Chapter 11: The Congress Flashcards
Article I
establishes the legislative branch of the federal government, the United States Congress.
Article I, Section 8
Powers of Congress
Enumerated Power
a power specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution. The firs 17th clauses of Article I, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated powers of Congress
Elastic Clause or Necessary and Proper Clause
the clause in Article I, Section 8, that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its specifically delegated powers
Lawmaking
the process of establishing legal rules that govern society
Logrolling
he practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation.
Casework
personal work for constituents by members of Congress
Trustee
a legislator who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interest of the entire society
Instructed Delegate
A legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him or her and who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of person beliefs
Cue-Taking
helps people decide how to vote- someone gives expert opinion or “cue” toward a certain direction
Six principle functions of the U.S Congress
lawmaking, representation, service to constituents, oversight, public education, conflict resolution
Oversight
the process by which Congress follows up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended
Bicameralism
the division of a legislature into two separate assemblies
Constituent
a person represented by a legislator or other elected or appointed officials
Authorization
a formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency. Some authorizations terminate in a year; others are renewable automatically without further congressional action
Appropriation
the passage, by Congress, of a spending bill specifying the amount of authorized funds that actually will be allocated for an agency’s use
Divided Government
a situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls one or more chambers of Congress, or in which one party controls a state governorship and the other controls part or all of the state legislature
Fall Review
the annual process in which the OMB, after receiving formal federal agency request for funding for the next fiscal year, reviews the requests, makes changes, and submits its recommendations to the president
Spring Review
the annual process in which the OMB requires federal agencies to review their program, activities, and goals and submit their request for funding for the next fiscal year
