Vocabulary
A procedural tactic in the U.S. Senate whereby a minority of legislators prevent a bill from coming to a vote by holding the floor and talking until the majority gives in and the bill is withdrawn from consideration
What is a filibuster?
This branch of government/chamber was specifically created to closely represent the people's views?
What is the House of Representatives (legislative branch*)?
These individuals are appointed to life terms.
What are federal judges?
Committees that include members of both chambers of Congress are known as ___________________.
What are joint committees?
A vote of the Supreme Court in a particular case that indicates which party the justices side with and by how large a margin.
What is a decision?
This enables the Supreme Court to strike down laws passed by Congress.
What is judicial review?
This individual presides over the Senate and casts a tiebreaking vote when necessary.
Who is the vice president?
A type of case that concerns the violation of the legal rights of one individual toward another.
What are civil cases?
A type of opinion issued by the Supreme Court that is officially binding.
What is the majority opinion?
During this type of election, the president's party usually loses seats.
What are midterm elections?
A committee that has well-defined policy jurisdictions that do not change markedly from Congress to Congress.
What is a standing committee?
The reapportionment and redistricting of seats occur in the House of Representatives every ______________.
What is every 10 years?
In Federalist # 78, this individual characterized the judiciary as the least dangerous branch of government.
Who is Alexander Hamilton?
When a Supreme Court ruling is made, justices may write a _____ to show they agree with the majority but for different reasons.
What is a concurring opinion?
To override a presidential veto, Congress must vote by a minimum of ________________ majority in each chamber.
What is two-thirds?
The action of determining which states gain or lose seats in the House.
What is apportionment?
The practice that allows home-state senators considerable control over the fate of presidential nominees.
What is senatorial courtesy?
Opposition to the judiciary's creative policy-making role is a consistent tenet of judicial ______________.
What is judicial restraint?
This court case is well-known for establishing judicial review.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
A system of ____ relies on legal decisions that are built from precedent established in previous cases.
What is common law?
In this model of representation, legislators are obligated to use their own opinions in decision making.
What is the trustee model of representation?
This amendment was ratified in 1913 and states that senators of the United States shall be elected by the people of the United states; therefore, establishing direct elections for senators.
What is the Seventeenth Amendment?
A judge relies on this principle when standing by precedent.
What is stare decicis or "let the decision stand"?
*A judge relies on the principle of stare decisis when standing by precedent, which means "let the decision stand". This principle guides judges to follow established court rulings when deciding new cases with similar facts, promoting consistency and predictability in the legal system.
A temporary committee formed to bargain over the differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill.
What is a conference committee?
This Article of the U.S. Constitution established the Supreme Court.
What is Article III?