2.1/2.2/2.3 Flashcards
bicameral
having two houses (house and Senate)
house of representatives
members-435(based of population)
terms- 2 years
lower chamber of congress
senate
members-100(2 for each state)
terms- 6 years
upper chamber of congress
seventeenth amendment
allowed people to elect their senators
advice and consent
a power of the United States Senate to be consulted on and approve treaties signed and appointments made by the president of the United States to public positions
coalitions
an alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties forming a government or of states.
power of the purse
the constatutional power of congress to control government spending and taxation
caucuses
a group of people in a party who help develop legislation but are not officially part of the legislative process
enumerated powers
powers given to the Federal government by the constitution
implied powers
powers granted to the government not spacifically states in the US constitution
necessary and proper clause
the power for the government to do what is necessary and proper
war powers act
-requires the president to inform congress within 48 hours of commiting US troops to combat -requires congress to approve any military force and its spending with in 60 days with a 30 day extension
cloture rule
required a two-thirds majority to end debate and permitted each member to speak for an additional hour after that before voting on final passage.
filibuster
a block on nomination or to let the time run out on a deadline for voting on a bill
germane
somthing added to a bill or piece of legislation that is relevant, apropriate or fitting.
hold
hold – An informal practice by which a senator informs Senate leadership that he or she does not wish a particular measure or nomination to reach the floor for consideration.
logrolling
a vote for a vote
or a deal between congress men to get their legislature passed by voting for each other’s
omnibus bill
proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics.
pork-barrel spending
government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to direct expenditures to a representative’s district.
rider
an amendment to a piece of legislation that benefits a members own agenda and enhance the political chance of a bill
sponser
a Congress member who introduces a bill or and assumes authorship of the bill
unanimous consent
all agree about one particular matter or vote the same way
committee of the whole
a smaller committee that raises bills to the house after discussion, allows non voting delegates from US territories to vote
conference committee
discharge petition
allows a simple majority to discharge a bill from committee t house without letting a reluctant party slow it down
joint committees
committees with reps from both house and senate
president of the Senate
-constatution states this role is filled by the vice president but in recent years has not been.
-breaks tie votes in senate
-generally provides over Senate affairs
president pro tempore
-senior member of majority party
-signs legislation
-issuing oath of office
rules committee
controls what bills go to the House Floor and the terms of debate.
select committee
a small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose.
senate majority leader
-chief legislatures
-guides party caucus
ways and means committee
Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the United States Congress, and is the chief tax-writing committee
whip
- in charge of party disciple
deficit
A shortage, especially the amount by which a sum of money falls short of what is required; a debt .
discretionary spending
This spending is an optional part of fiscal policy, in contrast to social programs for which funding is mandatory and determined by the number of eligible recipients.[2
mandatory spending
spending that the government must
delegate model
-substantive
-advocating on behalf of certain groups of people
partisan model
- based on parties
politico model
-considers a variety of factors and diside their actions on whatever political calculations made sense to them.
trustee model
-representatives are trusted to use their best judgment regardless of how constituants view the model
gerrymandering
the act of rigging redistribution of districts to unfairly benefit a party
grid lock
opposing views that make it hard to pass legislation
-president from one party and congress from another party
racial gerrymandering
accusations of unfairly making districts by race to make voting uneven
swing district
a district that could go either way in an election
Baker v. carr
shaw v. Reno
