1. 2 ways political parities form- 41. Cloture- a rule allowing a majority of two-thirds or 80.
a rule allowing a majority of two-thirds or 80. Executive order- a rule or regulation issued by the
2. A bill is marked up in
3. A bureaucracy would be characterized by
4. A criticism of interest-group pluralism is-
5. A hold- (of a judge or court) Rule; decide
6. a leadership PAC-a private group that raises and
distributes funds for use in election campaigns
7. A line official is the organizational structure of
8. A mainline bureaucracy
9. a party unity vote- a roll-call vote in the House or the
Senate in which at least 50 percent of them embers
of one party take a particular position and are
opposed by at least 50 percent of the members for
the other party
10. a plea bargain - Negotiated agreements in criminal
cases where a defendant agrees to plead guilty in
return for the state’s agreement to reduce the
severity of the criminal charge or prison sentence the
defendant is facing.
11. According to the twenty-fifth amendment
12. Activist judges believe that - Judicial activism is
correct, which is the Judicial philosophy that posits
that the Court should go beyond the words of the
Constitution or a statute to consider the broader
societal implications of its decisions. (Willing to
stretch interpretations of Constitution).
13. Administrative head of the union
14. Administrative judge
15. Agency representation- the type of representation by
which a representative is held accountable to a
constituency if he or she fails 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
16. amicus curiae briefs- 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 decision by presenting additional briefs
17. Amnesty- a period during which offenders are
exempt from punishment/pardon - a warrant
granting release from punishment for an offense
18. an issue network- a loose network of elected leaders,
public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn
together by a specific policy issue
19. Antifederalists- those who favored strong state
governments and a weak national government and who were
opponents of the constitution proposed at the American
Constitutional Convention of 1787
20. appellate law - The appeals process. Appellate record
is restricted to what evidence was presented in the
trial court. Appellate courts can overturn trial court
decisions if, for example, defendant is denied due
process.
21. Approximately what percentage of House members "critical election") or political realignment are terms from political
seeking reelection won their race?
22. Article 1 of the constitution-
23. Astroturf lobbying- a type of lobbying that gives the 62.
appearance of grassroots mobilization
24. Bicameral- having a legislative assembly composed
of two chambers or houses
25. bill-a proposed law that has been sponsored by a
member of Congress and submitted to the clerk of
the House or Senate
26. Briefs - Written documents in which attorneys
explain, using case precedents, why the court should
find in favor of their client. First part of a trial under
The Supreme Court after the specific case has been
accepted.
27. Buckley v. Valeo(1976)- upheld a federal law which 65.
set limits on campaign contributions, but ruled that spending
money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally
protected free speech, and struck down portions of the law. The
court also stated candidates can give unlimited amounts of
money to their own campaigns
28. bundling- the interest group practice of combining usually to targeted recipients.
campaign contributions from several individuals into 69.
one larger contribution form the group, so as to
increase the group’s impact on that candidate
29. Bureaucracy- the complex structure of offices, task,
rules, and principles of organization that are
employed by all large scale institutions to coordinate
the work of their personnel
30. Cabinet- the secretaries, or chief administrators, of
the major departments of the federal government.
Cabinet secretaries are appointed by the president
with the consent of the Senate
31. Casework- Social work directly concerned with
individuals, esp. that involving a study of a person's 74.
family history and personal circumstances
32. Caucus (political) – a normally closed meeting of a
political or legislative group to select candidates, plan strategy,
or make decisions regarding legislative matter.
33. CBO-
34. chain of command of a bureaucracy- flows down,
responsibility flows up
35. Chief executive - President of the United States: the U.S.
person who holds the office of head of state of the
United States government;
36. Chief of his political party
37. Chief of state it-
38. civil law - The branch of law that deals with disputes parties-
that do not involve criminal penalties. Common
cases involve contracts and torts.
39. Civil service system
40. closed rule” and “open rule”-
there-fifths of the members of a legislative body to
set a time limit on a debate over a given bill
42. Coattail effect-the result of voters casting their ballot
for president o governor and “automatically” voting fro the
remainder of the party’s tickets
43. Commander-in-chief of the military
44. Concurring decisions - The Court justice agrees with 82.
the majority opinion, but for a separate reason.
45. Conference-a joint committee created to work out a 84.
compromise on house and senate versions of a piece government and supported the constitution proposed at the
of legislation
46. confirming judicial appointments? - Senatorial
Courtesy. The practice whereby the president, before
formally nominating a person for a federal judgeship,
seeks the indication that senators from the
candidate’s own state support the nomination. This
only applies to federal district and circuit court
nominations, not to Supreme Court nominations.
