Terms for Test III

Question 1

Constituency

Answer 1

The residents in the area from which an official is elected

Question 2

Term Limits

Answer 2

Legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official can serve

Question 3

Apportionment

Answer 3

The process occurring after every decennial census that allocates congressional seats among the 50 states

Question 4

Patronage

Answer 4

The resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters

Question 5

Logrolling

Answer 5

A legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading

Question 6

Executive Privilege

Answer 6

The principle that members of the executive branch of government cannot legally be forced to disclose their confidential communications when such disclosure would adversely affect the operations or procedures of the executive branch

Question 7

National Security Counsel

Answer 7

Composed of designated cabinet officials and others spanning military, diplomatic, and intelligence areas who meet regularly with the president to give advice on national security matters

Question 8

Merit System

Answer 8

A product of civil service reform, in which appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for those positions

Question 9

Government Corporations

Answer 9

Government agencies that performs a service normally provided by the private sectors; morel like a private business in performing and charging for a market service, such as transporting railroad passenger (Amtrak)

Question 10

Fiscal Policy

Answer 10

The government’s use of taxing, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy; can do with any government policy having to do with finance

Question 11

Iron Triangle

Answer 11

The stable, cooperative relationships that often develop among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one more supportive interest groups; not all of those relationships are triangular, but the iron triangle is the most typical

Question 12

“Stare Decisis”

Answer 12

Literally, “let the decision stand”; the doctrine that a previous decision by a court applies as a precedent in similar cases until that decision is overruled

Question 13

Solicitor General

Answer 13

The top government lawyer in all cases before the Supreme Court in which the government is a party; if any single person has greater influence than individual judges over federal courts it is this person. Is the 3rd ranking official of the Justice department (below attorney general & deputy attorney general) but the top government lawyer in virtually all cases before the Supreme Court in which government is party.

Question 14

Supremacy Clause

Answer 14

Article VI, which states that laws passed by the national government and all treaties “shall be the supreme law of the land” and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision

Question 15

Standing

Answer 15

A party must have standing to sue by being a stakeholder in the outcome; gives the legal right to initiate a case; limits the ability of many to bring issues into the courts

Question 16

Writ of certiorari

Answer 16

A decision of at least 4 of the 9 Supreme Court justices to review a decision of a lower court; certiorari is Latin, meaning “to make more certain”

Question 17

“Amicus Curiae”

Answer 17

Literally, “friend of the court”; individuals of groups who are not parties to a lawsuit but who seek to assist the Supreme Court in reaching a decision by presenting additional briefs

Question 18

Judicial Restraint

Answer 18

Judicial philosophy whose adherents refuse to go beyond the clear words of the Constitution in interpreting the documents meaning

Question 19

Original Jurisdiction

Answer 19

The authority to initially consider a case; distinguished from appellate jurisdiction, which is the authority to hear appeals from lower court’s decision