Legislative Branch
The name of the advantage that often leads to candidates being re-elected if they have previously won the office already.
What is the incumbent/incumbency advantage?
As Chief Diplomat, the President shares the power with Congress to make agreements with other countries - also called this.
What are treaties?
The name of the Federalist paper in which Hamilton suggests that the judicial branch is the weakest of the three branches and advocates for lifetime tenure for justices.
What is Federalist #78?
Bureaucratic agencies are in charge of implementing laws that are passed by Congress and are part of this branch.
What is the Executive branch?
The term used to refer to the time period where the president has higher approval ratings at the start of their term.
What is the "honeymoon period"?
The name for "local projects" that are created and passed by Congressional representatives in hopes of securing re-election.
What is pork barrel spending?
The name of the Federalist paper that advocates for "energy" in the Executive branch.
What is Federalist #70?
The name of the case that established the power of judicial review within Supreme Court cases.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
The name of the system where individuals were given positions of power based on party loyalty.
What is the spoils system?
Committee chair positions are usually given to party members with the highest amount of this.
What is seniority?
The name for the members of Congress who work with party leaders in order to persuade members of the party to support party goals.
What are "whips"?
The amendment that limits the President to two terms in office.
What is the 22nd Amendment?
Who is the President and the Senate?
The three key players involved in an iron triangle.
Who are Congress (committees), bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups?
The Latin term that refers to the Supreme Court's tendency to rely on precedent when hearing new cases.
What is stare decisis?
The name for the action needed to end a filibuster AND the amount of votes needed for this process to be successful.
What is cloture and 3/5 (60) votes?
What is the White House staff?
The name for the procedure in which a certain number of justices must agree to hear a case before it can be argued in front of the Supreme Court.
What is the "rule of four"?
The name of the act that demanded that hiring/firing of federal employees needed to be based on merit rather than partisan loyalty.
What is the Pendleton Act?
The name for this type of opinion written by a justice wherein they agree with the majority opinion, but disagree with the constitutional reasoning for the decision.
What is a concurring opinion?
The act that was designed to give Congress more power over introducing American troops into foreign conflicts.
What is the War Powers Resolution Act?
This amendment was designed to clear up specifications in regards to presidential and vice-presidential succession in circumstances of disability, incapacity, or resignation.
What is the 25th Amendment?
This document must be filed by a petitioner before a case may be heard by the Supreme Court.
What is a writ of certiorari?
The name of the act that prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activities while on duty.
What is the Hatch Act?
These briefs allow interest groups with invested interest in a Supreme Court decision to give their input on the matter to the Court before oral arguments.
What are amicus curiae briefs?