Unit 2

Question 1

pork barrel spending/earmarking

Answer 1

Directing funds to local projects, often to win over voters

Question 2

logrolling

Answer 2

voting in favor of earmarks in order to ensure yours are also accepted

Question 3

oversight

Answer 3

Ability of Congress to ensure laws are implemented as intended (check over executive branch) –> can create committees to conduct hearings and investigations into bureaucracy

most often routine, but sometimes done when needed

Question 4

constituency

Answer 4

a body of voters in a given area who elect a congressperson –> a district

Question 5

apportionment

Answer 5

determining the number of representatives for each state

Question 6

redistricting

Answer 6

redrawing of electoral districts (House of Representatives only), happens after every census

Question 7

gerrymandering

Answer 7

redistricting to benefit a specific interest/group of voters

Question 8

majority-minority district

Answer 8

district where a minority ethnicity make up the majority of the district’s population

Question 9

incumbency (advantage)

Answer 9

(the reputation that gives an advantage for re-election to) a congressperson already in office

Question 10

Speaker of the House

Answer 10

recognizes members for floor speeches/comments, organizes committees, most influential

ONLY CONSTITUTIONALLY MENTIONED LEADERSHIP POSITION IN HoR!

Question 11

House majority/minority leaders

Answer 11

coordinates their own party on voting and stuff and things

Question 12

majority whip

Answer 12

corralles the majority party to vote a certain way–keeps track of how people are going to vote

Question 13

Senate majority/minority leaders

Answer 13

coordinates their own party on voting and stuff and things

Question 14

discharge petition

Answer 14

filed by representative, moves bill out of committee and onto House of Reps floor
usually never works, but adds pressure

Question 15

House Rules Committee

Answer 15

schedules a bill’s debate date and vote, determines how the debate will go (time, amendments)

Question 16

Committee of the Whole

Answer 16

all representatives, meetings often take on different rules

Question 17

unanimous consent agreement

Answer 17

agreements made to set the terms for consideration of a bill
OR what I think is correct is how everyone must agree to end discussion on a bill before voting can take place

Question 18

filibuster

Answer 18

a senator drags on a debate to delay legislation

Question 19

cloture

Answer 19

the end of a filibuster comes with 60 senate votes

Question 20

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Answer 20

assists president in setting national spending priorities

Question 21

entitlement program

Answer 21

program of benefits for qualifiers regardless of income

Question 22

mandatory spending

Answer 22

spending required by law

Question 23

discretionary spending

Answer 23

spending for programs at the discretion of Congress + President

Question 24

budget deficit

Answer 24

government spends more money than it takes in

Question 25

delegate, trustee, politico

Answer 25

delegate = follow the voters trustee = follow their heart politico = random chance

Question 26

gridlock

Answer 26

slowdown in Congress

Question 27

lame duck period

Answer 27

end of a president's term, as they rush to put out new legislation and Congress blocks them

Question 28

enumerated powers

Answer 28

Constitutional powers

Question 29

State of the Union Address

Answer 29

Annual (Constitutional) speech given from the president to Congress, used to egg on congress to get stuff done

Question 30

pocket veto

Answer 30

not signing a bill in 10 days = vetoed

Question 31

executive privilege

Answer 31

keeping things confidential from other branches

Question 32

executive agreement

Answer 32

between a president and another nation, not as strong as a treaty but DOESN'T require the Senate

Question 33

signing statement

Answer 33

signed onto a bill, can include meaningless political stuff, reasons for the signage, or an interpretation of the law

Question 34

executive order

Answer 34

policy directives by president that doesn't require congress

Question 35

War Powers Resolution (1973)

Answer 35

president can now only use armed troops if congress declares war or if there is a national emergency

Question 36

bully pulpit

Answer 36

president uses public support to pressure other government branches

Question 37

going public

Answer 37

president promotes themselves by appealing directly to the public

Question 38

"bargaining and persuasion"

Answer 38

to persuade congress, a president might call up congresspeople, make deals with them, convince them legitimately, etc.

Question 39

appellate juristiction

Answer 39

authority to review decisions made by lower courts

Question 40

Marbury v. Madison (1803) subject and takeaway

Answer 40

fight over whether or not William Marbury's appointment is to be honored, overseen by John Marshall, established judicial review

Question 41

judicial review

Answer 41

authority to strike down a law or action if it is unconstitutional

Question 42

criminal/civil law

Answer 42

criminal = harmful, civil = private rights or relationships

Question 43

stare decisis

Answer 43

practice of not making new rulings and instead just letting old rulings stand

Question 44

dissenting opinion

Answer 44

complaint

Question 45

judicial restraint/activism

Answer 45

judges should be cautious and almost never overturn stuff vs justices should be willing to overturn what must be overturned

Question 46

federal bureaucracy

Answer 46

departments and agencies in the executive branch that carry out laws

Question 47

political patronage

Answer 47

filling of administrative positions as a reward for support, rather than solely on merit

Question 48

Pendleton Act details

Answer 48

created the 1st US Civil Service Commission that enforces rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within federal civil service

Question 49

federal civil service

Answer 49

the entirety of the merit-based bureaucracy

Question 50

iron triangle

Answer 50

mutual benefit of interest groups, bureaucracy, and congress (congress gives funding or laws, Interest groups give support, bureaucracy gives better implementation to congress or less oversight to interest groups)

Question 51

issue network

Answer 51

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and other advocates

Question 52

implementation

Answer 52

bureaucracy puts laws into action

Question 53

bureaucratic discretion

Answer 53

power to decide on how a law is implemented

Question 54

bureaucratic adjudication

Answer 54

bureaucracy determines who is covered by a program or settles disputes regarding this

Question 55

malapportionment

Answer 55

uneven distribution of population among legislative districts

Question 56

political action committee

Answer 56

organization that fundraises for candidates/campaigns

Question 57

standing, joint, conference, select committees

Answer 57

standing = permanent, consider legislation joint = involves both houses, speedy conference = joint, resolves differences btw House + Senate bill versions special/select = special, usually investigative

Question 58

placing a hold

Answer 58

a senator airing grievances during a discussion regarding some legislation --> what causes filibusters

Question 59

Fed 78

Answer 59

fed judiciary would be unlikely to infringe upon rights and liberties, would serve as a check on the other branches