47. Congress and lawyers-
48. Congress and the federal bureaucracy
49. Congress can limit the federal courts by means of
50. Congressional caucus- an association of members of 88.
Congress based on party, interest, or social group,
such as gender or race
51. Congressional oversight- the effort by Congress,
through hearings, investigations, and other
techniques, to exercise control over the activities of
executive agencies
52. Congressional party leaders are responsible for?
53. Congressional staff members-
54. Constituency service is so important that-
55. Constituent- citizens living in the district from which
an official is elected
56. Control over the flow of cases - Solicitor General has 92.
the greatest control over the flow of cases to the
Supreme Court. Screens cases before any agency of 93.
the federal government can appeal them to Supreme politics. These principles include social justice, reliance on
Court. Supreme Court Justices depend on him to
screen out undeserving litigation of agencies.
57. court of original jurisdiction - has authority to initially
consider a case. Distinguished from appellate
jurisdiction, which is the authority to hear appeals
from a lower court’s decision. All trial courts have
original jurisdiction.
58. court-packing plan? - FDR’s attempt, by asking
Congress, to enlarge the Court so that he could add
sympathetic justices (who would vote for his New
Deal programs) to The Supreme Court. Failed
however.
59. Credit claiming
60. criminal law - The branch of law that regulates the
conduct of individuals, defines crimes, and provides
punishment for criminal acts.
61. Critical election- Realigning election (often called a
science and political history describing a dramatic change in the 103.
political system
current partisan makeup of the electorate is best
described as a-
63. Dealignment- when people leave a once popular
belief or way of voting without replacing it. Dealignment is used
in contrast with realignment. Realignment- is a major change in
the politics; a change in the way most of the people believe/vote
also it could be when a new person comes to power.
64. Delegated power- constitutional powers that are
assigned to one governmental agency but that are
exercised by another agency with the express
permission o of the first
Democratic coalition-
66. Democrats-
67. Demographic bias in the selection of American 111.
presidents- white, male, Protestant
68. Direct mail- Advertisements sent through the mail,
Divided government– the condition in American
government wherein the presidency is controlled by one party
while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress presidential nominating conventions (the national conventions).
70. Division of the house
71. due process - The right of every citizen against
arbitrary action by national or state governments.
Appellate courts ensure defendant received due
process in original trial.
72. Elections can provide a presidential power boost if: - 113.
he claims he has a mandate from the people
73. Electoral college- the presidential electors from each
state who meet after the popular election to cas ballots for
president and vice president
Electoral college- the presidential electors from each
state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for
president and vice president
75. Electoral college- the presidential electors from each
state who meet after the popular election to cast
ballots for president and vice president
76. Electoral realignment– the points in history when a
new party supplants the ruling party, becoming in turn the
dominant political force. Occurs roughly every thirty years in the
77. Electorate- the body of enfranchised citizens; those
qualified to vote
78. European political parties v. United States political
79. Executive agreements- an agreement made between
the president and another county, that has the force
of a treaty but does not require the Senate’s advice 121.
and consent
president that has the effect and formal status of
legislation
81. Executive privilege- the claim that confidential
communications between a president and close
advisors should not be revealed without the consent
of the president
Expansion of suffrage-
83. Federal bureaucracy-
Federalists- those who favored a strong national
American Constitutional Convention of 1787
85. 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 the floor, the
senators have unlimited time to speak, and it
requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a
filibuster
86. Free rider- those who enjoy the benefits of collective
goods but did not participate in acquiring them
87. GAO, CBO, CBS-
Gender gap- a distinctive pattern of voting behavior
reflecting the differences in views between men and women
89. General election- a decisive election that determines
who is elected to office
90. Gerrymandering- apportionment of voters in districts
in such a way as to give unfair advantage to once
racial or ethnic group or political party
91. Grassroots mobiliazation - a mobilization of voters as
the most fundamental and foundational level.
Examples include: going door to door, speaking at
community centers, churches, bingo night, etc.
