American Government and Politics: Terms from Pendleton Act to Judicial Activism, Quizzes of Political Science

Download American Government and Politics: Terms from Pendleton Act to Judicial Activism and more Quizzes Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Pendleton Civil Service Act DEFINITION 1 passed in 1883, an act that created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage TERM 2 Civil Service DEFINITION 2 a system of hiring and promotion based on the merit principle TERM 3 Merit Principle DEFINITION 3 the idea that hiring should be based on entrance exams and promotion rating to produce administration with talent and skill TERM 4 Hatch Act DEFINITION 4 a federal law prohibiting govt. employees from active participation in partisan politics while on duty or for employees in sensitive positions at any time TERM 5 Office of Personnel Management DEFINITION 5 The office in charge of hiring for most agencies of the federal govt., using elaborate rules in the process TERM 6 General Schedule Rating DEFINITION 6 a schedule for federal employees, ranging from GS 1 to GS 18, by which salaries can be keyed to rating and experience TERM 7 Senior Executive Service DEFINITION 7 an elite cadre of about 9,000 federal govt. managers at the top of the civil service system TERM 8 Independent Regulatory Commission DEFINITION 8 govt. agency responsible for making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest in some sector of the economy and for judging disputes over these rules TERM 9 Federal Reserve Board DEFINITION 9 FRB, Charged with governing banks and, even more important, regulating the supply of money and thus interest rates TERM 10 National Labor Relations Board DEFINITION 10 NLRB, created to regulate labor-management relations TERM 21 Appellate Jurisdiction DEFINITION 21 the jurisdiction of courts that hear cases brought to them on appeal from lower courts. these courts do not review the factual record, only the legal issues involved TERM 22 District Courts DEFINITION 22 the 91 federal courts of original jurisdiction. they are the only federal courts in which trials are held and in which juries may be impaneled TERM 23 Courts of Appeal DEFINITION 23 Appellate courts empowered to review all final decisions of district courts, except in rare cases. in addition, they also hear appeals to orders of many federal regulatory agencies TERM 24 Senatorial Courtesy DEFINITION 24 an unwritten tradition whereby nominators for stat-level federal judicial posts are usually not confirmed if they are opposed by a senator of the president's party from the state in which the nominee will serve. the tradition also applies to courts of appeal when there is opposition from a senator of the president's party who is from the nominee's state TERM 25 Solicitor General DEFINITION 25 a presidential appointee and the 3rd ranking office in the Department of Justice. in charge of the appellate court litigation of the federal govt. TERM 26 Stare Decisis DEFINITION 26 "let the decision stand", most cases reaching appellate courts are settled on this principle TERM 27 Precedent DEFINITION 27 how similar cases have been decided in the past TERM 28 Judicial Implementation DEFINITION 28 how and whether court decisions are translated into actual policy, thereby affecting the behavior of others. the courts rely on other units of govt. to enforce their decisions TERM 29 Original Intent DEFINITION 29 a view that the constitution should be interpreted according to the original intent of the Framers. Many conservatives support this view TERM 30 Judicial Restraint DEFINITION 30 a judicial philosophy in which judges play minimal policymaking roles, leaving that duty strictly to the legislatures TERM 31 Judicial Activism DEFINITION 31 a judicial philosophy in which judges make bold policy decision, even charting new constitutional ground. advocates of this approach emphasize that the courts can correct pressing needs, especially those unmet by the majoritarian political process TERM 32 Political Questions DEFINITION 32 a doctrine developed by the federal courts and used as a means to avoid deciding some cases, principally those involving conflicts between the president and Congress. TERM 33 Statutory Construction DEFINITION 33 the judicial interpretation of an act of Congress. in some cases where statutory construction is an issue, Congress passes new legislation to clarify existing laws