Terms : Hide Images
| 10523976162 | Institutions of government | The executive, legislature, judiciary, and bureaucracy | 0 | |
| 10523976174 | Bicameral | A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses | 1 | |
| 10523976175 | Constituency | the residents in the area from which an official is elected | 2 | |
| 10523976176 | coalition building | a means of expanding an interest group's influence that involves working with other groups | 3 | |
| 10523976177 | revenue | income | 4 | |
| 10523976178 | Congressional committee | committee deals w/ specific topic, work of congress goes through committees | 5 | |
| 10523976179 | Standing committee | A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area | 6 | |
| 10523976180 | Select committee | Groups of appointed for a limited purpose and limited duration | 7 | |
| 10523976181 | Conference committee | Special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate | 8 | |
| 10523976182 | Joint committee | Committee made up of members of both house of Congress-housekeeping issues decided | 9 | |
| 10523976183 | Speaker of the house | The presiding officer of the House of Representatives | 10 | |
| 10523976184 | President of the Senate | Vice President | 11 | |
| 10523976185 | President pro tempore | Serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the VP; chosen by the majority party | 12 | |
| 10523976186 | Majority leader | The elected leader of the party with the most seat in the House of Representatives/Senate | 13 | |
| 10523976187 | Minority leader | the legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition. | 14 | |
| 10523976188 | Majority whip | the majority leader's assistant | 15 | |
| 10523976189 | Minority whip | the minority leader's assistant | 16 | |
| 10523976190 | Committee chairperson | Leader of committee | 17 | |
| 10523976191 | Filibuster | A lengthy speech designed to delay or kill the vote on a bill; used only in the Senate | 18 | |
| 10523976192 | Cloture | A Senate procedure through which a supermajority of 60 senators can vote to limit the amount of time spent debating a bill and cut off a filibuster. | 19 | |
| 10523976193 | Quorum | number of members necessary to conduct a meeting | 20 | |
| 10523976194 | Hold | a political tactic meant to slow down the legislative process in the Senate. | 21 | |
| 10523976195 | Unanimous consent | Complete agreement | 22 | |
| 10523976196 | Rules committee | Responsible for scheduling and managing the flow of legislation on the floor to make the process more efficient and manageable. It can also make it easier or more difficult for a bill to pass depending on the rules they create. | 23 | |
| 10523976197 | Committee of the Whole | A committee of the House on which all representatives serve in order to consider the details of a proposal. | 24 | |
| 10523976198 | Discharge petition | A petition signed by members of the House of Representatives to bring a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote. | 25 | |
| 10523976199 | Treaty ratification | The presidential has the power, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties provided 2/3 of the senators present, concur | 26 | |
| 10523976200 | Discretionary spending | Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process | 27 | |
| 10523976201 | mandatory spending | Federal spending required by law that continues without the need for annual approvals by Congress. | 28 | |
| 10523976202 | Entitlements | Entitlement programs are government-sponsored programs providing required benefits to those meeting eligibility requirements. | 29 | |
| 10523976203 | Social Security | any government system that provides monetary assistance to people with an inadequate or no income. | 30 | |
| 10523976204 | Medicare | A federal program of health insurance for persons 65 years of age and older | 31 | |
| 10523976205 | Medicaid | A health care payment program sponsored by federal & state governments | 32 | |
| 10523976206 | Budget deficit | a financial situation that occurs when a government spends more than it takes in. | 33 | |
| 10523976207 | Pork barrel legislation | The use of federal funding to finance localized projects, typically bringing money into a representative's district in order to please constituents and boost the representative's chances of winning reelection. | 34 | |
| 10523976208 | Earmarks | Federal funds appropriated by Congress for use on local projects | 35 | |
| 10523976209 | Riders | And additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by the legislature, having little connectivity with the subject of the matter of the bill. | 36 | |
| 10523976210 | Omnibus bill | One very large bill that encompasses many separate bills. | 37 | |
| 10523976211 | Logrolling | An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other's bills | 38 | |
| 10523976212 | Franking privilege | Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free | 39 | |
| 10523976213 | Partisanship | Strong allegiance to one's own political party often leading to unwillingness to compromise with members of the opposing party | 40 | |
| 10523976329 | White House Staff | The analysts and advisers to the president, often given the title "special assistant" | 41 | |
| 10523976214 | divided government | When one party controls one or more houses in the legislative branch while the other party controls the executive branch. | 42 | |
| 10523976163 | Ideological division | 43 | ||
| 10523976215 | Gridlock | When the government is unable to reach compromises or make policy decisions. | 44 | |
| 10523976216 | Gerrymandering | The act of changing the boundaries of an electoral district to favor one party over another. | 45 | |
| 10523976164 | Packing | drawing the lines so they include as many of the opposing party's voters as possible | 46 | |
| 10523976165 | Cracking | spreading voters of one type over many districts where they will comprise minorities that are unable to influence elections | 47 | |
| 10523976217 | Reapportionment | the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census | 48 | |
| 10523976218 | Census | A periodic and official count of a country's population. | 49 | |
| 10523976219 | Redistricting | The process of adjusting electoral districts in the United States. | 50 | |
| 10523976220 | safe seat | an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party | 51 | |
| 10523976221 | marginal seat | a parliamentary seat held by a very small majority of votes | 52 | |
| 10523976222 | one person, one vote | a concept holding that each person's vote should be counted equally | 53 | |
| 10523976223 | racial gerrymandering | drawing of legislative boundaries to give electoral advantages to a particular racial group | 54 | |
| 10523976224 | Lame Duck | An elected official who continues to hold political office during the period between the election and the inauguration of their successor. | 55 | |
| 10523976225 | Trustee Role | A member of Congress who takes into account the views of their constituents and use their own judgment to decide how to vote. | 56 | |
| 10523976226 | Delegate Role | A member of Congress who always follows their constituents' voting preferences. | 57 | |
| 10523976227 | partisan role | devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause | 58 | |
| 10523976228 | Politico Role | A member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that their constituents care about, and as a trustee on issues that their constituents don't care about. | 59 | |
| 10523976166 | Policy agenda | The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time. | 60 | |
| 10523976167 | Formal presidential powers | Commander-in-chief of armed forces; pardon power (except for impeachment); treaty power; appointment power; veto power | 61 | |
| 10523976168 | Informal Presidential Powers | The power to go public, power of persuasion, make executive agreements, issue executive orders, issue signing statements, create & use bureaucracy, personality and leadership, and make legislative proposals. | 62 | |
| 10523976169 | Veto | Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature | 63 | |
| 10523976170 | Pocket veto | president's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days | 64 | |
| 10523976229 | Congressional Override | The power of Congress to pass legislation over a president's veto | 65 | |
| 10523976230 | Commander in Chief | term for the president as commander of the nation's armed forces | 66 | |
| 10523976231 | executive agreement | an agreement between the president and the leader of another country | 67 | |
| 10523976232 | executive order | A rule issued by the president that has the force of law | 68 | |
| 10523976233 | executive privilege | the power that allows a president to refuse to release information to Congress or a court | 69 | |
| 10523976234 | signing statements | A released letter explaining how the president's administration plans to interpret the law | 70 | |
| 10523976235 | The Cabinet | the leaders of the executive departments, who also act as advisers to the president | 71 | |
| 10523976236 | Ambassadors | Highest-ranking officials representing a government in a foreign country. | 72 | |
| 10523976171 | Chief of staff | the person who oversees the operations of all White House staff and controls access to the president | 73 | |
| 10523976237 | press secretary | one of the president's top assistants who is in charge of media relations | 74 | |
| 10523976172 | advice and consent power | The power of the Senate to consult and approve the presidents treaties and appointments. | 75 | |
| 10523976238 | Good behavior clause | Judges have standard of behavior; can't be impeached for their court decisions | 76 | |
| 10523976239 | Lame duck period | A period of time between the election and the oath of office | 77 | |
| 10523976240 | State of the Union Address | The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation. | 78 | |
| 10523976241 | honeymoon period | The first 100 days of a President's first term when his/her popularity is at its highest point. | 79 | |
| 10523976242 | Bully Pulpit | a platform used to publicize and seek support for important issues | 80 | |
| 10523976243 | Judicial Review | Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws | 81 | |
| 10523976244 | precedent | (civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions | 82 | |
| 10523976245 | stare decisis | Let the decision stand; decisions are based on precedents from previous cases | 83 | |
| 10523976246 | judicial activism | an effort by judges to take an active role in policymaking by overturning laws relatively often | 84 | |
| 10523976247 | judicial restraint | a theory of judicial interpretation that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power | 85 | |
| 10523976248 | strict constructionism | Constitution is interpreted in a way that limits the powers of the federal government | 86 | |
| 10523976249 | loose constructionism | broad interpretation of the Constitution | 87 | |
| 10523976250 | Jurisdiction | the official power to make legal decisions and judgments. | 88 | |
| 10523976251 | original jurisdiction | the power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court | 89 | |
| 10523976252 | appellate jurisdiction | Authority of court to review a decision of a lower court or administrative agency. | 90 | |
| 10523976253 | concurrent jurisdiction | authority for both state and federal courts to hear and decide cases | 91 | |
| 10523976254 | federal bureaucracy | the collective agencies and employees of the executive branch | 92 | |
| 10523976255 | Executive Departments | often called the cabinet departments, they are the traditional units of federal administration | 93 | |
| 10523976256 | Department of State | Cabinet-level agency in charge of foreign policy & international affairs. | 94 | |
| 10523976257 | Department of treasury | collects federal taxes through IRS, prints money and stamps, makes coins, deals w/nation's finances | 95 | |
| 10523976258 | Department of Defense | Manages the armed forces | 96 | |
| 10523976259 | Department of Justice | responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, | 97 | |
| 10523976260 | Department of Homeland Security | Cabinet department created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to coordinate domestic security efforts | 98 | |
| 10523976173 | Department of Transportation | Manages the nations highways, railroads, airlines, and sea traffic | 99 | |
