AP GOV FINAL Flashcards
incumbents
an individual who has responsibilities in a gov position (holding or acting in office)
bicameral legislature
type of legislature, divided into two seperate assemblies, chambers or house
filibuster
Action in which a bill is delayed or prevented; only in Senate
majority leader
Head of party that’s in rule/control/ legislative party
minority leader
The leader of the other party not in control
joint committee
made up of house and senate
select committees
created for specific purposes
committee chairs
head of a committee
caucus
meeting where local members of political party register their preference among candidates
budget
a policy document allocating burdens (taxes) and benefits (expenditures)
expenditures
things that the government spends money on
income tax
citizens pay tax based on individual wages and corporate revenues
federal debt
amount of money the fed gov has borrowed and not yet paid back
Social Security Act
1953 law intended to provide a minimal level of sustenance(maintaining someones life) to older americans thus saving the from poverty
incrementalism
A description of the budget process in which the best predictor of this years budget is last years plus a bit more (shark tank projected)
entitlements
Policies for which congress has obligated to pay x# of benefits to Y #of recipients (EX:SS)
ENTITLED=OBLIGATED
Senate Finance Committee
consider tax bills, writes tax codes
Congressional Budget + Impoundment Control
how much congress can spend on programs tells how much programs are going to cross
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Advises congress on probable consequences of its decisions, forecasts revenues and counterweights to the presidents office of management and business
authorization bill
act of congress that establishes,continues or changes a discretionary government program or an entitlement. Specifies programs goals and max expenditures for discretionary programs
Legislative veto
Vote in congress to override a presidential decision.
Welfare Reform Act of 1996
assist needy families, fight welfare dependency by promoting work and marriage, reduce nonmarital births, and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
Progressive tax
the more income you make the higher your taxes (type of income tax)
Flat Tax
everyone pays the same amount in taxes
Transfer payments
Benefits given by the government directly to individuals either cash or in-kind transfers (food stamps)
TANF- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Says who qualifies for food stamps
appropriation bill
act of congress that funds programs within limits established by authorization bills
budget resolution
a resolution binding congress to a total expenditure level, supposedly the bottom line of all federal spending for all federal programs
House Ways + Means Committee
consider tax bills
uncontrollable expenditures
government spending on mandatory programs
Medicare
federal health insurance program
tax expenditures
Revenue loss that result from special exemptions, exclusions, or deductions on federal tax law.
Sixteenth Amendment
The constitutional amendment in 1913 that explicitly permitted Congress tax collect and place income tax
revenues
sources of money for government
deficit
excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues (given years)
bill
A proposed law drafted by anyone. Only member of HOR or Senate can formerly submit for consideration
seniority system
Simple rule for picking committee chairs that was in effect until 1970s. Member who had served longest and whose party was in control
legislative oversight
Congress monitoring of the executive branch bureaucracy and its administration of policy, preformed mainly through committee hearings
conference committees
resolves difference House and Senate bills
standing committee
subject matter committees handle
whips
responsible bringing the party’s bills to the House floor, maintaining communication , counting votes on key legislation, and persuading Members to vote for the party position.
speaker of the House
Administering the oath of the office to the House members
House Rules Committee
schedule house rules for floor action
pork barrel
use of government funds for projects designed to please voters
income security
biggest federal spending, social security and medicare
monetarism (friedman)
too much money chasing, too few goods create inflation (free market, laissez faire; inspired Ronal Regans trickle down theory)
keynesianism
gov role is to find the right level of demands . Inspire demand w/ expenditures (key to gov; inspired FDR new deal)
price and wage control (Galbraith theory)
gov manages industries w/ fiscal and monetary policies protect industries
Supply side
cut taxes, less gov. workers will invest and economy will soar. More business, more tax revenue
