AP GOV EXAM

• The Constitution establishes three branches of government: legislative (Congress), executive (president), and judicial (Supreme Court).
• 17th Amendment


  Passed in 1913, this amendment to the Constitution calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures.
• 22nd Amendment


  Limits the president to two terms or 10 years.
• 25th Amendment


  (1) Succession of Vice President if president dies or becomes incapable to do his job(2) if there is no Vice President, the president must appoint one (and congress must approve)
• Activist Approach


  the view that judges should discern the general principles underlying laws or the Constitution and apply them to modern circumstances
• Amicus Curiae


  a brief submitted by a "friend of the court"
• Bicameral Legislature


  a lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts
• Bill


  a proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration
• Brief


  A written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and rulings that support it
• Buddy System


  A job description by an agency which is tailor-made for a specific person. These appointments occur in middle- and upper-level positions in the bureaucracy.
• Budget Reform Act of 1974


  Modified the role of Congress in the federal budgetary process. -created standing budget committees in both the House and the Senate-established the Congressional Budget Office -moved the beginning of the fiscal year from July 1 to October 1
• Bully Pulpit


  the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public
• Bureaucracy


  A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials. Does the work of making laws happen.
• Bureaucratic Pathology


  There are five major problems with bureaucracies: red tape, conflict, duplication, imperialism, and waste
• Cabinet


  A group of advisers to the president.
• Casework


  the work that a lawmaker (Congressman/woman) does to help constituents with a problem
• Christmas Tree Bill


  a bill with so many riders (unrelated provisions) attached to it that it seems to offer something for everyone
• Circular Structure


  A method of organizing a president's staff in which several presidential assistants report directly to the president
• Civil Law


  A law that governs relationships between individuals and defines their legal rights.
• Civil Service


  A system of hiring and promotion based on the merit principle and the desire to create a nonpartisan government service.
• Class Action Suit


  Lawsuit brought by an individual or group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated.
• Closed Rule


  An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor
• Cloture Rule


  Prevents filibustering (16 signatures) and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5s vote of the Senate
• Committee Chairs


  the most important influencers of the congressional agenda
• Committee Clearance


  the ability of a congressional committee to review and approve certain agency decisions in advance and without passing a law
• Committee of the Whole


  A committee that consists of an entire legislative body (House and Senate); used for a procedure in which a legislative body expedites its business by resolving itself into a committee of itself.
• Competitive Service


  the government offices to which people are appointed on the basis of merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria
• Concurrent Resolution


  An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president
• Concurring Opinion


  An opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning
• Conference Committee


  Special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate
• Congressional Budget Office


  staff agency that advises Congress on the likely economic effects of different spending programs and provides information on the costs of the proposed policies.
• Congressional Caucus


  Informal organization of members of the House or the Senate (or both) that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern. There are regional, political, ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• Congressional Research Office


  Staff agency looks up facts and indicate the arguments for and against proposed policy. Tracks the status of major bills before Congress.
• Constitutional Court


  A federal court that keeps judges in office during good behavior and prevents salary reduction. There is the Supreme Court (created by the Constitution) and appellate and district courts (created by Congress)
• Courts of appeals


  Federal courts that hear appeals from district courts. These courts have no original jurisdiction. Uphold or overturn?
• Criminal Law


  A system of law concerned with the punishment of those who commit crimes. Guilty or not guilty?
• Delegate model


  The view that an elected representative should represent the opinions of his or her constituents
• Discharge petition


  A petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will allow a bill to skip the committee phase and bring it to the floor for consideration.
• Dissenting Opinion


  A signed opinion in which one or more justices disagree with the majority view
• District Courts


  The 91 federal courts of original jurisdiction. They are the only federal courts in which trials are held and in which juries may be impaneled.