Green party-
Green Party - based on the principles of Green
grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and an emphasis on
environmentalism
94. habeas corpus - A court order demanding that an
individual in custody be brought into court and
shown the cause for detention
95. House district-
96. House Ways and Means committee-
97. How a bill becomes a law-
98. How does the house differ from the Senate-
99. How long is the term of office for a U.S. senator- 6
years
100. How the supreme court hurts moderate politics: and
the malapportionment of legislative seats
101. Ideological group- organized in support of a
particular political or philosophical perspective
102. Impeachment- the formal charge by the House of
Representatives that a government official has
committed “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes
and Misdemeanors”
Important sources of political funds;
104. Incumbent- a candidate running for reelection to a
position that he or she already holds
105. Incumbents- a candidate running for reelection for a
position that he or she already holds
106. Inherent power- powers claimed by a president that
are not expressed in the Constitution, but are
inferred from it
107. inspector-general of the agency-
108. Institutional powers of the presidency
109. Interest group- individuals who organize to influence
the government’s programs and policies
110. Interest groups can use the courts to influence policy
by bringing suits to court, by financing suits by
individuals, and writing amicus curiae briefs
Iowa caucuses – electoral event in which residents of
the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's
1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county
conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99
conventions. These county conventions then select delegates for
both Iowa's Congressional District Convention and the State
Convention, which eventually choose the delegates for the
112. Iron triangle- the stable, cooperative relationship that
often develops among a congressional committee, an
administrative agency, and one or more supportive
interest groups. Not all of these relationships are
triangular, but it is the most typical
Jeffersonian Republicans
114. Join Chiefs-
115. Joint-a legislative committee formed of members of
both the house and the senate
116. judicial restraint - Judicial philosophy whose
adherents refuse to go beyond the clear words of the
Constitution in interpreting its meaning. Use principle
of originalism, which is The principle of interpretation
at the heart of Judicial restraint that tries to find the
original meaning of the writers of the Constitution,
and not impose new interpretations.
117. 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
power in Marbury v. Madison.
118. Jurisdiction of Standing committees- agriculture
119. jurisdiction. - The sphere of a court’s power and
authority.
120. Justice Breyer in the excerpt from his book Active
Liberty uses an analysis of Privacy law to illustrate;
K Street Project”
122. Kinds of committees:

123. K-street project - effort by the Republican energy, and effort to support their party and its candidates
Party (GOP) to pressure Washington lobbying firms to
hire Republicans in top positions, and to reward loyal
GOP lobbyists with access to influential officials
124. Labor intensive vs. capital-intensive
125. Libertarian party - reflects its brand of libertarianism, 161.
favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil psychological ties to one party or another
liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-
interventionism in foreign policy, i.e., avoiding foreign military or
economic entanglements with other nations and respect for
freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries.
126. Libertarian- the political philosophy that is skeptical
of any government intervention as a potential threat to individual
liberty; one who favors minimal government and maximum
individual freedom
127. lobbying-a strategy by which organized interests
seek to influence the passage of legislation by
exerting direct pressure on members of the
legislature
128. Lobbyists- an individual employed by an interest
group who tries to influence governmental decisions
on behalf of that group
129. logrolling- a legislative practice wherein agreements
are made between legislators in voting for or against 168.
a bill; vote trading
130. Machines– strong party organizations in late-
nineteenth and early-twentieth-century American cities. These
machines were led by “bosses” who controlled party nominations
and patronage
131. Major factors responsible for the relatively low rates
of voter turnout that characterize U.S. national election is-
132. Majority leader- the elected leader of the majority
party in the House of Representatives or in the
senate. In the house, the majority leader is
subordinate in the party hierarchy to the speaker of party
the house
133. Majority party-the party that holds the majority of
legislative seats in either the House or the Senate
134. Marbury v Madison. - Case in which Supreme Court 173.
established Judicial Review.
135. McCain-Finegold Reform Act
136. Media-driven elections
137. Members’ of interest groups in the U.S. are typically
people who are politically active and of a above
average socioeconomic status
138. Membership association- an organized group in
which members actually play a substantial role,
sitting on committees and engaging in group
projects.
139. Miller v Johnson-
140. Minority party- the party that holds a minority of
legislative seats in either the House or the Senate
141. Mobilization- the process by which large numbers of
people are organized for a political activity
142. Mootness - A criterion used by courts to screen cases
that no longer require resolution. Occurs when facts
have changed (case is brought long after event) or
problem has been resolved by other means.
143. Multi-member district- an electorate that selects all
candidates at large from the whole district; each voter is given
the number of votes equivalent to the number of seats to be
filled.
144. National commitees-
145. National convention- a national party political
institution that nominates the party’s presidential and vice
presidential candidates, establishes party rules, and writes and
ratifies the party’s platform
146. National Security Council- a presidential foreign
policy advisory council composed of the president;
the vice president; the secretaries of state, defense, 185.
and the treasury the attorney general; and other
officials invited by the president
147. New Hampshire Primary - first in a series of
nationwide political party primary elections held in the United
States every four years, as part of the process of choosing the
Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential
elections to be held the subsequent November.
