Term
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Definition
| A model of bureaucracy that views top level bureaucrats as seeking to expand the size of their budgets and staffs to gain greater power. |
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Term
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Definition
| A federal, state, or local government unit established to perform a specific function. Administrative agencies are created and authorized by legislative bodies to administer and enforce specific laws. |
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Term
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Definition
| Terms in the Constitution describing the U.S. Senates power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments. |
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Term
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Definition
| To declare that a court ruling is valid and must stand. |
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Term
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Definition
| Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered. |
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Term
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Definition
| A brief (a document containing a legal argument supporting a desired outcome in a particular case) filed by a third party, or amicus curiae (Latin for friend of the court), who is not directly involved in the litigation but who has an interest in the outcome of the case. |
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Term
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Definition
| A court having jurisdiction to review cases and issues that were originally tried in lower courts. |
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Term
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Definition
| The authority vested in the president to fill a government office or position. Positions filled by presidential appointment include those in the executive branch and the federal judiciary, commissioned officers in the armed forces, and members of the independent regulatory commissions. |
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Term
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Definition
| The passage, by Congress, of a spending bill specifying the amount of authorized funds that actually will be allocated for an agencys use. |
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Term
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Definition
| A formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency. Some authorizations terminate in a year; others are renewable automatically without further congressional action. |
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Term
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Definition
| The division of a legislature into two separate assemblies. |
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Term
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Definition
| A judicial philosophy that looks to the context and purpose of a law when making an interpretation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A large organization that is structured hierarchically to carry out specific functions. |
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Term
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Definition
| An advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions. The cabinet includes the heads of fifteen executive departments and others named by the president. |
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Term
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Definition
| One of the fifteen departments of the executive branch (State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Energy, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs). |
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Term
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Definition
| The act by which an industry being regulated by a government agency gains direct or indirect control over agency personnel and decision makers. |
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Term
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Definition
| Judicial interpretations of common law principles and doctrines, as well as interpretations of constitutional law, statutory law, and administrative law. |
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Term
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Definition
| Personal work for constituents by members of Congress. |
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Term
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Definition
| The role of the president in recognizing foreign governments, making treaties, and effecting executive agreements. |
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Term
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Definition
| The role of the president as head of the executive branch of the government. |
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Term
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Definition
| The role of the president in influencing the making of laws. |
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Term
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Definition
| The person who is named to direct the White House Office and advise the president. |
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Term
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Definition
| A collective term for the body of employees working for the government. Generally, civil service is understood to apply to all those who gain government employment through a merit system. |
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Term
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Definition
| The initial central personnel agency of the national government; created in 1883. |
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Term
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Definition
| A lawsuit filed by an individual seeking damages for all persons similarly situated. |
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Term
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Definition
| The role of the president as supreme commander of the military forces of the United States and of the state National Guard units when they are called into federal service. |
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Term
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Definition
| Judge-made law that originated in England from decisions shaped according to prevailing custom. Decisions were applied to similar situations and gradually became common to the nation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A separate opinion prepared by a judge who supports the decision of the majority of the court but who wants to make or clarify a particular point or to voice disapproval of the grounds on which the decision was made. |
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Term
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Definition
| A special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress in different forms. |
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Term
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Definition
| An alliance of Republicans and southern Democrats that can form in the House or the Senate to oppose liberal legislation and support conservative legislation. |
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Term
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Definition
| One of the persons represented by a legislator or other elected or appointed official. |
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Term
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Definition
| A power vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution. |
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Term
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Definition
| A temporary funding law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1. |
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Term
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Definition
| A decline in party loyalties that reduces long-term party commitment. |
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Term
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Definition
| One of the two major American political parties evolving out of the Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson. |
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Term
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Definition
| The formal acknowledgment of a foreign government as legitimate. |
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Term
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Definition
| An intraparty election in which the voters select the candidates who will run on a partys ticket in the subsequent general election. |
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Term
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Definition
| A procedure by which a bill in the House of Representatives may be forced (discharged) out of a committee that has refused to report it for consideration by the House. The petition must be signed by an absolute majority (218) of representatives and is used only on rare occasions. |
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Term
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Definition
| A separate opinion in which a judge dissents from (disagrees with) the conclusion reached by the majority on the court and expounds his or her own views about the case. |
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Term
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Definition
| The condition that exists when the parties to a lawsuit are citizens of different states, or when the parties are citizens of a U.S. state and citizens or the government of a foreign country. Diversity of citizenship can provide a basis for federal jurisdiction. |
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Term
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Definition
| A situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls the chambers of Congress, or in which one party controls a state governorship and the other controls the state legislature. |
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Term
