Download POLS 101 Final Exam Review: Key Terms and Concepts and more Exams Political Science in PDF only on Docsity!
POLS 101 FINAL EXAM REVIEW
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agency representation ✔✔the type of representation by which representatives are held accountable to their constituency if they fail to represent that constituency properly. this is the incentive for good representation when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those of his or her constituency
appropriations ✔✔the amounts of money approved by congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend
bicameral ✔✔a two-chambered legislature; opposite of unicameral
bill ✔✔a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of congress and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate.
cloture ✔✔a rule allowing three-fifths of the members of the U.S Senate to set a time limit on debate over a given bill
conference/caucus ✔✔a gathering of House Republicans every two years to elect their House leaders. Democrats call their gathering the caucus
conference committee ✔✔a joint committee created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation
constitituency ✔✔the people in the district from which an official is elected
filibuster ✔✔a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down. Once given eh floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster
gerrymandering ✔✔the process of redrawing legislative district boundary lines to probed political advantage of disadvantage
impeachment ✔✔the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors"
party unity vote ✔✔a roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 percent of the members of one party take particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party. Party votes are rare today, although they were fairly common in the nineteenth century
patronage ✔✔the resources available to higher officials, including making partisan appointments to offices and conferring grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters
pocket veto ✔✔a veto that occurs when the president does not sign a passed bill within ten days of receiving it, and Congress adjourned
pork barrel ✔✔appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created to help local representatives win re-election in their home districts
redistricting ✔✔the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives. this happens every ten years to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges to existing districts
roll-call vote ✔✔a vote in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically
sociological representation ✔✔a type of representation in which representatives have the same racial, ethnic religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. It is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one could represent the other's views
speaker of the house ✔✔the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. the speake is elected at the beginning of every congress on a straight party vote. the speaker is the most important party and House leader and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' positions within the House
standing committee ✔✔a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or appropriations
veto ✔✔the president's constitutional power to turn down law. A presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of eat house of Congress
whips ✔✔party members in the House or Senate who are responsible for coordinating the party's legislative strategy, building support for key issues, an counting votes
expressed powers ✔✔specific powers granted to Congress int eh Constitution
inherent powers ✔✔powers claimed by a president that are not expressed int he Constitution but are inferred from it
legislative initiative ✔✔the president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress
signing statement ✔✔an announcement made by the president when signing bills into law, often presenting the president's interpretation of the law
war powers resolution ✔✔a resolution of Congress that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress, or if American troops are already under attack or serious threat
white house staff ✔✔analysts and advisers to the president, often given he title "social assistant"
bureaucracy ✔✔the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules and principles of organization that are employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate effectively the work of their personnel
department ✔✔the largest subunit of the executive branch. The secretaries of the fifteen departments front eh Cabinet
federal reserve system ✔✔a system of twelve federal reserve bansk that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit; regulates member banks; and uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation
fiscal policy ✔✔the use of taxing, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy
government corporation ✔✔a government agency that performs a service normally provided by the private sector
implementation ✔✔the efforts of departments and agencies to translate laws into specific bureaucratic rules and actions
independent agency ✔✔an agency that is not part of a Cabinet department
amicus curiae ✔✔literally, "friend of the court"; individuals or groups who are not parties to a lawsuit but who seek to assist the Supreme Court in reaching a particular decision by presenting additional briefs
briefs ✔✔written documents in which attorneys explain, using case precedents, why the court should find in favor of their client
chief justice ✔✔justice on the Supreme Court who presides over the Court's public sessions
civil law ✔✔the brand of law that deals with disputes that do not involve criminal penalties
defendant ✔✔the one against whom a complaint is brought in a criminal or civil case
dissenting opinion ✔✔a decision written by a justice in the minority in a particular case in which the justice wishes to express his or her reasoning int he case
due process of law ✔✔the right of every citizen against arbitrary action by national or state governments
judicial activism ✔✔judicial philosophy that posits that the Court should go beyond the words of the Constitution r a statute to consider the broader societal implications of its decisions
judicial restraint ✔✔judicial philosophy whose adherents refuse to go beyond the clear words of the Constitution in interpreting its meaning
judicial review ✔✔the power of the courts to review and if necessary declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional. The Supreme Court asserted this peer in Marbury v. Madison
jurisdiction ✔✔the sphere of a court's power and authority
opinion ✔✔the written explanation of the Supreme Court's decision in a particular case
oral argument ✔✔stage in Supreme Court procedure in which attorneys for both sides appear before the Court to present their positions and answer questions posed by justices
plaintiff ✔✔the individual or organization that brings a complaint or charges in court
Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) ✔✔the highest court in a particular state or in the United States. This court primarily serves an appellate funtion
trial court ✔✔the first court to hear a criminal or civil case
writ of certiorari ✔✔a decision of at least four of the nice Supreme Court justices to review a decision of a lower court; from the Latin "to make more certain"
writ of habeas corpus ✔✔a court order that the individual in custody be rough into court and shown the cause fro detention. Habeas corpus is guaranteed by the Constitution and can be suspended only incases of rebellion or invasion
