Term
|
Definition
| the assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. state legislatures reapportion state legislative district. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accomodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an elected office that is predictably won by one or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the current holder of elected office |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the principle of a two-house legislature. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the powers explicitly given to congress in the constitution. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the presiding officer in the house of representatives, formally elected by the house but actually selected by the majority party. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the party leader who is the liason between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislator. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a procedural rule in the house of representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a precedural rule in the house of reprentatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an officer of the senate by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a procedural practice in the senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a procedural practice in the senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a procedure for teminating debate |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a permanent committee established in a legislature |
|
|
Term
| special or select committee |
|
Definition
| a congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a committee composed of members of both the house and the senate |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a legislative prac. that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| mutual aid and vote trading among legislators |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| citizens who follow public affairs closely |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a petition that, if signed by a majority of the members of the house, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a provision attached to a bill- to which it may or may not be related- in order to secure its passage or defeat |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a veto exercised by the president after congress has adjourned |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an action taken by congress to reverse a presidential veto |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a system of govn. in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the joint listing of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ballot as required by the 20th century |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the president's constitutional authority to control most executive functions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a formal agreement between the u.s. and one or more nations that must be approved by 2/3s of the senate |
|
|
Term
| congressional-executive agreement |
|
Definition
| a formal agreement between the u.s. president and the leaders of other nations that requires approval by both the houses of congress |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| presidential appointment made without senate confirmation during senate recess |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the constituational requirement that presidents take care taht the laws are faithfully executed, even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a decision by the president not to spend money appropriated by congress, now prohibited under federal law |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| presidential power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the Surpreme court |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a formal document that explains why a president is signing a particular bill into a law. these statements may contain objections to the bill and promises not to implement key sections. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a rise in public approval of the president that follows a crisis as Americans "rally" round the flag and the chief executive |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a form of organization that operates through impersonal, uniform rules |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| independent regulatory commission |
|
Definition
| a governement agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected by congress |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a govn. entity that is independent of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a govn. agency that operates like a business corp, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| est. by congress in 1978 as a flexible, mobile corps of senior career executives who work closely with presidential appointees to manage govn. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| federal employees who work for govn. through a competitive, not political selection process |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage. |
|
|
Term
| office of personnel management |
|
Definition
| an agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations. |
|
|
Term
| merit systems protection board |
|
Definition
| an independent agency that oversees and protects merit in the federal govn. personnel system |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| authority given by congress to the federal bureaucratic rules or spending |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| legislative or executive review of a particular govn. program or organization. can be in response to a crisis of some kind or part routine review |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| review of all executive branch testimony, reports, and draft legislation by the office of management and budget to ensure that each communication to congress is in accordance with the president's program |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the power of a court to refuse to enforce a law or govn regulation that in the opinion of the judges conflicts with the u.s. constitution or, in a state court, the state constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a judicial system in which the court of law is a neutral arenea where 2 parties argur their differences |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an agreement between a prosecutor and a defendent that the defendent will plead guilty to a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for a more serious offense. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a dispute growing out of an actual case or controversy that is capable of settlement by legal methods. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the 3rd ranking offical in the dept. of justice who is responsible for representing the u.s. in cases before the u.s. surpreme ctr. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an arrangement whereby public officials are hired to provide legal assistance to people accused of crimes who are unable to hire their own attorney |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a court with appellate jurisdiction that hears appeals from the decisions of lower courts |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a decision made by a higher court such as a curcuit court of appeals or the surpreme court that is binding on all other federal courts |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a philosophy proposing that judges should strike down laws that are inconsistent with norms and values stated or implied in the constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a philosophy proposing that judges should strike down the actions of the elected branches only if they clearly violate the literal meaning of constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a formal writ used to bring a case before the surpreme court |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a petition that allows a party to file "as a pauper" and avoid paying Court fees. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the list of potential cases that reach the surpreme crt. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an explanation of a decision of the surpreme court or any other appellate court |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an opinion disagreeing with the majority in a surpreme crt ruling |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an opinion that agrees with the majority in a supreme crt ruling but differs on the reason |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| 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. |
|
|