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Definition
| A group of persons, called electors, who are selected by the voters in each state. This group officially elects the president and the vice president of the United States. |
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Term
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Definition
| An inherent power exercised by the president during a period of national crisis. |
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Term
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Definition
| A statute enacted by Congress that authorizes the creation of an administrative agency and specifies the name, purpose, composition, functions, and powers of the agency being created. |
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Term
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Definition
| A power specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution. The first seventeen clauses of Article I, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated powers of Congress. |
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Term
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Definition
| The years from 1817 to 1825, when James Monroe was president and there was, in effect, no political opposition. |
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Term
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Definition
| An international agreement made by the president, without senatorial ratification, with the head of a foreign state. |
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Term
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Definition
| The budget prepared and submitted by the president to Congress. |
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Term
| Executive Office of the President (EOP) |
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Definition
| An organization established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to assist the president in carrying out major duties. |
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Term
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Definition
| A rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law. Executive orders can implement and give administrative effect to provisions in the Constitution, to treaties, and to statutes. |
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Term
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Definition
| The right of executive officials to withhold information from or to refuse to appear before a legislative committee. |
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Term
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Definition
| A power of the president that is expressly written into the Constitution or into statutory law. |
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Term
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Definition
| A group or bloc in a legislature or political party acting in pursuit of some special interest or position. |
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Term
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Definition
| The annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget, after receiving formal federal agency requests for funding for the next fiscal year, reviews the requests, makes changes, and submits its recommendations to the president. |
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Term
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Definition
| A question that has to do with the U.S. Constitution, acts of Congress, or treaties. A federal question provides a basis for federal jurisdiction. |
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Term
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Definition
| A publication of the U.S. government that prints executive orders, rules, and regulations. |
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Term
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Definition
| The use of the Senates tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill. |
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Term
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Definition
| A resolution passed by Congress in May that sets overall revenue and spending goals for the following fiscal year. |
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Term
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Definition
| A twelve-month period that is used for bookkeeping, or accounting, purposes. Usually, the fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year. For example, the federal governments fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. |
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Term
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Definition
| A policy that enables members of Congress to send material through the mail by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage. |
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Term
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Definition
| Exists when a courts authority to hear cases is not significantly restricted. A court of general jurisdiction normally can hear a broad range of cases. |
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Term
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Definition
| The drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the purpose of obtaining partisan or factional advantage. A district is said to be gerrymandered when its shape is manipulated by the dominant party in the state legislature to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party. |
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Term
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Definition
| An agency of government that administers a quasi-business enterprise. These corporations are used when activities are primarily commercial. |
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Term
| Government in the Sunshine Act |
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Definition
| A law that requires all committee-directed federal agencies to conduct their business regularly in public session. |
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Term
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Definition
| The role of the president as ceremonial head of the government. |
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Term
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Definition
| An action by the House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the United States of committing Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. |
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Term
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Definition
| A voter or candidate who does not identify with a political party. |
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Term
| Independent Executive Agency |
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Definition
| A federal agency that is not part of a cabinet department but reports directly to the president. |
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Term
| Independent Regulatory Agency |
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Definition
| An agency outside the major executive departments charged with making and implementing rules and regulations. |
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Term
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Definition
| A power of the president derived from the statements in the Constitution that the executive Power shall be vested in a President and that the president should take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed; defined through practice rather than through law. |
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Term
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Definition
| A legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him or her and who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal beliefs. |
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Term
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Definition
| The three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests. |
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Term
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Definition
| A group of individuals or organizationswhich may consist of legislators and legislative staff members, interest group leaders, bureaucrats, scholars and other experts, and media representativesthat supports a particular policy position on a given issue. |
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Term
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Definition
| A legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of Congress. |
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Term
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Definition
| A doctrine holding that the Supreme Court should take an active role by using its powers to check the activities of governmental bodies when those bodies exceed their authority. |
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Term
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Definition
| The way in which court decisions are translated into action. |
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Term
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Definition
| A doctrine holding that the Supreme Court should defer to the decisions made by the elected representatives of the people in the legislative and executive branches. |
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Term
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Definition
| The authority of a court to decide certain cases. Not all courts have the authority to decide all cases. Where a case arises and what its subject matter is are two jurisdictional issues. |
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Term
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Definition
| A question that may be raised and reviewed in court. |
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Term
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Definition
| The informal advisers to the president. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process of establishing the legal rules that govern society. |
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Term
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Definition
