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PSCI 1040 Exam 2 review
Review Part 1 (Congress and The Presidency)
95
Political Studies
11/01/2011

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Cards

Term
12th amendment
Definition
The electors shall… vote by ballot for President and Vice President… they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President.
Term
22nd amendment
Definition
imposes 2 term limit on presidency.
Term
Administration
Definition
The president and his politcal appointees, who are responsible for directing the executive branch of government.
Term
Appointment Power
Definition
The president “shall appoint Ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls… and all other Officers of the United States.”
Term
Appropriations Committee

Definition
spending money committee
Term
Appropriations process
Definition
Process of providing funding for governmental activities and programs that have been authorized.
Term
Authorization process
Definition
Term applied to the entire process pof providing statutory authority for a government program or activity.
Term
Bicameral
Definition
Containing two chambers as does a legislature such as the U.S. congress.
Term
Bully Pulpit
Definition
The nature of presidential statuses as an ideal vehicle for persuading the public to support the president's policies.
Term
Cabinet
Definition
Top administration officials, most of whom are heads of departments in the executive branch.
Term
Caucus
Definition
A voluntary group within Congress, formed by members to pursue shared interests; a caucus can cross party, committee, and even chamber lines.
Term
Cloture
Definition
Motion to end debate in the Senate; requires 60 votes to pass.
Term
Commander in chief
Definition
The president in his constitutional role as head of the U.S. armed forces.
Term
Conference Committee
Definition
A group of representatives from both the House and Senate who iron out the differences between the two chamber's versions of a bill or resolution.
Term
Current House Assistant Minority Leader
Definition
James Clyburn
Term
Current House Majority Leader
Definition
Eric Cantor
Term
Current House Majority Whip
Definition
Kevin McCarthy
Term
Current House Minority Leader
Definition
Nanci Pelosi
Term
Current House Minority Whip
Definition
Steny Hoyer
Term
Current President Pro Tempore
Definition
Daniel Inouye
Term
Current Senate Majority Leader
Definition
Harry Reid
Term
Current Senate Majority Whip
Definition
Richard Durbin
Term
Current Senate Minority Leader
Definition
Mitch McConnell
Term
Current Senate Minority Whip
Definition
Jon Kyl
Term
Current Senators for TX
Definition
Sr. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Jr. John Cornyn
Term
Current Speaker of the House
Definition
John Boehner
Term
Delegate
Definition
Role a representative plays when following the wishes of those who have elected him or her regardless of what he or she believes good public policy ought to be.
Term
Divided Government
Definition
The control of the presidency by one party and the control of one or both houses of Congress by the other.
Term
Earmarks
Definition
In a budget, designation of funds for a specific use.
Term
Enumerated Powers
Definition
power of the purse (tax&spend), power of the sword (declare war), coin money
Term
Executive Agreement
Definition
-Executive agreements compromise 90% of all international agreements.
-Has status as law, but requires no vote by the House or the Senate.
Term
Executive Immunity
Definition
The protection the president enjoys against the legal processes of other branches related to conduct in his official capacity as president.
Term
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Definition
Agency that houses both top coordinating offices and other operating agencies.
Term
Executive order
Definition
A presidential directive that has the force of law, although it is not enacted by Congress
Term
Executive privilege
Definition
The right of the president to deny Congress information it requests on the grounds that the activities of the executive branch must be kept confidential
Term
Filibuster
Definition
Delaying tactic by which one or more senators refuse to allow a bill or resolutions to be considered, either by speaking indefinitely or by offering dilatory motions and amendments.
Term
Gerrymandering
Definition
Drawing boundary lines of congressional districts in order to confer an advantage on some partisan or political interest.
Term
Hold
Definition
An informal practice by which a Senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration.
Term
Honeymoon
Definition
The first several months of a presidency, when reporters are more forgiving than usual, Congress is more inclined to be cooperative, and the public is more receptive to new approaches
Term
Impeachment
Definition
Recommendation by a majority of the House that a president, another official in the executive branch, or a judge of the federal courts be removed from office.
Term
Implied Powers
Definition
Implied powers, in the United States, are those powers authorized by a legal document (from the Constitution) which, while not stated, are seemed to be implied by powers expressly stated.
Term
Important House Committees
Definition
Appropriations Committee
Ways and Means Committee
Rules Committee
Term
Important Senate Committees
Definition
Budget Committee
Finance Committee
Appropriations Committee
Foreign Relations Committee
Term
Independent counsel
Definition
Legal officer appointed by a court to investigate allegations of criminal activity on the part of high-ranking members of the executive branch.
Term
Inherent Executive power
Definition
Presidential authority inherent in the executive branch of government, although not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
Term
Inherent Powers
Definition
These powers, like the implied powers, are not explicitly listed in the Constitution, but they are said to be inherent to the very idea of national government.
Term
Joint Committee
Definition
containing members of both houses, can be convened in order to coordinate activities, avoid duplicating work, or to discuss matters of common interest.
Term
Line item veto
Definition
Presidential authority to negate particular provisions of a a law while letting the remainder stand; granted by Congress sin 1996 but struck down by the Supreme court in 1998
Term
Majority leader
Definition
The speaker's chief lieutenant in the House and for the most important officer in the Senate. Chosen by the majority party membership.
Term
Markup
Definition
Process in which a committee or subcommittee considers and revises a bill that has been introduced.
Term
Minority leader
Definition
Leader of the minority party who coordinates the minority's attempts to improve or defeat majority legislation.
Term
Multiple Referrals
Definition
Process occurring when party leaders give more than one committee responsibility for considering a bill.
Term
Necessary and Proper Clause
Definition
The Congress shall have Power To make all Laws, which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers…
Term
Override
Definition
Congressional passage of a bill by a 2/3 vote despite the president's veto.
Term
Pardon Authority
Definition
The President… “Shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in cases of Impeachment.”
Term
Party Caucus
Definition
All democratic members of the House or Senate. Members in caucus elect the part leaders, ratify the choice of committee leaders, and debate party positions on issues.
Term
Party conference
Definition
What Republicans call their party caucus
Term
Pocket Veto
Definition
Presidential veto after congressional adjournment, executed merely by not signing a bill into law.
Term
Power to inform and persuade
Definition
The President “shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union.
Term
Presidency Line of Succession
Definition
1. Vice President
2. Speaker of the House
3. Pro Tempore of the Senate
Term
President Pro Tempore
Definition
The president of the Senate, who presides in the absence of the vice president.
Term
President as Chief of State
Definition
The President “shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers… and shall commission all the officers of the United States.”
Term
President of the Senate
Definition
Joe Biden
Term
Presidential Requirements
Definition
-Natural Born Citizen
-Resident for 14 years
-35 years of age.
Term
Reapportionment
Definition
Redrawing of electoral district lines to reflect population changes
Term
Rep/Dem count for House of Representatives
Definition
242 Republicans
192 Democrats
Term
Rep/Dem count for Senate
Definition
47 Republicans
53 Democrats
Term
Rule
Definition
the terms and conditions under which a bill or resolution will be considered on the floor of the House- in particular, how long debate will last, how time will be allocated, and the number and type of amendments that will be in order.
Term
Rules Committee
Definition
sets the terms and rules of house.
Term
Secretary
Definition
The title of the head of a department within the executive.
Term
Select Committee
Definition
Temporary committee created to deal with a specific issue or problem.
Term
Seniority
Definition
Practice by which the majority party member with longest continuous service on a committee becomes the chair.
Term
Speaker
Definition
The presiding officer of the House of Representatives; normally, the Speaker is the leader of the majority party.
Term
Sponsor
Definition
Representative or senator who introduces a bill or resolution.
Term
Standing Committee
Definition
Committee with fixed membership and jurisdiction, continuing from Congress to Congress.
Term
State of the Union Address
Definition
Annual speech delivered by the president in late January of early in fulfillment of the constitutional obligation of reporting to Congress the state of the union.
Term
Suspension of the rules
Definition
Fast-track procedure for considering bills and resolutions in the House; debate is limited to 40 minutes, no amendments are in order, and a two-thirds majority is required for passage.
Term
Term length for the Senate
Definition
6 years
Term
Term length of the House
Definition
2 years
Term
The "two presidencies"
Definition
President has a better chance at getting foreign policies done than his own domestic ones.
Term
Transition
Definition
the period after a presidential candidate has won the November election, but before the candidate assumes office as president on January 20.
Term
Trustee
Definition
Role a representative plays when acting in accordance with his or her own best judgment to decide what is best for the country.
Term
U.S. House of Representatives
(composition)
Definition
435 seats
Based on population
Census to know population
Term
U.S. House of Representatives
(qualifications)
Definition
25yrs old, 7yr citizenship
Term
U.S. Senate
(composition)
Definition
100 members
2 per state
Term
U.S. Senate
(qualifications)
Definition
30yrs old, 9yr citizenship
Term
Unanimous-Consent agreement
Definition
An agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions according to which the Senate will consider a bill; these agreements are individually negotiated by the leadership for each bill.
Term
Veto Bargaining
Definition
when the president uses the threat of a veto to encourage Congress to support positions that the president supports
Term
Veto Power
Definition
Power giving presidents the capacity to prevent bills passed by congress from becoming law. Can be overridden by 2/3 vote in each chamber.
Term
Ways and Means Committee
Definition
the committee that writes tax laws
Term
What is the purpose of a committee?
Definition
To divide up specific work for Congress and to work on certain issues.
Term
Whips
Definition
Members of Congress who serve as information channels linking the leadership and the rank and file, communicating the leadership's views and intentions to the members and vice versa.
Term
White House Office
Definition
Political appointees who work directly for the president, many of whom occupy offices in the White House.
Term
chief of staff
Definition
Head of the White House staff, who has continuous, direct contact with the president.
Term
Hearing
Definition
Witnesses speak in favor of or opposition of the bill.