12 Flashcards
Casework
Activities of members on congress that help constituents as individuals cutting through the bureaucratic red tape
Pork barrel
Mighty list of federal projects grants contracts available to cities businesses colleges and institutions available in a congressional district
Bicameral legislature
Legislators divided into two houses, U.S. Congress and every American state Excpet Nebraska are bicameral
House rules of congress
Institution unique to the house of representives that review all bills coming from a house committe before thu go to the full house
Filibuster to strategy unique to the senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death, based on the tradition of unlimited debate today 60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster
Filibuster to strategy unique to the senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death, based on the tradition of unlimited debate today 60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster
Speaker of the house
Office mandated by the constitution the speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party has both formal and informal powers and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant
Majority leader
Principle Parisian ally of the speaker of the house or the party’s manager in the senate; schedule bills influence committee
Whips
Party leader who work with the majority and minority’s leaders to count votes beforehand and lean on wavers whose votes are crucial to a bill
Minority leader
Principle leader in monitory party in house of reps
Standing committees
Separate subject matter committees in each house of congress that handle bills in different policy areas
Joint committees
Congressional committee on a few subject matter areas with membership drawn from both houses
Conference commit tee
Congressional committees formed when the senate and the house pass a particular bill in different forms, party leadership appoints members from each house
Select committees
Congressional committee appointed for a specific purpose such as the watergate scandal
Legislative oversight
Congress monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings
Committee chairs
Most important influences of the congressional agenda, play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, staff, appointing subcommittees
Seniority system
A simple rule for picking committee chairs in effect until the 1970’s the member who had to served on the committee the longest and whose party controlled the chamber became chair regardless of party loyalty
Caucus
A group of members of congress sharing some interest of characteristic most are composed of memebers from both parties and from both houses
Bill
A proposed law, drafted in legal language anyone can draft a bill
Cloture
nounUS
(in a legislative assembly) a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote.
“a cloture motion”
Franking
Official mark or signature
Gridlock
Traffic jam effecting a whole network of interesting streets
Holds
Temporarily blocks consideration of the bill
President pro tempo ore
constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer.
Necessary and proper clause
…allows Congress “To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the [enumerated] Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”
Party polarization
…Political polarization refers to cases in which an individual’s stance on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be strictly defined by their identification with a particular political party (e.g., Democrat or Republican) or ideology (e.g., liberal or conservative).
Quorum
…the minimum number of members of an assembly or society that must be present at any of its meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.
Reapportionment
…n. 1. The act of reapportioning or the state of being reapportioned. 2. Redistribution of representation in a legislative body, especially the periodic reallotment of US congressional seats according to changes in the census figures as required by the Constitution.
Redistricting
.:divide or organize (an area) into new political or school districts.
“he made no secret about his intent to redistrict the state to the advantage of his party”
Safe districts
..n which the likely voters support one political party or the other by an overwhelmingly large margin.Mar 8, 2010
Tuesday- Thursday club
For many years, Congress had been known as the “Tuesday through Thursday club”, but Democratic leadership promised to change all that and work like most Americans, five days a week.
Incumbent
Those already holding office in congressional elections, incumbents usually win
Casework
Activities of members on congress that help constituents as individuals cutting through the bureaucratic red tape
Pork barrel
Mighty list of federal projects grants contracts available to cities businesses colleges and institutions available in a congressional district
Bicameral legislature
Legislators divided into two houses, U.S. Congress and every American state Excpet Nebraska are bicameral
House rules of congress
Institution unique to the house of representives that review all bills coming from a house committe before thu go to the full house
Filibuster to strategy unique to the senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death, based on the tradition of unlimited debate today 60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster
Filibuster to strategy unique to the senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death, based on the tradition of unlimited debate today 60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster
Speaker of the house
Office mandated by the constitution the speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party has both formal and informal powers and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant
Majority leader
Principle Parisian ally of the speaker of the house or the party’s manager in the senate; schedule bills influence committee
Whips
Party leader who work with the majority and minority’s leaders to count votes beforehand and lean on wavers whose votes are crucial to a bill
Minority leader
Principle leader in monitory party in house of reps
Standing committees
Separate subject matter committees in each house of congress that handle bills in different policy areas
Joint committees
Congressional committee on a few subject matter areas with membership drawn from both houses
Conference commit tee
Congressional committees formed when the senate and the house pass a particular bill in different forms, party leadership appoints members from each house
Select committees
Congressional committee appointed for a specific purpose such as the watergate scandal
Incumbent
Those already holding office in congressional elections, incumbents usually win
Casework
Activities of members on congress that help constituents as individuals cutting through the bureaucratic red tape
Pork barrel
Mighty list of federal projects grants contracts available to cities businesses colleges and institutions available in a congressional district
Bicameral legislature
Legislators divided into two houses, U.S. Congress and every American state Excpet Nebraska are bicameral
House rules of congress
Institution unique to the house of representives that review all bills coming from a house committe before thu go to the full house
Filibuster to strategy unique to the senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death, based on the tradition of unlimited debate today 60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster
Filibuster to strategy unique to the senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death, based on the tradition of unlimited debate today 60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster
Speaker of the house
Office mandated by the constitution the speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party has both formal and informal powers and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant
Majority leader
Principle Parisian ally of the speaker of the house or the party’s manager in the senate; schedule bills influence committee
Whips
Party leader who work with the majority and minority’s leaders to count votes beforehand and lean on wavers whose votes are crucial to a bill
Minority leader
Principle leader in monitory party in house of reps
Standing committees
Separate subject matter committees in each house of congress that handle bills in different policy areas
Joint committees
Congressional committee on a few subject matter areas with membership drawn from both houses
Conference commit tee
Congressional committees formed when the senate and the house pass a particular bill in different forms, party leadership appoints members from each house
Incumbent
Those already holding office in congressional elections, incumbents usually win
