Chapter 13 - Congress

Question 1

Bicameral legislature

Answer 1

A lawmaking body made up of 2 chambers or parts

Question 2

Filibuster

Answer 2

An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill

Question 3

Marginal districts

Answer 3

Political districts in which candidates elected to win the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically by less than 55% of the vote

Question 4

Safe districts

Answer 4

Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55% or more

Question 5

Conservative coalition

Answer 5

An alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats

Question 6

Majority leader

Answer 6

The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or the Senate

Question 7

Minority leader

Answer 7

The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House or the Senate

Question 8

Whip

Answer 8

A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking

Question 9

Speaker

Answer 9

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his or her party in the House

Question 10

Party vote

Answer 10

There are 2 measures of such voting. By the stricter measure, a party vote occurs when 90% or more of the Democrats in either house of Congress vote together against 90% or more of the Republicans. A looser measure counts as a party vote any case where at least 50% of the Democrats vote together against at least 50% of the Republicans.

Question 11

Standing committees

Answer 11

Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area

Question 12

Select committees

Answer 12

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.

Question 13

Joint committees

Answer 13

Committees on which both senators and representatives serve.

Question 14

Conference committees

Answer 14

Joint committees appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill

Question 15

Simple resolution

Answer 15

An expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body

Question 16

Concurrent resolution

Answer 16

An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and Senate, but not the president.

Question 17

Joint resolution

Answer 17

A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president

Question 18

Discharge petition

Answer 18

A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for 30 days, may petition to have it brought to the floor.

Question 19

Restrictive

Answer 19

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made into a bill on the floor

Question 20

Closed rule

Answer 20

An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor

Question 21

Open rule

Answer 21

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor

Question 22

Quorum

Answer 22

The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress

Question 23

Riders

Answer 23

Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will “ride” to passage through the Congress. When a bill has many riders, it is called a Christmas-tree bill

Question 24

Cloture rule

Answer 24

A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate.

Question 25

Double tracking

Answer 25

A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business

Question 26

Voice vote

Answer 26

A congressional voting procedure in which members shout “yea” in approval or “nay” in disapproval, permitting members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills

Question 27

Division vote

Answer 27

A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted

Question 28

Roll-call vote

Answer 28

A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering “yea” or “nay” to their names

Question 29

Teller vote

Answer 29

A congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers, the “yeas” first and the “nays” second

Question 30

Veto

Answer 30

Literally “I forbid”: it refers to the power of a president to disapprove a bill; it may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress

Question 31

Divided government

Answer 31

One party controls the White House and another controls one or both houses of Congress

Question 32

Unified government

Answer 32

The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress.

Question 33

Earmarks

Answer 33

“Hidden” congressional provisions that direct the federal government to fund specific projects or that exempt specific persons or groups from paying specific federal taxes or fees

Question 34

Pork-barrel legislation

Answer 34

Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hopes of winning their votes in return

Question 35

Franking privilege

Answer 35

The ability of members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature for postage

Question 36

Partisan polarization

Answer 36

A vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators