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| "friend of the court" A brief filed in a lawsuit by an individual or group that is is not party to the lawsuit. |
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| When judges deliberately shape judicial doctrine to conform with their personal view of the Constitution |
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| The head of the Justice Department. As the nation's chief legal officer, the attorney general of the US represents the federal government's interests in law courts throughout the nation. The attorney general is also chief law enforcement officer. |
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| a written opinion by the Supreme court that justice who agrees with the decision of the Court but disagrees with the rationale for reaching that decision. |
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| Category of the federal courts vested with the general judicial authority outlined in the Constitution. The most important are the Supreme Court, the court of appeals and he ninety four district courts. Their authority derives from the Supreme Court and hey are supposed to conform to its decisions. |
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| the second tier of courts in the federal judicial system that (between the Supreme Court and the district courts). One court of appeals serves each of eleven regions or circuits, plus one for the District of Columbia. |
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| An attempt by Pres Franklin Roosevelt in 1937 to remodel the federal judiciary. Its purpose was to alleviate the overcrowding of federal court dockets by allowing the president to appoint an additional Supreme Court justice for every sitting justice over the age of 70. The legislation passed the House of Representatives but failed in the Senate by a single vote. If it has passed Roosevelt could have added six new justices to the high bench, which would basically install a new court majority that was sympathetic to his New Deal programs. |
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| The written opinion of one or more Supreme Court justices who disagree with the ruling of the Court's majority. The opinion outlines the rationale for their disagreement. |
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| The trial courts of original jurisdiction in the federal judicial system. The ninety-four district courts are the third tier of the federal judicial system, below the Supreme Court. |
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| The practice of prescribing in a decision a set of rules that are a to guide future decisions on similar cases. Used by the Supreme Court to guide the lower courts in making decisions. |
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| The authority of a court to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional and therefore invalid. |
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| Principle of law that governs how the lower courts work. |
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| the authority to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional, therefore invalid. |
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| The judicial action of deferring to the policies emanating from the elected branches in the absence of a clear violation of the Constitution or established doctrine. |
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| A rule employed by the Supreme Court stating that when four judges support hearing a case, the certiorari petition is granted |
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| An informal practice in which senators are given veto power over federal judicial appointments in their home states. |
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| the right the bring legal action |
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| "Let the decision stand": in court rulings, a reliance on precedents, or previous rulings, in formulating decisions in new cases. |
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| Principle that guides judges on which party on which party a case should prevail, akin to policy making |
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| an order that is given by a superior court to an appellate court and that directs the lower court to send up a case the superior court has chosen to review. |
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| "we command". A court issued writ commanding a public official to carry out a specific act or duty. |
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| A complex structure of offices, tasks, and rules in which employees have specific responsibilities and work within a hierarchy of authority. Government bureaucracies are charged with implementing policies |
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| the norms and regular patterns of behavior found within a bureaucratic organization. Different agencies often develop their own norms, which shape the behavior of those that work in the agency. |
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| the category of people or groups served by a bureaucratic agency |
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| committee and conference reports |
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| documents submitted by committees that often instruct agencies how Congress expects them to use their "discretion". Though not legally binding, bureaucrats ignore such instructions at their peril. |
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| A government publication listing all proposed federal regulations |
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| Positions with independent offices in virtually every govt agency, who audit agency books and investigate activities on Congress's behalf |
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| A table mutually beneficial political relationship among a congressional committee (or subcommittee), administrative agency, or organized interest concerned with a particular policy domain |
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| A loose, informal and highly variable web of relationships among reps of various interests who are involved in a particular area of public policy |
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| hearings and investigations |
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| meetings in which bureaucrats are a called before subcommittees to explain and defend their decisions and outsiders are sometimes invited to criticize them. most agencies must testify annually about their activities before the House Appropriations subcommittee that has jurisdiction over their budgets. |
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| A procedure that allows one or both houses of congress to reject an action taken by the president or an executive agency. In 1983 the Supreme Court declared vetoes unconstitutional, but Congress continues to enact legislation incorporating the veto |
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| The practice of citizens serving public office for a limited term and then returning to private life. |
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| Newly elected office holders award government jobs to political supporters and members of the same political party. ..from " to the victor go the spoils". |
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| A presidential directive requiring that all governmental agency proposals, reports, and recommendations to Congress mostly in the form of annual reports and testimony at authorization and appropriations hearings--be certified by the Office of Management and Budget as consistent with president's policy. |
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| describes government when one political party controls the executive branch and the other political party controls one or both houses of congress |
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| a bill that has been passed by both the Senate and the House and has been sent to the president for approval |
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| Executive Office of the President (EOP) |
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| A collection of agencies that help the president oversee department and agency activities, formulate budgets and monitor spending, craft legislation, and lobby Congress. The major components of the EOP, established in 1939 by Franklin Roosevelt, include the White House, Office of Management and Budget, National Security Council, and Council of Economic Advisors, among other agencies. |
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| a presidential directive to an executive agency establishing new policies or indicating how an existing policy can be carried out |
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| An agreement between the president and one or more other countries. An executive agreement is similar to a treaty, but unlike a treaty, does not require the approval of the Senate |
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| an executive order prohibiting federal employees from communicating directly with Congress. |
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| Often caused by divided government, President confronts an opposition controlled Congress with policy preferences and political stages that are in direct competition with their own and those of their party. Neither side is willing to compromise, the government accomplishes little and federal operations may even come to a halt. |
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| president and staff try to extend executive influence through unilateral actions |
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| A procedure available in 1997 for the first time permitting a President to cancel amounts of new discretionary appropriations (budget authority) as well as new times of direct spending (entitlements) and certain tax benefits, unless Congress disapproves by law within a specified period of time. It was declared unconstitutional in 1998. |
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| National Security Council |
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| The highest advisory body to the president on military and diplomatic issues. Established in 1947, this agency in the Executive Office of the President helps the president coordinate the actions of government agencies including the state and Defense Departments and the Joint Chiefs of staff, into a single cohesive policy for dealing with other nations. |
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| Provision in article II, section 3 of the constitution that instructing the president to take care of laws that the be faithfully executed" |
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| a system of government in which a single government until holds the power to govern the nation in contrast to a federal system, in which power is shared among many governing units |
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| Requires the President to inform Congress within 48 hours of committing troops abroad into military action |
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| The ability of privileged outsiders, such as interest groups representatives to obtain a hearing from elected officials or bureaucrats |
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| spending by the Democratic and Republican Party committees on behalf of their congressional candidates |
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| Campaign spending by a person or organization for or against a political candidate that is not controlled or coordinated with any candidate's campaign |
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| voting for candidates based on their positions on specific issues as opposed to their party or personal characteristics |
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| basing votes for political candidate in how the candidate or party performed while in office |
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| Money used by political parties for voter registration, public education, and voter mobilization. Until 2002, when Congress passed legislation outlawing soft money, the government had imposed no limits on contributions or expenditures for such purposes. |
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| PACS Political Action Committees |
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