ap gov unit 2 vocab

• advice and consent


  The power of the Senate to consult and approve the presidents treaties and appointments.
• power of the purse


  the constitutional power of congress to raise and spend money congress can use this as a negative or checking power over other branches
• discharge petition


  a mechanism for forcing a standing committee to report a bill to the floor in the U.S. House a majority of members must sign the petition to force a bill out of committee.
• cloture


  a procedure through which the senate can limit the amount of time spent debating a bill if a supermajority of 60 senators agree
• filibuster


  a tactic used by senators to block a bill by continuing to hold the floor and speak until the bill's supporters back down
• discretionary spending


  Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process
• mandatory spending


  Federal spending required by law that continues without the need for annual approvals by Congress.
• entitlement programs


  Programs such as unemployment insurance, disability relief, or disability payments that provide benefits to all eligible citizens.
• germane amendments


  an amendment to a bill must be strictly relevant to the bill
• budget deficit


  the difference between tax revenue and government spending when government spending exceeds tax revenue
• pork barrel legislation


  Legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary of unwise projects within a state or district, to enhance a memeber's chance of reelection
• logrolling


  a form of reciprocity in which members of congress support bills that they otherwise might not vote for in exchange for other members' votes on bills that are very important to them
• reapportionment


  the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census
• divided government


  Governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
• "lame duck" president


  president with no real power because his or her period in office will soon end
• pocket veto


  president's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days
• executive order


  A rule issued by the president that has the force of law
• executive agreement


  an agreement between the president and the leader of another country
• signing statement


  a presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced
• stare decisis


  Let the decision stand; decisions are based on precedents from previous cases
• certiorari


  a writ or order by which a higher court reviews a decision of a lower court
• judicial review


  review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutional validity of a legislative act.
• amicus curiae brief


  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.
• judicial restraint


  A judicial philosophy in which judges play minimal policymaking roles, leaving that duty strictly to the legislatures
• issue network (iron triangle)


  A relationship between interest groups, agencies, and congressional committees in a certain policy area
• congressional oversight


  a committee's investigation of the executive and of government agencies to ensure they are acting as Congress intends
• delegated discretionary authority


  The extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws.
• compliance monitoring


  making sure the firms and companies that are subject to industry regulations are following those standards and provisions
• constituency


  the people and interests that an elected official represents
• trustee model


  representatives are entrusted to use their best judgment even if it does not align with their constituents
• redistricting


  re-drawing congressional districts based on shifts in population
• gerrymandering


  illogical district lines drawn to give one party the advantage
• delegate model


  representatives are reflective of the will of the constituents
• politico model


  representatives use a blend of the "delegate" and "trustee" models