Chapter 12: The Congress Flashcards
BICAMERAL
The division of a legislature into 2 separate assemblies.
CONSTITUENT
One of the people represented by a legislator or other elected or appointed officials.
ENUMERATED POWER
A power specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution. The first seventeen clauses of Article 1, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated powers of Congress.
LAWMAKING
The process of deciding the legal rues that govern society. Such laws may regulate minor affairs or establish broad national policies.
LOGROLLING
An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other’s bills.
CASEWORK
Personal work for constituents by members of Congress.
OMBUDSPERSON
A person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies.
REPRESENTATION
The function of members of Congress as elected officials in representing the views of their constituents.
TRUSTEE
In regard to a legislator, one who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interests 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 personal assessments.
OVERSIGHT
The responsibility Congress has for following up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administrate red in the way Congress intended.
LEGISLATIVE VETO
A provision in a bill reserving to Congress or to a congressional committee the power to reject an action or regulation of a national agency by majority vote; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1983.
AGENDA SETTING
Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered by Congress.
RULES COMMITTEE
A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the House.
FILIBUSTERING
In the Senate, unlimited debate to halt action on a particular bill.
CLOTURE
A method to close off debate and to bring the matter under consideration to a vote in the Senate.
DIRECT PRIMARY
An intraparty election in which the voters select the candidates who will run on a party’s ticket in the subsequent general election.
PARTY IDENTIFIER
A person who identifies with a political party.
REAPPORTIONMENT
The allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after each census.
REDISTRICTING
The redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state.
JUSTICIABLE QUESTION
A question that may be raised and reviewed in court.
GERRYMANDERING
The drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the purpose of obtaining partisan or factional advantage. A district is said to be gerrymandered when it’s shape is manipulated by the dominant party in the state legislature to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party.
FRANKING
A policy that enables members of Congress to send material through the mail by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage.
DISCHARGE PETITION
A procedure by which a bill in the House of Representatives may be forced out of a committee (discharged) that has refused to report it for consideration by the House. The discharge petition must be signed by an absolute majority (218) of representatives and is used only on raw occasions.
STANDING COMMITTEE
A permanent committee within the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area.
SELECT COMMITTEE
A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.
JOINT COMMITTEE
A legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of Congress.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
A special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress in different forms.
SENIORITY SYSTEM
A custom followed in both chambers of Congress specifying that members with longer terms of continuous service will be given preference when committee chairpersons and holders of other significant posts are selected.
SAFE SEAT
A district that returns the legislator with 55 percent of the vote or more.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
The presiding officer in the House of Representatives. The speaker is always a member of the majority party and is the most powerful and influential member of the House.
MAJORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE
A legislative position held by an important party member in the House of Representatives. The majority leader is selected by the majority party in caucus or conference to foster cohesion among party members and to act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House.
MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE
The party leader elected by the minority party in the House.
WHIP
An assistant who aids the majority or minority leader of the House or the Senate majority or minority floor leader.
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
The temporary presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the Vice President.
Majority Floor Leader
The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs the legislative program and the party strategy.
MINORITY FLOOR LEADER
The party officer in the Senate who commands the minority party’s opposition to the policies of the majority party and directs the legislative program and strategy of his or her party.
CONSERVATIVE COALITION
An alliance of Republicans and southern Democrats that can form in the House or the Senate to oppose liberal legislation and support conservative legislation.
EXECUTIVE BUDGET
The budget prepared and submitted by the president to Congress.
FISCAL YEAR (FY)
The twelve-month period that is used for bookkeeping, or accounting, purposes. Usually, the fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year. For example, the federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30.
SPRING REVIEW
The time every year when the Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to review their programs, activities, and goals and submit their requests for funding for the next fiscal year.
FALL REVIEW
The time every year when, after receiving formal federal agency requests for funding for the next fiscal year, the Office of Management and Budget reviews the requests, makes changes, and submits its recommendations to the president.
FIRST BUDGET RESOLUTION
A resolution passed by Congress in September that sets “binding” limits on taxes and spending for the next fiscal year beginning October 1.
CONTINUING RESOLUTION
A temporary law that Congress passed when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1.