| Exists when a courts authority to hear cases is restricted to certain types of claims, such as tax claims or bankruptcy petitions. |
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Term
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Definition
| In the federal government, an administrative unit that is directly accountable to the president. |
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Term
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Definition
| The power of an executive to veto individual lines or items within a piece of legislation without vetoing the entire bill. |
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Term
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Definition
| To engage in a legal proceeding or seek relief in a court of law; to carry on a lawsuit. |
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Term
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Definition
| An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each others bills. |
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Term
| Majority Leader of the House |
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Definition
| A legislative position held by an important party member in the House of Representatives. The majority leader is selected by the majority party in caucus or conference to foster cohesion among party members and to act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House. |
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Term
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Definition
| A court opinion reflecting the views of the majority of the judges. |
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Term
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Definition
| The selection, retention, and promotion of government employees on the basis of competitive examinations. |
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Term
| Minority Leader of the House |
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Definition
| The party leader elected by the minority party in the House. |
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Term
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Definition
| A model of bureaucracy that compares bureaucracies to monopolistic business firms. Lack of competition in either circumstance leads to inefficient and costly operations. |
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Term
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Definition
| A standing committee of a national political party established to direct and coordinate party activities between national party conventions. |
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Term
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Definition
| The meeting held every four years by each major party to select presidential and vice presidential candidates, to write a platform, to choose a national committee, and to conduct party business. |
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Term
| National Security Council (NSC) |
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Definition
| An agency in the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on national security. |
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Term
| Office of Management and Budget (OMB) |
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Definition
| A division of the Executive Office of the President. The OMB assists the president in preparing the annual budget, clearing and coordinating departmental agency budgets, and supervising the administration of the federal budget. |
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Term
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Definition
| A person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies. |
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Term
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Definition
| The statement by a judge or a court of the decision reached in a case. The opinion sets forth the applicable law and details the reasoning on which the ruling was based. |
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Term
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Definition
| The verbal arguments presented in person by attorneys to an appellate court. Each attorney presents reasons to the court why the court should rule in her or his clients favor. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which Congress follows up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended. |
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Term
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Definition
| A release from the punishment for or legal consequences of a crime; a pardon can be granted by the president before or after a conviction. |
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Term
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Definition
| Linking oneself to a particular political party. |
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Term
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Definition
| A person who identifies with a political party. |
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Term
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Definition
| The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff. |
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Term
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Definition
| A document drawn up at each national convention, outlining the policies, positions, and principles of the party. |
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Term
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Definition
| All of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party. |
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Term
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Definition
| Those members of the general public who identify with a political party or who express a preference for one party over another. |
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Term
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Definition
| The practice of rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government employment and contracts. |
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Term
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Definition
| Rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government employment and contracts. |
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Term
| Pendleton Act (Civil Service Reform Act) |
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Definition
| An act that established the principle of employment on the basis of merit and created the Civil Service Commission to administer the personnel service. |
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Term
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Definition
| A number of votes cast for a candidate that is greater than the number of votes for any other candidate but not necessarily a majority. |
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Term
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Definition
| A special veto exercised by the chief executive after a legislative body has adjourned. Bills not signed by the chief executive die after a specified period of time. If Congress wishes to reconsider such a bill, it must be reintroduced in the following session of Congress. |
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Term
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Definition
| A group of political activists who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy. |
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Term
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Definition
| An issue that a court believes should be decided by the executive or legislative branch. |
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Term
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Definition
| A court rule bearing on subsequent legal decisions in similar cases. Judges rely on precedents in deciding cases. |
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Term
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Definition
| The temporary presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president. |
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Term
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Definition
| The replacement of government services with services provided by private firms. |
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Term
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Definition
| A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape. |
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Term
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Definition
| The allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after each census. |
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Term
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Definition
| The redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state. |
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Term
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Definition
| To send a case back to the court that originally heard it. |
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Term
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Definition
| The function of members of Congress as elected officials representing the views of their constituents. |
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Term
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Definition
| A formal postponement of the execution of a sentence imposed by a court of law. |
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Term
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Definition
| One of the two major American political parties. It emerged in the 1850s as an antislavery party and consisted of former northern Whigs and antislavery Democrats. |
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Term
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Definition
| To annul or make void a court ruling on account of some error or irregularity. |
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Term
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Definition
| A tendency for wealthier states or regions to favor the Democrats and for less wealthy states or regions to favor the Republicans. The effect appears paradoxical because it reverses traditional patterns of support. |