148. New Politics Movement- a political movement that
began in the 1960’s and 1970’s made up of
professionals and intellectuals for whom the civil
rights and antiwar movement were formative
experiences. The New Politics movement
strengthened public interest groups
149. Nomination- the process through which political
parties select their candidates for election to public office
150. OMB- Office of Management and Budget controls
federal spending. Has the capacity to analyze and
approve all legislative proposals emanating from all
federal agencies before being submitted to Congress
151. OMB’s – Office of Management and
Budget; A Federal agency responsible for providing
fiscal accounting and budgeting services for the
Federal government.
152. one person one vote”- the principle that all districts
should have roughly equal populations
153. 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.
154. organizational changes made in congress during the
1990’s-
155. Organizational reforms instituted by Congress in the proposed or passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate
1970’s attempted to-
156. PAC- a private groups that raises and distributes fund 194.
for use in election campaigns
157. Partisan loyalty
158. Party activists- partisans who contribute time,
159. party caucus- closed meeting of a political party to
select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions
regarding legislative matters
160. Party identification- an individual voter’s
psychological ties to one party or another
Party identification- an individual voter’s
162. Patronage- the resources available to higher officials, 199.
usually opportunities to make partisan appointments 200.
to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special
favors to supporters
163. pattern of cases
164. per curiam. - A brief, unsigned decision by an
appellate court, usually rejecting a petition to review
the decision of a lower court.
165. Pio, pig, pie
166. Plaintiff - The individual or organization who brings a
complaint in court. In criminal cases, government is
always plaintiff.
167. Pluralist theory of interest groups- the theory that all
interests are and should be fee to compete for
influence in the government. The outcome of this
competition is compromise and moderation
Plurality- a type of electoral system in which, to win a
seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate
need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily
a majority of the votes cast
169. pocket veto- a presidential veto that is automatically
triggered if the president does not act on a given
piece of legislation passed during the final ten days
of a legislative session
170. Political campaign goals-
171. Political gerrymandering- apportionment of voters in
districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one political
172. Political parties v. interest groups- political parties
attempt to get people into office while interest
groups focus on influencing people in office
Political parties vs. interest groups-
174. political resources” of the presidency
175. Polling- a method of determining public opinion
176. pork- appropriations made by legislative bodies for method of representation in the U. S.
local projects that are often not needed but that are
created so that local representatives can win
reelection in their home districts
177. Pork-barrel legislation- appropriations made by
legislative bodies for local projects that are often not
needed but that are created s that local
representatives can win reelection in their home
districts
178. Power of the purse- ability of one group campaign spending laws
to manipulate and control the actions of another
group by withholding funding, or putting stipulations
on the use of funds
179. Precedent - Prior cases whose principles are used by 213.
judges as the bases for their decisions in present
cases. The Supreme Court sets precedents.
180. president plays a major role in the legislative process
because:
181. president’s political appointments-
182. Presidential primary- elections held to select a party’s
candidate for the general election
183. presidential veto- the president’s constitutional
power to turn down acts of Congress. A presidential
veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each
house of Congress
184. Pressure outside of gobernemnt that are relevant to
Congressional voting decisions
Primary elections- elections held to select a party’s
candidate for the general elections
186. Private bills proposed in congress- a proposal in
Congress to provide a specific person with some kind
of relief, such as a special exemption form
immigration quotas
187. Proportional representation- a multi-member district
system that allows each political party representation in
proportion to its percentage of the total vote
188. Public interest group- groups that claim they serve
the general good rather than only their own
particular interest
189. public law - The branch of law that deals with the
actions of public agencies or officials and the
powers of government. A case becomes public law
when a plaintiff or defendant in a civil or criminal
case seeks to show that his or her cases involves
the powers of government or rights of citizens as
defined under the Constitution or by statute.
190. Quorum – gathering of the minimal
number of members of an organization to conduct
business
191. reapportionment is correct?- the process, occurring
after every decennial census, that allocates
congressional seats among the 50 states. Is correct
because the House should have the right amount of
representatives per state
192. 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.
193. Referendum- the practice of referring a measure
for approval or rejection
Referendum- the practice of referring a measure
proposed or passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate meet with ordinary citizens. Allows candidates to deliver
for approval or rejection
195. Regulatory commissions- departments, bureaus, or
independent agencies whose primary mission is to
impose limits, restrictions, or other obligations on the
conduct of individuals or companies in the private
sector
196. religious right-
197. representation of women and minorities in the U.S.
congress- underrepresented
198. Republican-
Republican coalition-
Republican vs. democratic parties on economics-
201. resource a congressional party leaders have at their
disposal to secure the cooperation of their members-
202. Retrospective voting-voting based on the past
performance of a candidate
203. rule of law - provides that no person is above the
law, that no one can be punished by the state except
for a breach of the law, and that no one can be
convicted of breaching the law except in the manner
set forth by the law itself.
