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delegate theory of representation the idea that a legislative representative should exactly mirror his or her constituents' views in deciding on public policy enforcement powers the power of Congress to enforce laws enumerated powers those rights and responsibilities of the U.S. government specifically provided for and listed in the Constitution federalism a form of government in which power is divided and shared between a central government and state and local governments gerrymandering drawing the boundaries of an electoral district to favor a political party implied powers those powers authorized by a legal document that are not expressly stated but can be inferred from expressly stated powers inherent powers those powers ingrained so deeply in an institution that they need not be stated trustee theory of representation the idea that a legislative representative should use his or her best judgement in making descisions on public policy, regardless of constituent opinion bill a proposed law placed before a legislature for approval cloture a rule of the U.S. Senate stipulating that debate on a legislative proposal be cut off and the proposal voted upon by the full Senate if sixty members agree filibuster the practice of refusing to surrender the floor during a debate to prevent the Senate from voting on a proposal impeachment charging a public official with a crime while in office and bringing him or her to trial lobbying the practice of attempting to affect legislation by influencing legislators pocket veto a presidential practice that allows a bill to die if not signed within ten days and Congress is adjourned power to investigate the power of Congress to undertake formal inquiries unto matters of public business and public policy resolution a formal statement of a decision or expression of opinion put before or adopted by an assembly such as the U.S. Congress seniority length of service that occasionally gives certain powers and respoinsibilities, such as committee chairmanships, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives commander in chief highest ranked person of the military (the President) executive order directives issued by the president that are open to the public executive power the authority to carry out and enforce the law bureaucracy governmental departments and agencies and their staffs, principally civil service members and political appointees cabinet the group of advisors to the president composed of the heads of the departments of the executive branch and certain other officials civil service employment in federal, state or provincial, and local governmental agencies which was formed in an effort to reduce political patronage and promote professionalism in government independent agencies administrative organizations located outside the structure of executive departments patronage support, often financial, given by a person or institution to a person, group, or institution in need quasi-judicial powers actions of an agency, board, or other government entity in which there are hearings, orders, judgments, or other activites similar to those of courts quasi-legislative powers having a partly legislative character by possession of the right to make rules and regulations having the force of law advisory opinion in some judicial systems, a formal opinion on a point of law given by a judge or court when requested by a legislature or government official appeal the bringing of a court case from a lower court to a higher court in an attempt to have the lower court's descision reversed appellate jurisdiction the legal authority of a court to hear appeals from a lower court jurisdiction the power or authority to hear cases and make decisions landmark decision a legal descision that constitutes a turning point or stage litigant a party involved in a lawsuit methods of constitutional interpretation interpretive methods employed by the U.S. Supreme Court justices when considering constitutional issues of some cases original jurisdiction in some cases, such as those in which a state is a party, the Supreme Court has the right to consider the facts and the law in a case without it having first been passed on a lower court writ of certiorari a type of writ seeking judicial review of a legal descision initiative a proposed law placed on the ballots of some states for voter decision, that, if passed, immediately become law local governments government of a specific local area, such as state subdivision authorized by states or governments of cities, counties, and towns police powers the inherent authority of a government to impose restrictions on private rrights for the sake of public welfare, order, and security within the boundaries of constitutional law recall a process of using special or general elections for removing elected officials from office referendum placing a measure approved by a legislative on a ballot for popular approval reserved powers those powers referred to in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments that are reserved to the states or to the people