senatorial courtesy

American  

noun

1. the practice in the U.S. Senate of confirming only those presidential appointees approved by both senators from the state of the appointee, or by the senior senator of the president's party.

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Etymology

Origin of senatorial courtesy

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

The blue-slip tradition is a vestige of senatorial courtesy, giving home-state senators a chance to weigh in on judicial nominees from their states.

From Washington Times • May 7, 2018

Eventually senatorial courtesy, whereby the Senate always confirmed one of its own, prevailed.

From Washington Post • Feb. 19, 2016

The practice of senatorial courtesy gives great weight to the wishes of the senators from a State in which a federal judge is to serve.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2016

On entering office, Hoover had declared that he intended to end the practice of awarding judicial appointments based on senatorial courtesy and instead vowed to raise the standards and requisite qualifications for lower-court ap­pointments.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2013

That fine old term "senatorial courtesy" has lost much of its meaning as a result of the brusque and breezy manner of the time.

From Fifty Years of Public Service by Cullom, Shelby M.