1. Checks & Balances Legislative -> Executive
Congress approves Presidential nominations
Controls budget
Pass laws over president’s veto
Impeach President
Executive -> Judicial
President Nominates Judges
Judicial -> Legislative
Can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional
Executive -> Legislative
President can veto legislation
Judicial -> Executive
Can declare presidential acts unconstitutional
Legislative -> Judicial
The senate confirms president’s nominations
Can impeach judges and remove them

2. Legislative Branch Makes Laws Approves Presidential appointments
Bicameral Legislative (2 houses)
Senate
100 total senators; 2 from each state
Elected by their state
Serve 6-year terms
Ratify all treaties by a two-thirds vote
House of Representatives
435 total Reps; based on state’s population
Serve 2-year term
Speaker of the House is head of the house. (3rd in line for the presidency)

3. Executive Branch President is the head of the Executive branch
Elected every 4 years
Can serve only 2 terms
Commander-in-chief
Carries out laws
Negotiates treaties
Sign Laws
Vetoes Laws
Pardons People
Appoints Federal Judges, cabinet members, and officials
Includes Vice President

4. Judicial Branch Interprets Laws Decide if laws are constitutional
Supreme Court is the head of the Judicial Branch
Oversees the court system
9 Justices
8 associate justices
1 chief justice
Appointed by the president

5. Buzzword
Jargon; or a vague vogue word intended to trigger a stereotyped response. Robert Kirk Mueller defined the word on the cover of his book as “words, phrases or zingo-lingo used by an ingroup, a cult, or the cognoscenti for rapid communication within the group… it refers also to the verbal, intellectual oneupmanship of the cant, slang, jargon, argot and pseudo-tribal language, used by relatively small groups for their own benefit and to help isolate the group from the hoi polloi... A sort of pro’s prose.

6. Inside the Beltway
Geographically, within the Capital Beltway surrounding Washington D.C.; metaphorically, minutiae of government gossip of interest only pundits and lobbyists, but a yawner to the Real World Out There.

7. Arena
Place of political combat for the clash of ideologies and personalities. The original Latin sense of arena is “a sandy place” the center of an amphitheater where sand was scattered to absorb the blood of gladiators.

8. Body Politic
Any group governed by any means. The metaphor linking human anatomy to the system of government can be found in Plato’s Republic.

9. beanbag
What politics ain’t. “His early experience” wrote Finely Peter Dunne of his creation, saloon keeping philosopher Mr. Dooley, “gave him wisdom is discussing public affairs. ‘Politics,’ he says, ‘ain’t beanbag. ‘Tis a man’s game; an’ women, childer, an’ pro-hybitionists’d do well to keep out iv it,” (preface Mr. Dooley in Peace and War, 1898; it had been used earlier by dunne, on Oct , in an essay in the Chicago Evening post.

10. Policy wonk
A grimly serious scholar of the tedious side of public affairs; stiff staffer steeped in study. In the 1922 election, both Bill Clinton and Al Gore were known to delight in the minute of program development, causing Meg Greenfield of Newsweek to refer to them as “tough, ambitious, leadership-minded policy wonks”

11. On the Fence
Undecided; unwilling to take a position; straddling. In its original use, “on the fence” meant refusing to take a firm stand for or against a candidate or issue and was an attack phrase. That sense continues, but a new use has arisen: to be “on the fence” is not all bad, because it shows that a political figure is considering all the alternatives.

12. Flip-flop
A U-turn, or reversal of position; a sudden shift of opinion. Both noun and verb have become common in political attacks. Usually pejorative and brings an irate denial.

13. John Q. Public
The mythical average man, or man in the street; often cartooned as bespectacled, long-suffering, cald in a barrel, but eternally optimistic. In the 15th century his name was Everyman.

14. New Federalism
A political philosophy that seeks to wed the need for national action with the desire for much greater local participation. The phrase was coined, and idea expounded, in a speech to the nation by president Nixon on August 8, :”after a third of a century of power flowing from the people and the states to Washington it is time for a New Federalism in which power , funds and responsibility will flow from Washington to the States and to the people.”

15. Skunk at the garden party
A hyperethical stiff, seen as undesirable in a gathering of brad-minded progmatists; a single problem that has the potential to vex or annoy. More vivid than the cliched fly in the ointment.

16. Kooks
Extremists; far-right or left-wingers; distinguished by hate campaigns, occasional scruffiness, and unconventional political behavior.

17. Above politics
A stance taken most often by generals and businessmen dissociating themselves from partisan strife, often in the hope of attracting political support from opposing sides.

18. Fourth estate
The press. Books of quotations usually credit Edmund Burke with coinage, thanks to a citation by historian Thomas Carlyle in Heroes and Hero-Worship, written in 1839: “Burke said that there were three estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than them all.

19. pundit
A political analyst, usually associated with a prestigious newspaper or broadcasting network; a harmless noodge.

20. Pseudo event
Contrived news; a happening that is made to take place for the purpose of the coverage it will get, or centered on people famous for being well known. The phrase is historian Daniel Boorstin’s, coined in the 1962 book The Image; or, What Happened to the American Dream? Boorstin, who later became Librarian of Congress, held that American life has become unreal, based on illusion and images, with heroes replaced by celebrities.

