Hold my purse
This constitutional power belongs only to the House, not the Senate, and it’s used to formally accuse federal officials.
What is impeachment?
Before the 17th Amendment, this body chose U.S. Senators rather than the people voting directly.
What are state legislatures?
This happens when the president effectively kills a bill by not signing it while Congress has adjourned, preventing a return veto.
What is a pocket veto?
The president vetoes a bill; Congress can still enact it by meeting this constitutional threshold in both chambers.
What is a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate?
This amendment (ratified in 1951) limits presidents to two elected terms.
What is the 22nd Amendment?
This leadership position controls the House floor agenda and is elected by the majority party.
Who is the Speaker of the House?
This practice allows a Senator to signal opposition to a nominee and can delay confirmation, though it’s not in the Constitution.
What is a senatorial hold?
This term refers to undeclared presidential powers implied by the Constitution and supported by precedent, not explicitly listed.
What are informal powers?
The president appoints a Supreme Court justice, but the appointment is blocked unless the Senate takes this action.
What is confirmation (advice and consent)?
This president established a precedent for cabinet advisory roles and executive authority while avoiding “royal” titles.
Who is George Washington?
This committee is the “traffic cop” for House legislation, setting debate rules and time limits.
What is the House Rules Committee?
This tactic takes advantage of the Senate’s tradition of unlimited debate to delay or block a vote on legislation.
What is the filibuster?
This agreement with a foreign nation does not require Senate ratification, unlike a treaty.
What is an executive agreement?
The House impeaches a president; removal happens only if the Senate reaches this voting threshold.
What is a two-thirds vote to convict in the Senate?
This president’s expansion of executive power included issuing Executive Order 9066 during World War II.
Who is Franklin D. Roosevelt?
Because revenue bills originate in the House, the House is especially influential in writing and controlling these spending measures—often called the “power of the purse.”
What are appropriations bills?
Compared to the House, the Senate’s rules this to members.
What is “individualism” (or strong member autonomy) in the Senate?
This phrase describes presidents using their position to guide legislation by proposing, bargaining, and mobilizing public support.
What is the president as “chief legislator” (legislative leader)?
Congress passes a law restricting the president’s ability to remove heads of independent agencies; this tests the constitutional boundary between executive control and this concept.
What is separation of powers?
After the 1994 midterms, this Democratic president worked with a Republican-controlled Congress and signed budget deals that helped contribute to balanced federal budgets by the late 1990s.
Who is Bill Clinton?
This Supreme Court case dealt with racial gerrymandering and ruled that bizarrely-shaped districts drawn mainly on race can violate the Equal Protection Clause.
What is Shaw v. Reno (1993)?
Under modern Senate rules, ending debate on most legislation requires this many votes under cloture, making it a key “supermajority” hurdle.
What is 60 votes?
This law gave war powers to president George W. Bush and subsequent presidents to fight those who were connected to 9/11.
What is the AUMF?
The president issues an executive order; Congress sues and the Supreme Court reviews it—this is an example of one branch checking another through this power.
What is judicial review?
This scandal led to Nixon’s resignation and is directly connected to a major Supreme Court ruling limiting executive privilege.
What is Watergate (and United States v. Nixon)?