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Term
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Definition
| A United States Supreme Court procedure by which four justices must vote to grant a petition for review if a case is to come before the full court. |
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Term
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Definition
| A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the House. |
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Term
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Definition
| A district that returns a legislator with 55 percent of the vote or more. |
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Term
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Definition
| A district that returns the legislator with 55 percent of the vote or more. |
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Term
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Definition
| A resolution passed by Congress in September that sets binding limits on taxes and spending for the following fiscal year. |
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Term
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Definition
| A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose. |
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Term
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Definition
| The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs the legislative program and party strategy. |
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Term
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Definition
| The party officer in the Senate who commands the minority partys opposition to the policies of the majority party and directs the legislative program and strategy of his or her party. |
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Term
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Definition
| In federal district court judgeship nominations, a tradition allowing a senator to veto a judicial appointment in his or her state. |
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Term
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Definition
| A custom followed in both chambers of Congress specifying that the member of the majority party with the longest term of continuous service will be given preference when a committee chairperson (or holders of other significant posts) is selected. |
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Term
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Definition
| The presiding officer in the House of Representatives. The Speaker is always a member of the majority party and is the most powerful and influential member of the House. |
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Term
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Definition
| A new party formed by a dissident faction within a major political party. Often, splinter parties have emerged when a particular personality was at odds with the major party. |
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Term
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Definition
| The awarding of government jobs to political supporters and friends. |
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Term
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Definition
| The annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to review their programs, activities, and goals and submit their requests for funding for the next fiscal year. |
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Term
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Definition
| A permanent committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area. |
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Term
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Definition
| To stand on decided cases; the judicial policy of following precedents established by past decisions. |
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Term
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Definition
| The principal organized structure of each political party within each state. This committee is responsible for carrying out policy decisions of the partys state convention. |
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Term
| State of the Union Message |
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Definition
| An annual message to Congress in which the president proposes a legislative program. The message is addressed not only to Congress but also to the American people and to the world. |
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Term
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Definition
| A power created for the president through laws enacted by Congress. |
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Term
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Definition
| Voting exclusively for the candidates of one party. |
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Term
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Definition
| A judicial philosophy that looks to the letter of the law when interpreting the Constitution or a particular statute. |
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Term
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Definition
| Laws requiring that existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and be terminated unless specifically extended as a result of these reviews. |
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Term
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Definition
| Voters who frequently swing their support from one party to another. |
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Term
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Definition
| A political party other than the two major political parties (Republican and Democratic). |
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Term
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Definition
| Voting for candidates of two or more parties for different offices. For example, a voter splits her ticket if she votes for a Republican presidential candidate and for a Democratic congressional candidate. |
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Term
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Definition
| A phenomenon that occurs when a group that is becoming more numerous over time grows large enough to change the political balance in a district, state, or country. |
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Term
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Definition
| The court in which most cases begin. |
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Term
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Definition
| A legislator who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interests of the entire society. |
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Term
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Definition
| An amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1804, that specifies the separate election of the president and vice president by the electoral college. |
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Term
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Definition
| A 1967 amendment to the Constitution that establishes procedures for filling presidential and vice presidential vacancies and makes provisions for presidential disability. |
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Term
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Definition
| A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning. |
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Term
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Definition
| A court opinion or determination on which all judges agree. |
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Term
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Definition
| A rule by which all of a states electoral votes are cast for the presidential candidate receiving a plurality of the popular vote in that state. |
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Term
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Definition
| The presidents formal explanation of a veto when legislation is returned to Congress. |
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Term
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Definition
| A law passed in 1973 spelling out the conditions under which the president can commit troops without congressional approval. |
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Term
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Definition
| Individuals regularly involved with politics in Washington, D.C. |
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Term
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Definition
| A model of bureaucracy developed by the German sociologist Max Weber, who viewed bureaucracies as rational, hierarchical organizations in which decisions are based on logical reasoning. |
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Term
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Definition
| A major party in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century, formally established in 1836. The Whig Party was anti-Jackson and represented a variety of regional interests. |
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Term
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Definition
| A member of Congress who aids the majority or minority leader of the House or the Senate majority or minority floor leader. |
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Term
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Definition
| In the context of government, someone who brings gross governmental inefficiency or an illegal action to the publics attention. |
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Term
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Definition
| The personal office of the president, which tends to presidential political needs and manages the media. |
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Term
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Definition
| An order issued by a higher court to a lower court to send up the record of a case for review. |
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