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AP Government > Unit 2 > Flashcards

Unit 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Legislation that directs specific funds to

projects within districts or states.

A

Pork-barrel spending

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2
Q

Trading of votes on legislation by members of

Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation.

A

Logrolling

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3
Q

A body of voters in a given area who elect a

representative or senator.

A

Constituency

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4
Q

Oversight

A

Efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch
agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their
officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional
goals.

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5
Q

The process of determining the number of

representatives for each state using census data.

A

Apportionment

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6
Q

The intentional use of redistricting to benefit

a specific interest or group of voters.

A

Gerrymandering

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7
Q

– Drawing of district boundaries into

strange shapes to benefit a political party.

A

Partisan gerrymandering

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8
Q

Majority-minority district

A

A district in which voters of a
minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that
electoral district.

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9
Q

Malapportionment

A

The uneven distribution of the population

among legislative districts.

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10
Q

Institutional advantages held by
those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an
election.

A

Incumbency advantage

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11
Q

Speaker of the House

A

The leader of the House of Reps,

chosen by an election of its members.

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12
Q

House Majority leader

A

The person who is the second in

command of the House of Reps.

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13
Q

Whip

A

A member of Congress, chosen by his or her party

members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline.

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14
Q

Minority leader

A

The head of the party with the second-

highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party’s

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15
Q

Senate majority leader

A

The person who has the most power

in the Senate is the head of the party with the most seats.

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16
Q

Committee chair

A

Leader of a congressional committee who

has authority over the committee’s agenda.

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17
Q

Discharge Petition

A

A motion filed by a member of Congress to
move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of
Representatives for a vote.

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18
Q

A powerful committee that
determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the
House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether
amendments will be allowed on the floor.

A

House Rule committee

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19
Q

Committee of the Whole

A

Consists of all members of the House
and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules,
making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation.

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20
Q

Hold

A

Delay on legislation SENATE

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21
Q

Unanimous consent agreement

A

An agreement in the Senate

that sets the terms for consideration of a bill.

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22
Q

A tactic through which an individual senator may use
the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action
on a piece of legislation.

A

Fillibuster

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23
Q

Cloture

A

A procedure through which senators can end debate on

a bill and proceed to action, provided 60 senators agree to it.

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24
Q

Entitlement program

A

Program that provides benefits for those

who qualify under the law, regardless of income.

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25
Spending required by existing laws that is | “locked in” the budget.
Mandatory Spending
26
Discretionary spending
Spending for programs and policies at | the discretion of Congress and the president.
27
Delegate role
The idea that the main duty of a member of | Congress is to carry out constituents’ wishes.
28
Trustee Role
The idea that members of Congress should act as | trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgment.
29
Politico
Representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interest of their constituents and parties in making decisions.
30
Bipartisanship
Agreement between the parties to work together | in Congress to pass legislation.
31
A slowdown or halt in Congress’ ability to legislate and | overcome divisions, especially those based on partisanship.
Gridlock
32
Control of the presidency and one or both | chambers of Congress split between the two major parties.
Divided Government
33
Lame-duck period
Period at the end of a presidential term | when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees.
34
The annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs.
State of the Union Address
35
An informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session.
Pocket Veto
36
Presidential authority to release individuals convicted from a crime of legal consequences and forgive an individual and set aside punishment for a crime.
Presidential Pardon
37
Executive Privilege
A right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress.
38
Executive Agreement
An agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability in the American system as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification.
39
Signing Statement
Written comments issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president’s interpretation of the law itself.
40
Executive Order
Policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval.
41
A law passed over President Nixon’s veto that restricts the power of the president to maintain troops in combat for more than sixty days without congressional authorization.
War Powers Resolution
42
Impeachment
The process of removing a president from office, with articles of impeachment issues by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate, with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict and remove.
43
Informal tool used by the president to persuade members of Congress to support his policy initiatives.
Bargaining and persuasion
44
Presidential appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support his policies.
Bully Pulpit
45
A tactic through which presidents reach out directly to the American people with the hope that the people will, in turn, put pressure upon their representatives and senators to press for a president’s policy goals.
Going Public
46
The highest level of the federal judiciary, which was established in Article III of the Constitution and serves as the highest court in the nation.
Supreme Court
47
The authority of a court to act as the first court to hear a case, which included the finding of facts in the case.
Original Jurisdiction
48
The authority of a court to hear and review decisions made by lower courts in the system.
Appellate Jurisdiction
49
Argument by Alexander Hamilton that the federal judiciary would be unlikely to infringe upon rights and liberties but would serve as a check on the other two branches.
Federalist 78
50
A Supreme Court decision that establishes judicial review over federal laws.
Judicial Review
51
Criminal Law
A category of law covering | actions determined to harm the community.
52
Civil Law
A category of law covering cased involving private rights and relationships between individuals and groups.
53
Stare decisis
The rule of precedent, whereby a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.
54
Concurring opinion
An opinion that agrees with the majority decision, offering different or additional reasoning, that does not serve as precedent.
55
A philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should be cautious in overturning laws.
Judicial Restraint
56
A philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should wield the power of judicial review, sometimes creating bold new policies.
Judicial Activism
57
The departments and agencies within the executive branch that carry out the laws of the nation.
Federal bureaucracy
58
Filling of administrative positions as a reward for support, rather than solely on merit.
Political patronage
59
Pendleton Act
An act of Congress that created the first U.S. Civil Service Commission to draw up and enforce rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within the civil service (also known as the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883).
60
A system of public employment | based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.
Spoils system
61
A system of hiring and promotion based on competitive testing results, education, and other qualifications rather than politics and personal connections.
Merit System
62
Webs of influence between | interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates.
Issue network
63
The bureaucracy’s role in putting into action the laws that Congress has passed.
Implementation
64
Bureaucratic discretion
The power to decide how a law is implemented and what Congress meant when it passed the law.
65
Regulation
The process through which the federal bureaucracy makes rules that have the force of law, to carry out the laws passed by Congress.
66
Bureaucratic adjudication
When the federal bureaucracy settles disputes between parties that arise over the implementation of federal laws or determines which individuals or groups are covered under a regulation or program.
67
Department
Usually the largest organization in government with the largest mission; also the highest rank in Federal hierarchy.
68
Independent (stand-alone) agency
A government entity that is independent of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
69
Independent regulatory commission
A government agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected by Congress.
70
Government corporation
A government agency that operates like a business corporation, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.
71
Hatch Act
Federal statute barring federal employees from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protecting them from being fired on partisan grounds.
72
Oversight
Legislative or executive review of a particular government program or organization. Can be in response to a crisis of some kind or part of routine review.
73
Think tank
A nongovernmental organization that seeks to influence public policy through research and education.

AP Government (7 decks)

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