Key Terms Institutions (Underlined terms have appeared on the multiple choice sections of past released AP exams.) Appropriation: money that Congress has allocated to be spent. Appropriations Committee: congressional committee that deals with federal spending. Appellate jurisdiction: authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court. Bureaucracy: departments, agencies, bureaus, and commissions in the executive branch of government. Casework: personal work done by a member of Congress for his constituents. Civil law: concerns noncriminal disputes between private parties. Class action lawsuit: lawsuit brought on behalf of a class of people against a defendant, e.g., lawsuits brought by those who have suffered from smoking against tobacco companies.