shaping legislation. Second in line of presidential succession after the Vice President |
| President of the Senate | Also known as the vice president, breaks a tie in the Senate and keep discussions in order |
| Committee of the Whole | An entire legislative body meets to discuss and debate legislation, utilizing more informal and expedited procedures for complex bills. |
| Discharge Petition | A petition signed by the members of the HOR to bring the bill from the committee to the floor for consideration. 218 signatures are needed for a discharge Petition to be initiated. Are extremely rare. |
| Rules Committee | Deals with complexities in HOR, such as terms for debate and amendments for major bills. Reviews most bills after they are reviewed by the full committee. |
| Pork Barrel Legislation | Lawmakers put in their efforts into local projects for the sole purpose of gaining popularity and loyalty in those areas. |
| Log Rolling | The practice of representatives supporting each other to gain votes for bills they're in favor of or to maintain parts of a bill that they support, with both representatives gaining their benefits at the end. |
| Discretionary Spending | Money that the government doesn't have to spend, but chooses to spend on programs such as national defense. The appropriations committee decides what money goes to what program. |
| Mandatory Spending | Money that the government is obligated to spend on programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Takes up 2/3 of the federal budget and doesn't require approval to utilize. |
| Entitlement Programs | The government provides benefits to individuals who meet a certain criteria (Social Security, Medicaid, SNAP, Medicare). Covered under mandatory spending |
| Revenue | The total money a business collects from its consumers before any of its efforts are deducted. Referred to as "sales". |
| Lame Duck | A politician who remains in their position after a new politician has been elected for their position. Seen as ineffective because of their limited time left before someone overtakes their role |
| Trustee | Manages assets for elected officials, such as funds and pensions plans, and acts in the best interest of the public |
| Politico | An official who acts on behalf of delegates and trustees. They enact for the benefit of the public (trustee), while at the same time, maintaining their own ideals when implementing legislation (delegate) |
| Gerrymandering | The manipulation of electoral districts to put one party over another when it comes to electing officials |
| Gridlock | Stalling legislative action makes it difficult to enact laws. Due to extremely divided political tensions regarding an issue, it makes it harder for the government to respond to the public. |
| Pocket Veto | When the President doesn't sign legislation within 10 days that Congress grants, the bill automatically becomes invalid because the President put the bill in his "pocket" to kill |
| Signing Statements | Written comments from the President that give recommendations and interpretations of a proposed bill and demonstrate how he will enforce that legislation to the public, somewhat challenging Congress, and enhancing the executive branch's input on a bill. |
| Executive Order | The President carries out the law and addresses a range of issues, but cannot address matters under exclusive congressional jurisdiction |
| State of the Union | A report to Congress from the President, which explains the governmental goals for the year |
| Judicial Review | The power of SCOTUS to overlook the actions of the other branches of government and determine whether they're constitutional |
| Judicial Activism | Judges interpret the law broadly to address certain issues and policies that slightly go against the strict interpretations of the Constitution |
| Judicial Restraint | Judges limit or restrain their own power, and they often lead towards the opinions of other officials to determine their rulings without their input. Opposite of judicial activism |
| Iron Triangles | Alliance between congressional committees, federal agencies, and special interest groups that dominate policymaking and exchange support from each other |
| Political Patronage | Awarding supporters of a candidate or a certain political party with jobs without any prior experience within the field due to their support |
| Civil Service | Employees of government agencies are hired based on their merit or skills. Opposite of political patronage |
| "Power of the Purse" | The authority of the legislative branch to control the funds of the government. Can fund or refund programs, influence policy, and ensure the correct usage of funds |
| Informal Powers | Powers of the President are interpreted to be inherent in the office to achieve policy goals |
| Formal Powers | Powers of the President that are stated in the Constitution (Article II) |
| Jurisdiction Stripping | The power of Congress to limit the types of cases federal courts can hear, including SCOTUS (Article III) |
| Bully Pulpit | Pitched ideas to the American people by using their powers of persuasion to convince people to persuade Congress. Always provided a good story (Teddy Roosevelt) |
| Enumerated Powers | Specific and explicit authorities granted to the U.S. federal government, such as the power to tax, coin money, and raise armies (Article I) |
| Holds | Senator signals an objection to a bill or a nomination, slowing down the legislation process |
| Necessary and Proper Clause | Grants Congress to make legislation that is deemed "necessary and proper" for executing enumerated powers or other powers listed in the Constitution |
| The Constitution | 1787; written by Thomas Jefferson and outlines the purpose of the government, the rules that the government should follow, and the overall structure of the government |
| Federalist No. 70 | 1787; written by Alexander Hamilton and states that a single president/ executive is necessary for success in the country because it would properly protect our liberties more civily |
| Federalist No. 78 | 1787; written by Alexander Hamilton and states a judicial branch with lifetime terms is a must in the government since it protects the Constitution and its beliefs |
| 22nd Amendment | 1951; inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt after he ran for 4 terms and states that a president cannot run for more than two terms |
| Marbury v. Madison | 1803; William Marbury, an appointee who didn’t receive his commission, sued James Madison, Thomas Jefferson’s secretary of state, because Madison didn’t want members of the opposing party to hold the position. The appointment of Marbury was invalid. |
| Baker v. Carr | 1962; Charles Baker, who was from Memphis, a town that was heavily underrepresented, believed he was being denied equal representation under the 14th Amendment ( gerrymandering). |
| Shaw v. Reno | 1993; The North Carolina state legislature attempted the election of an African-American representative by creating a legislative district that would be majority African American (District 12). The proposed redistricting plan amounts to discrimination. |
Created by:
o.t.2001
Popular AP Comparative Gov. sets