Institutions of Government Chapter 7: Presidency, Chapter 8: Executive Bureaucracy: government agencies that implement federal laws and programs

s Cabinet: President's advisers; they head the big departments and help the President execute his/her laws. The Cabinet has grown as interest groups have demanded more access to the federal government, but there hasn't necessarily been a huge federal power increase. Executive Office of the President: This organization was established by FDR in 1939 to help the President direct executive branch activities. The offices within the EOP show the President's agenda and priorities. The EOP helps the President advance his policy preferences and is therefore more political than the Cabinet. Impeachment: The first step to remove an elected official. It charges the person in question with some sort of wrongdoing. The House can impeach with a majority vote. The Chief Justice presides over the trial, and the Senate acts as the jury. If 2/3 of the Senate thinks the official is guilty, s/he is impeached and removed from office. Line-item veto: President vetoes part of a taxing or spending bill. Unconstitutional today (used to be okay, but stopped after Clinton v. New York). 22nd Amendment (1951): Sets the maximum number of full presidential terms served to 2 terms. It was in response to the negative backlash from FDR's 4 successful elections. 25th Amendment: If the Vice President takes over, a new Vice President is chosen by the new President, subject to Congressional approval. Also, the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet can determine if the President is unable to serve. The VP becomes the acting President. The President can also relinquish power temporarily. Executive privilege: Implied Presidential power that President can refuse to disclose confidential/national security material to Congress or the Supreme Court US v. Nixon (1974): Executive privilege doesn't mean President can refuse to produce information for a criminal trial Administrative adjudication: Bureaucratic agencies settle disagreements in a similar way to how the Supreme Court works. Impartial judges are hired to conduct hearings. Government corporation: A business established by Congress. They perform services that could be done privately, but that have no potential for great income. The U.S. post office is an example. Independent executive agency: A government unit similar to a Cabinet department, but with a more specific purpose and responsibility. It performs services, and exists apart from executive departments. Examples include NASA and EPA. Hatch Act (1939): This law was passed due to public fears that federal employees would manipulate the federal government. The original legislation stated that federal employees couldn't work for political candidates. It's hard to enforce. Imperial presidency: A term used to describe the modern US presidency. It's used to claim that the presidency is too powerful and has overstepped constitutional lines. Iron Triangle: Strong interactions between federal workers. For example, the relations of Department of VA, House Committee on VA, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. They don't dominate anymore. Chapter 6: Legislative Apportionment: distribution Cloture: The only way to end a filibuster. 60 Senators must sign the resolution. If the

cloture passes, no more than 30 hours more of debate on the issue may be conducted. Discharge petition: a petition that brings a bill out of committee and to the floor without a committee report (usually without cooperation of the leadership). Gerrymandering: Manipulating district boundaries during redistricting to increase a certain type of voter in an area. While the districts are continuous, they usually aren't the most compact and have weird, nonsenical shapes. Filibuster: The official way that the Senate prolongs the passage of a bill. Long speeches or unlimited debate draw out the vote due to no Senate restrictions on debate. So long as someone keeps talking, the content doesn't matter (people read from cookbooks, Dr. Seuss, etc.). Filibusters are usually done to table or kill a bill. Filibusters have grown in prominence as of late, though the mere threat is powerful enough. How a Bill Becomes a Law: Introduced in House/Senate (usually in both simultaneously; if it deals with financials, it must begin in the House). The bill goes to a committee(s) to review (sometimes to a subcommittee, too). They must approve it before it gets sent to the floor for debate. House: Bill sent to Committee on Rule (sets rules, amendments, etc.) before it is voted on. House can also form a Committee of the Whole, where 100 members vote on it. The bill gets passed on to the Senate, if they don't already have it. If Congress approves, the different versions (1 each from H, S) are combined by a committee. Congress must agree on the law. The President can sign, veto, or wait 10 days (Congress adjourns veto, Congress stays in session law). If the President vetoes, Congress must override the veto with 2/3 congressional approval. If the President waits 10 days and Congress adjourns, the bill must repeat the whole process at the next session. Impeachment: charging a federal official with treason, bribery or another high crime. Charges start within the House. The accused is tried with the Senate as jury and the Chief Justice as the presiding judge. If the official is found guilty by the Senate, the official is removed from office. Joint committee: committee made of members from the House and the Senate Logrolling: vote trading; usually for specific fiscal bills. Majority leader: leader of the majority party; minority leader leads minority party. Markup: a committee debates, amends and rewrites proposed legislation. Party caucus: group of congressmen with similar interests and agendas Pocket veto: President waits 10 days without signing a bill, and Congress adjourns before the 10 days expire. The bill dies. President pro tempore: the official leader of the Senate. Rules Committee: in the House. Bills go from the committee(s) to this committee, who decides the rules (amendments, limits floor debate) and schedules it. They must pass the bill in order for it to go to the floor. Speaker of the House: the leader of the House. S/he is the spokesperson for the House. Standing committee: a permanent committee. War Powers Resolution (1973): President can only send troops if Congress approves or a US affiliate is attacked. The President must tell Congress about sending troops within 48 hours of deportation. Troops are to be withdrawn within 60 days unless Congress okay's a longer stay or declares war. It hasn't been that effective, since Carter, Ford and Reagan didn't consult with Congress pre-action (they did after). Whip: An official who acts to make sure that party discipline is followed in legislatures. Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Established today's congressional budget process and the Congressional Budget Office (helps make accurate financial guesses, helps plan

congressional financial actions). The CBO establishes levels of spending for the next year. The total amount of spending doesn't change drastically from year to year, but the distribution does (shows Congressional and President's agendas). Linkage / Linkage institution: structure (elections, political parties, interest groups, etc.) within a society that connects the people to the government. Incumbent: politicians who are already congressmen. They have a much higher chance of being elected than newcomers (name recognition, staff can help constituents, etc.) Constituent: the people who live, and therefore vote, in a congressman's district/state. Casework: Keeps congressmen connected to their constituents (increases congressmen's popularity, chances of re-election). Pork: laws that let congressmen bring programs (thus $, jobs) to their districts/ states. Earmarks: Programs used in pork. They're usually federal funds for special projects.

Chapter 9: Judicial Amicus curiae: A brief from a friend of the court. These letters are written by groups or people who have a special interest in a case. They write the letters in hopes of swaying the court a certain way. Appellate court: An appellate court hears a case after another court has already heard it. They decide whether or not they believe the decision needs to be revised or is worth their time. The Supreme Court is mainly an appellate court, but can have original jurisdiction if the case involves the federal government or a dispute between the states. Judiciary Act of 1789: Rule of 4: Stare decisis: Writ of certiorari: Federalist 78: Judicial Activism: The belief that the judiciary should actively try to change the world. Judicial Restraint: Judicial Supremacy: Strict Constitution: The Constitution should be interpreted as closely to how it is written, or as close as the interpreters believe the Framers would have wanted it. Loose Constitution: Interpreters feel more free to see the Constitution in a more modern light that applies more directly to us today. Jurisdiction: Original and Appellate: