AP GOV Chapter 6 Key Terms - Selena Gomez Per. 6 Flashcards
Apportionment
the process by which seats in a legislative body are distributed among administrative divisions entitled to representation
Apportionment is a constitutionally mandated process.
Bicameral Legislature
A legislature with two houses, or chambers
The United States uses a bicameral legislature for Congress.
Bill
a proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive
There are thousands of bills that were never passed.
Cloture
a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote
Cloture requires the vote of sixty senators to cut off the debate.
Committee of the whole
a meeting of a deliberative assembly according to modified procedural rules based on those of a committee. The committee includes all members of the assembly, except that some officers may be replaced
Do you know why the Committee of the Whole is so important?
Conference Committee
A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers
A conference committee of both houses is composed of 20 members, each house electing half of them.
Congressional Budget Act of 1974
Act that established the congressional budgetary process by laying out a plan for congressional action on the annual budget resolution, appropriations, reconciliation, and any other revenue bills
Richard Nixon was in office when the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was enacted.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress
The Congressional Budget Office was also created in 1974.
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
a public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works primarily and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis
The Congressional Research Service responds to more than a quarter-million congressional requests for information each year.
Congressional Review
a law that empowers Congress to review, by means of an expedited legislative process, new federal regulations issued by government agencies and, by passage of a joint resolution, to overrule a regulation
Did you hear that Congress is going to do a congressional review for that new law?
Delegate
someone who attends or communicates the ideas of or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations, which may be at the same level or involved in a common field of work or interests
Joe was elected as a delegate but he declined the offer.
Discharge Petition
a means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from the committee by “discharging” the committee from further consideration of a bill or resolution
The discharge petition was not successfully used again until 2012.
Divided Government
a type of government in presidential systems, when control of the executive branch and the legislative branch is split between two parties, respectively, and in semi-presidential systems, when the executive branch itself is split between two parties
We’ve had a divided government for nearly 10 years!
Edmund Burke
an Irish statesman born in Dublin, as well as an author, orator, political theorist and philosopher, who after moving to London in 1750 served as a member of parliament between 1766 and 1794 in the House of Commons with the Whig Party
Edmund Burke died on July 9, 1797.
Filibuster
a political procedure where one or more members of parliament or congress debate over a proposed piece of legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision being made on the proposal
Do you know what filibuster means Sarah?
Gerrymandering
a practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries
The politician hoped to gerrymander the western states so his party could control electoral regions.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
a legislative branch government agency that provides auditing, evaluation, and investigative services for the United States Congress
Have you heard the new conspiracy theory about the Government Accountability Office?
Hillary Clinton
an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. She served as the 67th United States Secretary of State. A former U.S. Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009, before that she was the First Lady of the United States
Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2016.
Hold
An informal practice by which a senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration
Can you put that bill on hold?
House of Committee on Rules
a committee of the United States House of Representatives. Rather than being responsible for a specific area of policy, as most other committees are, it is in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor
The House of Committee on Rules reviews most bills after they come from a committee.
Impeachment
the process by which a legislative body levels charges against a government official. It does not mean removal from office; it is only a statement of charges, akin to an indictment in criminal law
President Donald Trump should face impeachment
Incumbency
the current holder of an office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent
During Trump’s incumbency he tried to build a wall, but failed.
Joint Committee
Committees including membership from both houses of Congress. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation. Chairmanship usually alternates between the House and Senate members from Congress to Congress
Joint committees focus public attention on major matters such as the economy, taxation, or scandals.
Logrolling
the practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation
Logrolling can provide a solution to the paradox of voting.
Majority Leader
the head of the majority party in a legislative body, especially the US Senate or House of Representatives
The majority leader controls most seats in the house.
Majority Party
a political party that holds substantial influence in a country’s politics, standing in contrast to a minor party.
It is up to the majority party members to begin that process.
Markup
The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation
What does markup mean?
Minority Leader
the head of the minority party in a legislative body, especially the US Senate or House of Representatives
So who would be the majority leader and the minority leader?
Minority Party
a political party that plays a smaller role than a major party in a country’s politics and elections.
Retirements are also more likely for members of the minority party.
Party Caucus (or conference)
a meeting that party members attend to decide policies and choose candidates to run for office. It is a group of leading politicians of one party. The political parties of the U.S. are chosen by this method. It is used to nominate individuals for the President and the Vice President
Party caucuses in nearby Iowa are barely a year away.
Politico
an American political journalism company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and international
Has Politico released the new story on Donald Trump yet?
Pork
a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district
Do you mean pork, as in a pig?
President Pro Tempore
a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president
He was reelected in 1869 and served as president pro tempore.
Programmatic Requests
guidance solicited by the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees from Members of Congress. Programmatic requests function in lieu of earmark requests ever since the outright ban on earmarks in 2011
Programmatic requests function in lieu of earmark requests ever since the outright ban on earmarks in 2011.
Reconciliation
a legislative process of the United States Congress that allows expedited passage of certain budgetary legislation on spending, revenues, and the federal debt limit with a simple majority vote in both the House (218 votes) and Senate (51 votes)
The reconciliation process received a great deal of attention in 2010.
Redistricting
the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn
He also said he regarded congressional redistricting as a major issue.
Richard M. Nixon
the 37th President of the United States from 1969 until 1974, the only president to resign the office. He had previously served as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961, and prior to that as both a U.S. Representative and Senator from California
Richard M. Nixon was the only president who resigned from office.
Select (or special) Committee
a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy
A select committee investigated the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
Senatorial Courtesy
a custom whereby presidential appointments are confirmed only if there is no objection to them by the senators from the appointee’s state, especially from the senior senator of the president’s party from that state
Our new senator had a say in the nomination of our state’s judges because of senatorial courtesy.
Seniority
The status given senators according to their length of service, which entitles a senator with greater seniority to preferential treatment in matters such as committee assignments
Committee chairs in the House of Representatives aren’t selected by seniority.
Speaker of the House
The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The Speaker, a member of the House, is elected by a majority party caucus.
Do you know who the speaker of the House is?
Standing Committee
permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules
There are standing committees on education in order to help out students.
Trustee
a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another
She appointed him as her trustee.
Unified Government
A government in which the same party controls both the white house and both parties of Congress
He wanted to discuss a unified government, so he called for a meeting.
Veto
the power to unilaterally stop an official action, especially the enactment of legislation
Congress vetoed the bill to make abortion illegal.
War Powers Resolution
a federal law intended to check the president’s power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress. The Resolution was adopted in the form of a United States Congress joint resolution
The notification was made under the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
Whip
an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature
Whips assist the Speaker, minority, and majority leaders.