| 10523976261 | Department of Veterans Affairs | Directs services for veterans | 100 | |
| 10523976330 | Department of Education | Provides advice and funding for schools | 101 | |
| 10523976361 | Agencies | An organization, company, or bureau that provides some service for another | 102 | |
| 10523976331 | Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Created after the Russian Revolution to prevent radicals from taking over. Headed by J Edgar Hoover. | 103 | |
| 10523976332 | Environmental Protection Agency | An agency created in 1970 to administer all environmental legislation. | 104 | |
| 10523976362 | Commissions | agencies responsible for some sector of the economy, making/enforcing rules to protect the public interest. | 105 | |
| 10523976333 | Federal Election Commission | a six-member bipartisan agency that enforces and administers campaign finance laws | 106 | |
| 10523976334 | Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) | monitors the stock market and enforces laws regulating the sale of stocks and bonds | 107 | |
| 10523976335 | government corporation | a business owned and operated by the federal government | 108 | |
| 10523976336 | AMTRAK | Government Corporation Federally owned passenger rail service. National Railroad. | 109 | |
| 10523976363 | U.S postal service | an independent federal agency that provides mail processing and delivery service for individuals and businesses in the United States (second for the most federal employees) | 110 | |
| 10523976337 | regulations | The formal instructions that government issues for implementing laws. | 111 | |
| 10523976338 | Iron Triangles | Congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that form mutually-beneficial relationships are known as iron triangles. | 112 | |
| 10523976339 | Issue networks | A loose grouping of people and organizations who seek to influence policy formation. | 113 | |
| 10523976340 | Patronage | the power to control appointments to office or the right to privileges. | 114 | |
| 10523976341 | Spoils System | A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends. | 115 | |
| 10523976342 | political machine | a group that controls the activities of a political party | 116 | |
| 10523976343 | civil service system | practice of government employment based on competitive examinations and merit | 117 | |
| 10523976344 | merit system | a system of employment based on qualifications, test scores, and ability, rather than party loyalty | 118 | |
| 10523976345 | Office of Personnel Management (OPM) | Agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations. | 119 | |
| 10523976346 | discretionary authority | The ability of executive agencies to make decisions about how to enforce laws and implement policy | 120 | |
| 10523976347 | rule making | the administrative process that results in the issuance of regulations by government agencies | 121 | |
| 10523976348 | red tape | complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done | 122 | |
| 10523976364 | Bureaucratic implementation | The actions taken by the bureaucracy in service of its mission of executing the laws of the United States. | 123 | |
| 10523976349 | NASA | The federal agency that is responsible for aerospace research, aeronautics, and the civilian space program. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) | 124 | |
| 10523976365 | national security council | a committee in the executive branch of government that advises the president on foreign and military and national security | 125 | |
| 10523976350 | Office of Management and Budget (OMB) | government office that manages the federal budget | 126 | |
| 10523976351 | Congressional Budget Office | government agency that provides economic data to Congress | 127 | |
| 10523976352 | White House Office | Presidential staff who oversee the policy interests of the president | 128 | |
| 10523976353 | Congressional Oversight | Congress can review and supervise federal agencies by holding committee hearings and hearing testimony from members of those executive agencies. | 129 | |
| 10523976354 | committee hearings | sessions where a committee listens to the testimonies of people who are interested in the bill | 130 | |
| 10523976355 | Power of the Purse | when Congress uses its power over the budget to oversee federal agencies and their policy implementation | 131 | |
| 10523976356 | Congressional appropriation | any money designated by Congress for a specific purpose by a state or federal legislature and provides the legal authority needed to spend or obligate the U.S. Treasury | 132 | |
| 10523976366 | Congressional authorization | The power of Congress to provide the president with the right to carry out legislated policies. | 133 | |
| 10523976367 | compliance monitoring | Activities undertaken to establish whether a process or procedure is carried out in conformance with relevant external requirements, whether set through legislation, regulations, or directions | 134 | |
| 10523976357 | Imperial Presidency | President who acts like a monarch - takes and uses too much power | 135 | |
| 10693027837 | Bureaucratic Rulemaking | A guideline issued by the federal bureaucracy, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented | 136 | |
| 10757852450 | Baker v. Carr | Establishing both the "one-person, one-vote" principle - that districts should be proportionately represented - and that the Court had jurisdiction to review state redistricting issues. | 137 | |
| 10757857977 | Shaw v. Reno | Established that although legislative redistricting must be conscious of race and comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it cannot exceed what is reasonably necessary to avoid racial imbalances. | 138 | |
| 10790039672 | Marbury v. Madison (1803) | established the principle of judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to strike down acts of the legislative or executive branch that violate the Constitution. | 139 | |
| 10790151052 | Federalist No. 78 | Argued that the judicial branch should have the power to declare acts of Congress "void" to preserve the limited Constitution. | 140 | |
| 10824836958 | bureaucratic rulemaking. | A guideline issued by the federal bureaucracy, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented | 141 |
