Interest Groups/NGOs - answer✔an organization of people who share a common interest and
work together to protect and promote that interest by influencing the government. NGOs are
non-governmental organizations. They are usually non-profit and sometimes international
organizations independent of governments and international governmental organizations
(though often funded by governments) that are active in humanitarian, educational, health
care, public policy, social, human rights, environmental, and other areas to affect changes
according to their objectives. They are significant because they impact the foreign policymaking
bureaucracy through lobbying, and giving information to politicians
Gerrymandering - answer✔Excessive manipulation of districts. In a way, this makes it so
legislators are picking their voters instead of voters picking legislators. This impacts the
policymaking process by altering legislative control, minimizing the vote of one party and
maximizing the vote of another.
Line-Item Veto - answer✔The power of a governor to veto or reject individual parts, or lines, of
a bill without vetoing the entire bill. This is a power often used by governors in appropriations
bills. This gives Governors far more executive power in their respective state than the president
has in our national government.
Executive Order - answer✔A directive order issued by the president that manages operations of
the federal government and has the force of law. It impacts policymaking because it is a way for
the executive to get things done without going through Congress. An executive order is
enforced by law until it is overturned by a law established by Congress, or a court rules it
unconstitutional.
Signing Statement - answer✔A written pronouncement issued by the President of the United
States upon the signing of a bill into law. It has no legal effect, but it is the President pointing
out where they deem it unconstitutional. Presidents Bush and Obama have used them to
reinterpret what a law means, which is controversial. Often, these are used to inform executive
agencies on how to enforce or implement the law as written, limit the implementation, or to
mobilize constituents.
Legislative Jurisdiction - answer✔refers to the federal authority to legislate and to exercise
executive and judicial powers within a specified area. When the Federal Government has
legislative jurisdiction over a particular land area, it has the power and authority to enact,
execute, and enforce general legislation within that area.
Authorization Committee - answer✔Legislative committees, such as the House Committee on
Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, are
responsible for authorizing legislation related to the agencies and programs under their
jurisdiction; most standing committees have authorizing responsibilities. They delegate
authority to the appropriations committee
Appropriations Committee - answer✔The standing committee responsible for regulating
spending and passing spending bills in Congress. It is one of the most powerful committees, and
the members of this committee are some of the most influential.
Burke's Dichotomy - answer✔Constituents elect their representatives as 'trustees' (or 'entrust'
them) for their constituency. These 'trustees' have sufficient autonomy to deliberate and act in
favour of the greater common good and the national interest, even if it means going against the
short-term interests of their own constituencies.
Unfunded Mandate - answer✔An unfunded mandate is a statute or regulation that requires a
state or local government to perform certain actions, with no money provided for fulfilling the
requirements. Public individuals or organizations can also be required to fulfill public mandates.
An example is raising the minimum wage, or decreasing federal funding of welfare programs.
Entitlements - answer✔Programs of the federal government including Medicaid, Medicare,
Social Security, and Unemployment and Welfare Programs. Entitlement programs are rights
granted to citizens and certain non-citizens by federal law. They are huge and expensive. Any
decrease in entitlement funding tends to be unpopular among constituents, and difficult to
pass in Congress because of this.
Filibuster - answer✔A tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches.
They are used by the minority party in the Senate to prevent a vote on a measure. A cloture
vote can end a filibuster.
Ted Cruz reading green eggs and ham
Cloture - answer✔A cloture vote is used to end a filibuster, ending the debate and taking a vote
on a measure. A supermajority (⅗) vote is needed to end a filibuster.
Omnibus Bill - answer✔Combining issues into one megabill. Often diverse, unrelated bills.
Despite it being many bills, since they are combined into one large bill, it only requires one
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