21. Media event
An occasion so stage-managed for wide coverage that the coverage becomes more important than the occasion.

22. Soundbite
Snappy snippet of taped comment or news. Often the phrase is used to derogate the superficiality of the quick takes- down to an average of eight seconds in the early 1900’s of TV and radio news

23. Hack
Attack word on a long-time politician; a political drudge. The word is derived from the hackney horse in England, a horse that was let out for hire, usually mistreated, and became dull, broken-down, and exhausted.

24. Credibility Gap
The chasm that sometimes exist between public office and public’s trust.

25. Faction
a small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics.

26. Pluralism
Is the view that politics and decision making are located mostly in the framework of government

27. Interest Groups
A group of people that seeks to influence public policy on the basis of a particular common interest or concern.

28. Movement
Is a social group that operates together to obtain a political goal, on a local, regional, national, or international scope

29. Open Shop
a company with a labor agreement under which union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment.

30. Closed Shop
a company with a labor agreement under which union membership can be a condition of employment.

31. Free Rider
An individual who does not to join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group’s influence.

32. Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)
A nonprofit association or group operating outside of government that advocates and pursues policy objectives.

33. Amicus curiae brief
A “friend of Court” brief, filed by an individual organization to present arguments in addition tot hose presented by the immediate parties to a case.

34. Lobbyist
A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches

35. Lobbying
Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

36. Revolving Door
Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interest eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.

37. Issue Network
Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.

38. Political Action Committee (PAC)
The political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute fund to candidates or political parties.

39. Bundling
A tactic in which PAC’s collect contributions from like-minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a “bundle,” that increasing the PAC’s influence.

40. Soft Money
Unlimited amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for party-building purposes.

41. Something given with the expectation of receiving something in return.
Quid Pro Quo
Something given with the expectation of receiving something in return.

42. Independent Expenditures
The supreme court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates.

43. Issue Advocacy
Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like “vote for” or “vote against,” although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.

44. 527 Organization
Is created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office.

45. The constitutional ability of the president to appoint federal judges.
Appointment Power
The constitutional ability of the president to appoint federal judges.

46. Cabinet
A group of people in the executive branch that help advise the president. Members are secretaries of executive departments

47. Chief Legislator
Also known as the president. He has the authority to influence the members of congress to make laws through veto power.

48. Oversees the Executive Office of the President.
Chief of Staff
Oversees the Executive Office of the President.

49. American with Disabilities Act of 1990
First Law addressing the
needs of people with disabilities.
This civil rights act prohibited
discrimination of employment
public services, accommodations, and telecommunications.

50. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
Regulates money being spent
on political campaigns.
Set stricter limits on political
action committees and individual
donations to political parties
Political operatives used tax
code to get around restrictions
with 527 organizations

51. Civil Rights Act of 1964 Prohibits discrimination
based on race, color, religion,
sex, or origin.
(Post Civil War) Amendments
gave citizenship and voting
privileges, but many states used
poll taxes, literacy tests, etc to
deprive African Americans

52. Clean Air Act of 1970 Requires Department of
Transportation to regulate
automobile emissions standards
Targeted air pollution problems
like acid rain and damage to
stratospheric ozone layer

53. Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
Designed to clean up federal
budget process
Requires budget resolution
designed to control expenditures
Created Congressional Budget
Office

54. Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974
Established Federal Election
Commission, created public
funding for presidential primaries
and elections, set up disclosure
requirements for campaign
spending and donations

55. Judiciary Act of 1789 Is the original act organizing
the federal court system
-Recall Article III of the
Constitution only specifies a
Supreme Court and leaves it
to Congress to establsih all other
inferior courts

56. Judiciary Act of 1891 Set up the US Courts of Appeals,
and reassigned the jurisdiction of
most routine appeals from the district
and circuit courts from the Supreme
Court to these appellate courts.
AKA: 1891 Circuit Courts of Appeals Act

57. Motor Voter Act of 1993
Required states to allow drivers license applicants to register to vote

58. National Environment Policy Act of 1969
Created Environmental Protection
Agency
Requires environmental impact
statements must be filed with EPA
or reports that specify environmental
effects a proposed policy change
would have

59. National Security Act of 1947
Reorganized foreign policy
apparatus of federal gov
Created National Security
Council and Central Intelligence
Agency

60. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Set up federal standards for public school student achievement and testing

61. Pendleton Act of 1883 Established Civil Service Commission
Federal workers employed based upon competence not political patronage

62. Religious Freedom Restoration Restoration Act of 1993
Compelled Supreme Court to use compelling state interest test in determining whether a policy violated free exercise of religion

63. Social Security Act of 1935
Created retirement entitlement program

64. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
Prohibits Congress form requiring state or local governments to carry out Congressioonal mandates without proper funding

65. USA Patriot Act After 9/11 attacks
Grants broader powers to federal law enforcement to investigate terrorism
Caused concerns by civil liberties advocates.

66. Voting Rights Act of 1965
Designed to end formal and informal barrier to African American suffrage

67. War Powers Act of 1973
Required president when possible to consult Congress before using military force.
President must withdraw forces after 60 days unless Congress declares war.
Presidents believe act is unconstitutional

68. Welfare Reform Act of 1996
Created Temporary Assistance to needy families program to replace aid to families with dependent children
Set stricter limits on welfare benefits