The Budget
The executive agency charged with making the yearly federal budget
What is the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
The actions governments take to solve problems and deal with the issues facing their constituents.
What is the public policy?
Theory of government contending that groups are so strong and competitive that government is weakened and inefficient
What is hyperpluralism?
It resolves disputes between and among the states, maintains the national supremacy of law, and ensures uniformity in the interpretation of national laws
What is the Supreme Court?
The legal right to vote
What is suffrage?
All of the money borrowed by the government over the years since 1776 that is still outstanding
What is federal or national debt?
The process of forming the list of issues to be addressed by government.
What is agenda setting?
Articles written to convince others to support the new Constitution
What are the Federalist Papers?
The way similar cases have been handled in the past is used as a guide to current decisions
What is a precedent?
In the United States, this step is required before someone who is eligible to vote can actually vote
What is voter registration?
The largest federal expenditure
What is Social Security?
The process of determining whether a course of action is achieving its intended goals.
What is policy evaluation?
A procedure in which the legislature passes legislation that clarifies existing laws so that the clarification has the effect of overturning a Supreme Court decision
What is statutory construction?
Theory that judges should make bolder policy decisions to alleviate pressing needs in society
What is judicial activism?
Voting theory that suggests that individuals who feel that they are better off as a result of certain policies are likely to support candidates who pledge to continue those policies.
What is retrospective voting?
The yearly occurrence when the government spends more money than it takes in taxes
What is a deficit?
The use of taxing and spending powers by the government to maintain economic stability.
What is fiscal policy?
A special committee made of members from both houses of Congress that is formed to work out the differences between two versions of the same bill
What is a conference committee?
These conflicts between the president and Congress tend to be ignored by the Court
What are political questions?
This allows proposed legislative items to be placed on a statewide ballot when enough signatures are obtained on a petition
What is an initiative?
Congressional legislation that keeps the government operating at previous funding levels when budget deadlines are not met
What is a continuing resolution?
The work of the Federal Reserve System to regulate the money supply in the economy.
What is monetary policy?
A written decision by a Supreme Court justice who sides with the majority but for different legal or philosophical reasons
What is a concurring opinion?
How and whether court decisions are translated into actual policy
What is judicial implementation?
The act of voting for one candidate of one party for an elective office and voting for one candidate of another party for a different elective office
What is split ticket voting?