Chapter 13: Section 1 Flashcards
Partisan Polarization
A vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators.
Bicameral Legislature
A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts.
Filibuster
An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill.
Marginal Districts
Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically by less than 55 percent of the vote.
Safe Districts
Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more.
Conservative Coalition
An alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats.
Majority Leader
The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or the Senate.
Minority Leader
The legislative leader elected by party holding a minority of seats in the House or the Senate.
Whip
A senator or representative who helps he party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking.
Speaker
The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his or her party in the House.
Party Vote
There are two measures of such voting. By the stricter measure, a party vote occurs when 90 percent or more of the Democrats in either house or Congress vote together against 90 percent or more of the Republicans. A looser measure counts as a party vote any case where at least 50 percent of the Democrats vote together against at least 50 percent of the Republicans.
Caucus
An association of congressional members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest.
Standing Committees
Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area.
Select Committees
Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.
Joint Committees
Committees on which both senators and representatives serve.
Conference Committee
Joint committees appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill.
Simple Resolution
An expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body.
Concurrent Resolution
An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president.
Joint Resolution
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.
Discharge Petition
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.
