2.1 Test Flashcards
Constituents
the people in a voting district for a representative or senator
Reapportionment
changing the number of seats each state has every 10 years to match census
Redistricting
redrawing congressional voting districts
Gerrymandering
Creating district lines in weird shape to favor a certain party or group
Enumerated Powers
EXPLICITLY given by Constitution
- tax
- raise an army
- coin money
- borrow money
- regulate interstate commerce
- declare war
- maintain army
Implied Powers
“Necessary & Proper Clause”
powers that can help them carry out the jobs Congress has
- environmental
- economic
- social
issues
Bicameral
two houses
Partisan
of one part
Incumbent
someone currently holding the office
Discretionary Spending
left-over money
must be authorized by Congress every year (military, education)
Mandatory Spending
must pay for this by law
- entitlement programs
- can only be changed by laws
2/3 of federal budget
Deficit Spending
spending more than Congress has
Senate Powers
Confirmation powers
- provide advice/consent to President for nominations and treaties
e.g. judicial nominations, executive agency heads, cabinet heads
President of the Senate
- vice president of the United States
- breaks tie
Senate Majority Leader
from majority party
- takes leadership role
- runs senate meetings
- sets agenda
- controls calender
Filibuster
long speech to delay action and prevent vote
- attempt to stall/kill a bill by talking for a very long time
Hold on bill
prevents bill from being discussed or debated = can’t vote
Cloture
3/5 vote to forcibly cut debate for bill
supermajority needed to pass controversial bills
brings bill to vote
Rider
non-germane (non-relevant) amendments added to bill
Unanimous Consent Agreement
agreement to waive senate rules, so we can debate quicker
–> pass bill faster than normal
House of Reps: Party Structure
- leadership has more power
- more rules, formal
Committee Chairman
- leader of a committee
- always from majority party
Speaker of the House
MOST POWERFUL IN CONGRESS
- runs meetings
- decides who can speaek
- schedules bills for debate
- help pass party legislation
- assigns committees
House Rules Committee
make rules for debate & time limit for each bill
( are they allowed to make amendments or talk a lot?)
House Floor Debate
- more formal
- germaneness: discussion must be relevant
- time limit
Discharge Petition
if your bill is trapped in the standing committee (decide if bill should be reported to floor),
majority house vote to have your bill come to the floor
Standing Committee
- where bills are first introduced/assigned/proposed
- edits & revisions
- “is law necessary?”
- vote to allow bill to continue
Conference Committees
Senators & Reps
if senate and house pass different versions of laws, committee will revise to make one version
Power of Purse
Congress creates and passes a federal budget
Entitlements
benefits for people who are entitled to them by law (social security, medicaid)
Porkbarrel spending
funding for specific district benefits
(jobs, programs)
Logrolling
vote trading *
I’ll vote for a bill that helps your district if you vote for a bill that helps my district
President Pro Tempore
Senate
member of majority party
- leads when president is gone
House of Reps
Roles
- all revenue-raising bills origin
- reps relay constituent messages to DC
- serve on committees
House Majority Leader
- has control over majority House party
- responsible for party’s programs
House Majority Whip
party leader
- pressures party members to vote with party
- responsible for getting party’s programs enacted
House Minority Leader
party leader
- responsible for informing party members
- prganizes resistance to programs majority submits
Committee of the Whole
- relaxes debate rules of bill to quicken debate
Gridlock
differing majority parties in legislation and even executive power that makes it very hard for compromises to be made.
Lame Duck
presiden) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor.
other legislative branches are in different parties, so president doesn’
Pocket Veto
When president ignores bill and does not sign it for 10 days,
if Congress is in session = BILL BEOMES AUTOMATTICALLY PASSED
Ways & Means Committee
house committee that controls all taxes
Trustee Model
believe voters entrusted them power
- use personal judgment when voting on bills
Delegate Model
believes to be spokesperson
- only votes with party and voter opinions
Politico Model
vote based on what they believe and the views of their constituents when voting on a bill
Appropriations Committee
Appropriates funding for most of the functions of the federal government
senate
Select Committee
temporary committee formed for specific purpose
Joint Committee
involves members from both House and Senate
- Coordinate the efforts of each house of Congress on specific subjects
Why is the legislative process slow in design?
Framers intended that this would prevent Congress from acting hastily and to make compromises
Who can write a bill?
ANYBODY
members of Congress, staff, executive branch, interest groups, attorneys
BUT, must be introduced by member of Congress (sponsor)
