Chapter 12 - Congress

Question 1

Casework

Answer 1

The act of helping constituents personally

Question 2

The Pork Barrel

Answer 2

The list of federal projects, grants, and contracts

Question 3

Bicameral Legislature

Answer 3

Legislature divided into two houses

Question 4

House Rules Committee

Answer 4

The Houses’s committee for reviewing committee’s bills before they are passed to the house

Question 5

Filibuster

Answer 5

A political tactic that involves invoking senators right to unlimited debate in order to prevent the senate from ever voting on a particular bill

Question 6

Speaker of the House

Answer 6

The only legislative office mandated by the Constitution, the third most powerful individual in government “controls” the House

Question 7

Majority Leader

Answer 7

The individual responsible for scheduling bills in the House

Question 8

Whips

Answer 8

Individuals who run between party’s leaders and the party, counting pre-votes and leaning waverers

Question 9

Minority Leader

Answer 9

The leader of the minority party

Question 10

Incumbents

Answer 10

Individuals who are already holding office

Question 11

Legislative Oversight

Answer 11

Congress’s monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings

Question 12

Committee chairs

Answer 12

He most important influencers of the congressional agenda. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house

Question 13

Seniority systtem

Answer 13

A system in which the longest running members of a committee would become chairs regardless of loyalties

Question 14

Caucus

Answer 14

A group of Congress who share some interests or characteristics

Question 15

Bill

Answer 15

A proposed law

Question 16

Standing Committee

Answer 16

Separate subject-matter committees in each house of Congress that handle bills in different policy areas

Question 17

Joint Committee

Answer 17

Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses

Question 18

Conference committees

Answer 18

Congressional committees formed when the Senate and the House pass a particular bill in different forms. Party leadership appoints members from each house to iron out the differences and bring back a single bill.

Question 19

Select committees

Answer 19

Congressional committees appointed for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation