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AP Gov > Unit 2 - Interactions Among Branches > Flashcards

Unit 2 - Interactions Among Branches Flashcards

1
Q

partisanship

A

prejudice in favor of a particular cause; bias; slanting of political news coverage in support of a particular political party or ideology

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2
Q

entitlement program

A

program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law

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3
Q

mandatory spending

A

spending required by existing law that is “locked in” the budget (ie social security, medicare, medicaid)

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4
Q

discretionary spending

A

spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the President (optional spending, ie military + education)

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5
Q

budget surplus

A

government takes in more money than it spends

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6
Q

budget deficit

A

government takes in less money than it spends

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7
Q

national debt

A

total money owned by national government

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8
Q

setting federal budget

A
  1. president propose budget
  2. congress acts
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9
Q

cloture

A

procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action (3/5 senators agree to it)

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10
Q

gerrymandering

A

the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

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11
Q

filibuster

A

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

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12
Q

how a bill becomes a law

A
  1. introducing the bill
  2. the first reading
  3. standing commitee
  4. sub committee
  5. rules committee
  6. bill on the floor
  7. voting
  8. bill goes to the other house (through step 2-7)
  9. conference committee
  10. the president (2/3 majority to override)
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13
Q

house rules committee

A

determine when a bill will be subject to debate and vote + how long debate will last + whether amendments will be allowed on the floor

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14
Q

conference committee

A

temporary committee with a purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers

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15
Q

constituencies

A

body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator

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16
Q

delegate role

A

idea that main duty of a member of congress is to carry out constituent wishes

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17
Q

trustee role

A

idea that members of congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgment

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18
Q

politico role

A

representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituent and parties in making decisions

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19
Q

impeachment

A

bringing formal charges against the president or other officials
need 2/3 majority vote
1. resolution
2. committee vote
3. house vote
4. hearing
5. report
6. house vote
7. senate trial
8. senate vote

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20
Q

incumbent

A

a political official who is currently in office

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21
Q

joint committee

A

provide administrative coordination between the house and senate and conduct studies for benefit of both houses

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22
Q

logrolling

A

trading of votes on legislation by members of congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation

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23
Q

majority leader

A

head of party with most seat in congress

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24
Q

minority leader

A

head of party with second-highest number of seats in congress

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25
Q

malapportionment

A

uneven distribution of population between legislative districts

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26
Q

senate hierarchy

A

vice president
president pro tempore
majority / minority leader
majority whip, committee chairpersons, minority whip

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27
Q

markup

A

process during which a bill is revised prior to a final vote in congress

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28
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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29
Q

political action committees

A

organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns

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30
Q

president pro tempore

A

second-highest-ranking official of the US senate, after the vice president

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31
Q

redistricting

A

states redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census

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32
Q

apportionment

A

process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data

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33
Q

speaker of the house

A

only house position in the constitution; political and parliamentary leader of the house

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34
Q

standing committee

A

permanent legislative panels established by the US house of representatives and the US senate rules

35
Q

war powers resolution

A

law passed over president nixon’s veto that restricts the power of the president to maintain troops in combat for more than 60 days without congressional authorization

36
Q

whip

A

member of congress, chosen by his/her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline

37
Q

congressional budget act of 1974

A

governs role of congress in the US budget rocess

38
Q

casework

A

assistance provided by members of congress to constituents who need help while filing a grievance with the federal government

39
Q

earmark / pork barrel spending

A

addition to a piece of legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states

40
Q

Shaw v. Reno

A

court decided that districts drawn with intention to allow for a black-majority district are unconstitutional

41
Q

Baker v. Carr

A

court decided that districts need to have similar population size and that supreme court have jurisdiction in the reapportionment process

42
Q

bureaucracy

A

body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group

43
Q

bureaucratic adjudiction

A

when 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

44
Q

cabinet

A

cabinet members serve as advisors to the president

45
Q

executive office of the president

A

a collection of offices within the white house organization designed mainly to provide information to the president

46
Q

executive privilege

A

right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny

47
Q

executive orders

A

policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval

48
Q

formal powers

A

powers of the president expressly granted in the constitution

49
Q

informal powers

A

powers not laid out in the constitution but used to carry out presidential duties

50
Q

veto

A

formal rejection by president of a bill that has passed both house of congress

51
Q

pocket veto

A

informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within 10 days

52
Q

25th amendment

A

when there is no vice president, president nominate a vice president after a majority vote from both house of congress

53
Q

22 amendment

A

max terms for president is 2

54
Q

signing statement

A

text issued by president while signing a bill into law that usually consists of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president’s interpretation
of the law itself

55
Q

government corporations

A

government agency that is established by congress to provide a market-oriented public service and to produce revenues that meet or approximate its expenditures

56
Q

independent executive agencies

A

agency otherwise similar to cabinet departments but existing outside of the cabinet structure and usually having a narrower focus of mission

57
Q

independent regulatory commissions

A

organizations that exists outside of the major cabinet departments and whose job is to monitor and regulate specific sectors of the economy

58
Q

hatch act

A

prohibit civil service employees in the executive branch of government from engaging in some forms of political activiey

59
Q

pendleton act

A

created US civil service commission to draw up and enforce rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within the civil service

60
Q

imperial presidency

A

describe president as am emperor who acts without consulting congress or acts in secrecy to evade or deceive congress

61
Q

iron triangle

A

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

62
Q

state of the union address

A

annual speech from president to congress updating the branch on the state of national affairs

63
Q

pardons

A

government decision to allow a person to b relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction

64
Q

amicus curiae

A

individual/organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case (court decide whether to consider an amicus brief)

65
Q

federal courts + jurisdictions

A

supreme court : original + appellate jurisdiction
circuit court : only appellate jurisdiction
district court : only original jurisdiction

66
Q

original jurisdiction

A

court can be the first court to hear the case

67
Q

appellate jurisdiction

A

the court can hear a case to review/reverse decision of lower court

68
Q

judiciary act of 1789

A

require justices to preside over a circuit court once a year + place limits on the control of supreme court over local circuit courts

69
Q

rule of 4

A

supreme court only grant a petition for review only if there are at least 4 votes to do so

70
Q

precedent

A

a judicial decision that guides future courts in handling similar cases

71
Q

stare decisis

A

practice of letting a previous legal decision stand

72
Q

criminal law

A

a category of law covering actions determined to harm the community itself

73
Q

civil law

A

a category of law covering cases involving private rights and relationships between individual and groups

74
Q

majority opinion

A

binding supreme court opinions, which serve as precent for future cases

75
Q

concurring opinion

A

an opinion that agrees with the majority decision but offer different or additional reasoning

76
Q

dissenting opinion

A

an opinion that disagrees with the majority opinion

77
Q

judicial activism

A

philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should wield the power of judicial review, sometimes creating bold new policies

78
Q

judicial restraint

A

philosophy of constitutional interpretation that asserts justices should be cautious in overturning laws

79
Q

judicial supremacy

A

idea that supreme court should be viewed as the authoritative interpreter of the constitution and that we should deem its decision as binging on other branches and levels of government

80
Q

strict construction

A

particular philosophy of judicial interpretation that limits or restricts such interpretation only to the exact wording of the law

81
Q

loose construction

A

particular philosophy of judicial interpretation where there is a broader interpretation of the law

82
Q

roe v. wade

A

court decided that state laws that makes abortion illegal are unconstitutional, decision to abort given to individuals rather than government
(this decision as overturned in 2022, handing the right to regulate abortions to the states)

83
Q

brown v. board of education

A

“separate but equal” violates the equal protection clause, schools cannot be racially segregated

AP Gov (5 decks)

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