204. rules committee-
205. Runoff election - voting system used to elect a single
winner. Under runoff voting, the voter casts a single vote for their
chosen candidate.
206. senatorial courtesy - The practice whereby the
president, before formally nominating a person for a
federal judgeship, seeks the indication that senators
from the candidate’s own state support the
nomination. This only applies to federal district and
circuit court nominations, not to Supreme Court
nominations.
207. Sessions- In parliamentary procedure, a
session is a meeting or series of connected meetings
devoted to a single order of business, program,
agenda, or announced purpose.
208. Simple majority- the type of electoral system in
which, to win a seat in the parliament or other
representative body, a candidate must receive a
majority of all the votes cast in the relevant district
209. Single-member-district- an electorate that is allowed
to select only one representative from each district; the normal
210. Sociological representation- a type of representation
in which representatives have the same racial,
gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds
as their constituent. It is based on the principle that if
two individuals are similar in background, character,
interests, and perspectives, then one could correctly
represent the other’s views.
211. Soft money- money contributed directly to political
parties for political activists that Is not regulated by federal
212. Solidarity benefits of interest groups-selective
benefits of group membership that emphasize
friendship, networking, and consciousness raising.
Southern primaries
214. Speaker of house- the chief presiding officer of the
House of Representatives. The speaker is the most
important party and house leader, and can influence
the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of
legislation, and member’s positions within the house
215. Split-tickets- the practice of casting
ballots for the candidates of at least two different
political parties in the, why the court should find in
favor of their client. 1st part of a trial under The S/C
after the specific case has been accepted
216. Staff organization- a type of membership group in
which professional staff conducts most of the group’s
activites
217. Standing- a permanent committee with the power to
propose and write legislation that covers a particular
subject, such as finance or
218. State of the union – annual address
presented by the President of the United States to
the United States Congress. not only reports on the
condition of the nation but also allows president to
outline his legislative agenda and national priorities
to Congress.
219. State of the union, budget document
220. Stop advertisements
221. Straight ticket- the practice of casting ballots for
candidates of only one party
222. Suffrage- the right to vote
223. Super Tuesday Primaries
224. Superdelegate – a convention delegate position, in
Democratic conventions, reserved for party officials
225. Supreme Court and original jurisdiction? - The
authority to initially consider a case. Distinguished
from appellate jurisdiction, which is the authority to
hear appeals from a lower court’s decision. All trial
courts have original jurisdiction. The Supreme Court
has original jurisdiction over 1) cases between the US
and on of the 50 states 2) cases between two or
more states 3) cases involving foreign ambassadors
or other ministers 4) cases brought by one state
against citizens of another state or against a foreign
country.
226. Third parties- parties that organize to compete
against the two major American political parties
227. Three factors related to the American electoral
system affect who is elected to office in this country,
and what they do once they get there. Those factors
are-
228. Town meetings- a media forma in which candidates
messages without the presence of journalists or commentators
 229. Treaty maker-
230. Trustee representation-a type of representation in
which a representatives votes based on what he or
she thinks is best for his or her constituency
231. Two-party system vs. multiparty system-
232. U.S. v Nixon-
233. Uniform Commercial Code? - Code used in many
states (not all) in the area of contract law to reduce
interstate differences in judicial decisions.
234. Values of privacy - Variety of relevant values: Left
alone, Personal relationships, Privacy and
Individualism / free expression, Privacy and Equality,
Universally, value of individual dignity
235. 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
236. When a renounced political scientist said, “The
heavenly chorus of interest groups sing with a
distinctly upper class accent,” he meant that most
members of interest groups are political activists that
come from an above average socioeconomic status.
237. whip system- a system in which a party member in
the House or Senate is responsible for coordinating
the party’s legislative strategy, building support for
key issues, and counting votes
238. white house staff
239. Why was the civil service system created?-
240. writs of mandamus - A writ or order that is issued
from a court of superior jurisdiction that commands
an inferior tribunal or individual to perform, or refrain
from performing, a particular act, the performance or
omission of which is required by law as an obligation.
Superior courts issue such writs when trial court
judges take up cases not within their jurisdiction or
stopped a trial, etc.
241. Your Brain Lies to You