Congressional Behavior
This theory explains why members of Congress often prioritize district needs over national interests to secure reelection.
delegate model
Who was the first president to ever be impeached
Andrew Johnson
The Supreme Court uses this power to decide which cases it will hear each term.
granting certiorari
When agencies create detailed rules explaining how federal laws will be implemented, they are performing what function?
rulemaking
Congress monitors agency actions by calling officials to testify in these sessions.
oversight hearings
A senator attaches an unpopular provision to a popular bill, forcing the chamber to vote on both together. This is an example of what legislative tactic?
riders
Presidents may attach written remarks to laws they sign, indicating how they interpret or plan to enforce parts of the law.
signing statements
This constitutional requirement prevents courts from hearing cases where no actual dispute exists between parties.
case-or-controversy requirement
Because laws are often written broadly, bureaucrats must interpret them when carrying them out, demonstrating this important power.
bureaucratic discretion
Congress can change or clarify an agency’s responsibilities by passing amendments to existing laws — an example of what oversight tool?
legislative amendments
Name the congressional process in which House and Senate members meet to reconcile differences between two versions of the same bill.
conference committee
When a president publicly threatens to reject a bill unless certain changes are made, they are using what strategic tool?
veto threat
When the Court bases decisions on prior rulings to maintain legal consistency, it is applying this doctrine.
stare decisis
When Congress, interest groups, and agencies collaborate on long-term policy goals, they form these stable relationships.
iron triangles
When courts review whether agencies acted within the bounds of the authority given to them, they are engaging in what role?
judicial oversight of agencies
This caucus-like group within Congress builds coalitions across party lines around shared interests, such as agriculture or veterans' issues.
issue network
During national emergencies, presidential authority often increases due to this pattern of heightened public trust.
expanded crisis leadership
When the Court refuses to hear cases involving disputes best handled by elected branches, it is applying what doctrine?
political question doctrine
Agencies sometimes resist political directives by slowing or complicating implementation — a behavior known as what?
bureaucratic delay
Congress can restrict how federal funding must be used by attaching conditions to spending bills, known as what?
spending conditions
Name both AZ senators
Kelly and Gallego
Presidents may prioritize policies that do not require congressional approval, such as agency directives, because of this structural challenge.
legislative gridlock
A justice who disagrees with the Court’s majority decision and explains why writes this type of opinion.
dissenting opinion
When agencies justify their decisions by emphasizing their specialized knowledge, they are relying on what advantage?
bureaucratic expertise
Congress may reorganize, combine, or eliminate federal agencies to reassert control, using what structural power?
agency restructuring authority