Chapter 11 Vocab Flashcards
Incumbents
Individuals who already hold office
Casework
Activities of members of congress that help constituents as individuals, particularly by cutting through red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get
Pork Barrel
Federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district
Bicameral Legislature
A legislature divided into 2 houses
Speaker of the House
An office mandated by the constitution and chosen by the majority party with both informal and formal powers (Mike Johnson)
Majority Leader
The principal partisan ally of the speaker of the house or the majority party’s manager in the senate (Steve Scalise - House) (Chuck Schumer [D] and Mitch McConnell [R] - Senate)
Whips
Party leaders who work with the majority or minority leaders to count votes, and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to pass a bill (Tom Emmer [R] and Hakeem Jeffries [D] - House)(Dick Durbin [D] and John Thune [R] - Senate)
Minority Leader
The principal leader of the minority party in the house or senate
Standing Committees
Committees in each house of congress that handle bills in different policy areas, and are always present
Conference Committees
Congressional committees formed when the Senate and the House pass a particular bill in different forms.
Rules Committees
“traffic cop” and help pass laws - most important in the House
Select Committees
Limited time to “fix” a current issue (COVID)
Joint Committees
A committee with a combination of members from the House and the Senate
Committee Chairs
The most important influencers of their committees agendas; committee chairs play the dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing sub committees and managing bills
Seniority System
A simple rule for picking committee chairs in effect until the 1970’s; the member who served on the committee for the longest became chair
Congressional Caucus
A group of members of congress sharing some interests or characteristics (Both parties and houses)
Bill
A proposed law, drafted in legal language. Must be officially submitted by congress, but can be thought of by anyone
Legislative Oversight
Congress’s monitoring of the executive branch bureaucracy and its administration of policy, preformed mainly through committee hearings
Filibuster
A strategy unique to senators, where opponents of a piece of legislation use their right to unlimited debate to prevent the senate from ever voting on a bill
Cloture Rule
3/5 of the senate (60 people) can override a fillibuster
Representational View
Delegate for the people
Organizational View
Delegate for parties and interest groups
Attitudinal View
Delegate for personal views
Politico View
A blend of all representations; constituents, parties/interest groups, and personal views
House of Representatives Diversity
House is more diverse
Senate Diversity
Senate is less diverse
Cup and Saucer Analogy
House is the “hot” cup and Senate is the “stable” saucer
House of Representatives (facts)
Smaller constituencies, younger members, less prestige, high turnover, more diversity, more partisanship, stricter rules, more committees, more factions
Senate (facts)
Larger constituencies, older members, more prestige, more flexibility with rules, less diversity, less partisanship, less committees, less turnover, less factions
Senate Powers
Nominations, ratifications, and impeachment trials
House of Representatives Powers
Revenue Bills, Electoral College back up plan, Impeachment charges
Public Bills
Proposed laws that apply to the nation as a whole
Resolutions (Simple, concurrent, joint)
Measures that do not have the “force of the law” but deal with specific occurrences or recognition
Rider
A provision or bill that cannot pass on its own merit and is attached to a larger bill
Amendment
An adjustment/addition to a bill during the legislative process
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Complies information/resources for legislators on policy issues
General Accounting Office (GAO)
Preforms routine and special financial audits of money spent by executive branch departments
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Advises Congress on likely economic effects of proposed policies or programs including budget and economic projections
Baker V. Carr
They ruled that federal courts have the authority to enforce the 14th amendment if the state legislative districts are disproportionately populated
Shaw V. Reno
The Court ruled that claims of racial redistricting must be held to a standard of strict scrutiny, meaning that any law that results in classification by race must have a compelling government interest
