AP Government-Congress Key Terms Flashcards
Bicameral Legislature
A two-house legislature
Earmarks
an addition to a piece of legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states
Pork Barrel Spending
Legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states.
logrolling
trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation.
Legislative Oversight
Congress reviews the actions of the executive branch to determine whether current laws are achieving the intended results.
constituents
a body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or a senator
incumbency
the time during which a person holds office or a position
incumbency advantage
institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election.
Casework
Assistance given to constituents by congressional members, answering questions or doing favors.
Speaker of The House
The leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members
House Majority Leader
The person who the second in command of the House of representatives
Whips
a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline.
Minority Leader
The head of the party with the second highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party’s members.
Senate Majority Leader
The person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats.
Standing Committee
a permanent committee in Congress that oversees bills that deal with certain kinds of issues.
Committee Chair
Leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee’s agenda
Seniority system
a system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee.
Bill
A proposed law that requires the approval of both houses of Congress and the signature of the president to become a law.
Conference Committee
A temporary joint committee created to settle differences in versions of a bill passed by each house of Congress. (set up to reach a compromise when the houses can’t agree on a bill.)
Discharge Petition
A motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of the committee and onto the floor of the house of Representatives for a vote.
House Rules Commitee
A powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the housefloor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor.
Committee of the Whole
consists of all members of the house and meets at the house of chambers but is governed by different rules making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation.
Hold
A delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill.
Unanimous Consent Agreement
An agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for the consideration of a bill
Filibuster
a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation
Cloture
a procedure through which senators can end a filibuster and proceed to action, provided three-fifths of senators agree to it.
Delegate Role
the idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituent wishes.
Trustee Role
The idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their judgment and knowledge.
Politico Role
Representation where members of Congress balance out their choices with the interest of their constituents and parties in making decisions
Bipartisanship
An agreement between the parties to work together in congress to pass legislation.
Gridlock
a slowdown or halt in Congress’ ability to legislate and overcome divisions, especially those based on partisanship
Divided Government
a situation that occurs when control of the presidency and one or both chambers of congress is split between to major parties.
Lame Duck Period
period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees
Veto
formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of congress.
Power of the Purse
when congress alone has the power to approve spending by the federal government
President of the Senate
The Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate, the Senate’s presiding officer.
President Pro Tempore
serve in the capacity of the President of the Senate when the Vice President is absent. Besides that, the Pro Tem serves as a supervisor and mentor to junior senators.
Treaty Ratification
two-thirds vote in the Senate to ratify
Senatorial Courtesy
an agreement among senators to not vote for a nominee opposed by senators from the nominee’s home state. This gives voice to state senators and only applies if the president and the senator are from the same party.
Omnibus Bill
A proposed law that covers several diverse or unrelated topics. Omnibus is derived from Latin and means “for everything”. An omnibus bill is a single document that is accepted in a single vote by a legislature. but packages together several measures into one or combines diverse subjects.
