Interactions among branches of government

issue network

A group of individuals, public officials, and interest groups that form around a particular issue, usually a proposed public policy that they wish to support or defeat.

cabinet

A group of presidential advisers, including the heads of the executive departments, the attorney general, and other officials chosen by the president.

Which of the following is an intended consequence of ideological divisions within Congress?

Compromise between the two parties on congressional legislation

Which of the following is an enumerated power Congress has in making foreign policy?

Confirming ambassadors to foreign countries

What role do coalitions play in the policymaking process?

Politicians create coalitions to enact policy that has broad support from the public

Committee of the Whole

A committee of the House on which all representatives serve in order to consider the details of a proposal.

judicial restraint

A judicial philosophy in which judges play minimal policymaking roles, leaving that duty strictly to the legislatures

discharge petition

A petition signed by members of the House of Representatives to bring a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote.

signing statement

A presidential statement upon signing a bill into law, which explains how a president's administration intends to interpret the law.

Which of the following is a consequence of holds applied to a bill in the Senate?

A senator can slow down the legislative process

how many votes are needed for cloture on a bill?

60 votes

cloture

A Senate procedure through which a supermajority of 60 senators can vote to limit the amount of time spent debating a bill and cut off a filibuster.

filibuster

A tactic used by senators to block a bill by continuing to hold the floor and speak, adhering to the Senate rule of unlimited debate. The purpose of this tactic is to continue to speak for so long that the bill's supporters eventually back down.

inferior courts

Also called lower courts, inferior courts include all US federal courts below the Supreme Court, including courts of appeals, district courts, and federal tribunals. Congress retains the power to establish inferior courts and to determine how they operate.

War Powers Act (1973)

Also called the War Powers Resolution, the War Powers Act limits the president's power to deploy US armed forces. Every president since Nixon has contested the War Powers Act as an infringement of their role as Commander in Chief of the armed forces.

coalition

An alliance of political groups pursuing a common goal.

patronage system

An approach to managing the bureaucracy whereby people are appointed to important government positions as a reward for political services they have rendered and because of their partisan loyalty

pocket veto

An indirect veto, which the president can use by neither signing or vetoing a bill passed by Congress fewer than 10 days before it adjourns.

executive agreement

An international agreement between the president and another country, which does not require the consent of the Senate.

how might term-length differences have contributed to the lack of support from House Republicans?

Because members of the House have two-year terms, they are unlikely to support a piece of legislation that may upset their constituents

How do the different chamber sizes in the House of Representatives and the Senate influence the formality of debate in each chamber?

Because there are more members in the House of Representatives, there is a more formal process for debate

Which of the following statements describes a way for the executive branch to limit the Supreme Court's power?

By appointing new Supreme Court justices

Which of the following best explains how the president can limit the Court's power by appointing a new Supreme Court justice?

By choosing justices who change the ideological leanings of the court

Which of the following may the judicial branch do to limit the power of the president?

Declare an executive order unconstitutional

discretionary spending

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

Which of the following is an enumerated power of Congress?

Generating a budget that addresses both discretionary and mandatory spending

Which of the following is a consequence of the merit system in the bureaucracy?

Greater professionalism in the bureaucracy

Which of the following statements describes a consideration presidents face when deciding whether or not to issue a veto?

If the opposing party has a supermajority in Congress, they can vote to override the veto

merit system

In the federal bureaucracy, the practice of hiring and promoting individuals based on their qualifications and job performance.

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Shaw v. Reno (1993) decision?

It created a strict standard of scrutiny when creating new legislative districts, ruling that race cannot be the predominant factor

Which of the following explains how modern technology has changed the president's ability to respond to political issues?

It has made it easier for the president to rapidly respond to political issues by appealing directly to the public

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Marbury v. Madison (1803) decision?

It increased the power of the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of acts of Congress, states, and the president

Which of the following statements best explains how stare decisis influences Supreme Court justices

It makes justices more likely to defer to previous Supreme Court decisions

Which of the following statements best describes judicial restraint?

Judges should limit the exercise of their own power to interpreting the Constitution according to its original intent

Which of the following may the president do to limit the power of Congress?

Neither sign nor veto the bill, allowing it to die

Which of the following may Congress do to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Pass legislation to limit the Court's jurisdiction

Which of the following actions can the states take to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Refuse to implement and enforce a ruling by the Court

judicial review

The Supreme Court's power to review whether acts of the legislative branch, the executive branch, and state governments are consistent with the Constitution, and to strike down acts it finds unconstitutional.

President of the Senate

The Vice President of the United States, who presides over the Senate's daily proceedings.

House Rules Committee

The committee responsible for scheduling and managing the flow of legislation on the floor of the House of Representatives in order to make the process more efficient and manageable. The committee can also make it easier or more difficult for a bill to pass depending on the rules they create.

State of the Union address

The president's annual message to a joint session of Congress, which includes recommended legislation and evaluations of the nation's top priorities and economic health.

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and de facto leader of the majority party.

pork barrel legislation

The use of federal funding to finance localized projects, typically bringing money into a representative's district in order to please constituents and boost the representative's chances of winning reelection.

Which of the following statements best explains the impact the necessary and proper clause has had on congressional power?

it has broadened the power by legislation

constituents

Voters in a legislative district.

logrolling

When two legislators agree to trade votes for each other's benefit.

how many votes needed for a discharge petititon?

a majority in the house of reps

precedent

a previous action to be used as a guide or example of another one

politico

acting as both a delegate and trustee

delegate

acting in favor of your constituents

senate

apportioned based on states having two votes no matter what (for smaller states)

executive order

directives being issue by the president that have the force of law. supreme court can rule them unconstitutional

whereto tax and revenue bills initiate?

house of reps

iron triangle

interest group, bureaucracy, and congress

Which of the following statements explains how social media has enhanced the power of the presidency?

it gives the president a direct line of communication to the national constituency to influence national policy

The House of reps

largely apportioned based off of the state's population (for bigger states)

trustee

making your own decision regardless of what your constituents favor

which case established judicial review?

marbury v. madison

stare decisis

precedent