Chapter 7 Study Guide Flashcards
Pork Barreling/Earmarks
Joining a committee because you will receive benefits that you can give back to your district
Majority Leader
Leader of the majority party in congress
Closed Rule
No amendments can be made to a bill
Gerrymandering
Drawing of district lines in favor of a political party
House Rules Committee
Prestigious committee that sets date on calendar for bills and determines which bills will get discussed
Safe Districts
Incumbency advantage when a candidate receives 55% of the vote or more in a district
Party Caucus
Meeting before every sessions where congress chooses party leaders and committee chairs for that session
Seniority System
People who have been in congress the longest have advantage over those who haven’t
Quorum
Minimum number of committee members that have to present before action can be taken
Committee Chair
Has the highest ranking on a committee; oversees the committee and directs the agenda
Committee of the Whole**
All of the legislative bodies as a collective whole; used to speed up the legislation process
Select Committee
Temporary committee created for a specific purpose
Logrolling
Trading a vote
Oversight
Overseeing the execution of laws in subcommittees
Subcommittee
A more centralized and specialized committee
Redistricting
Redrawing of congressional districts to create districts with equal population
Impeachment
Act of removing a government official from office
Majority Party
Dominant voting party in congress
Minority Leader
Main leader of the minority party in congress
Divided Government
Type of government where the President is one party and Congress is another
Pocket Veto
President ignores a bill and doesn’t sign or veto it after 10 days so it dies
Constituents
People who are represented by a state official in congress; those who vote and live in an area
Sunset Laws
Laws that are reviewed and have a set end date
Casework
Services that members of congress provide to constituents
Cloture
Way to end a debate or filibuster; requires 60 senators to end
Discharge Petition
Bill skips going to the House and goes straight to the senate or president
Filibuster
“Talking a bill to death;” make sure legislation doesn’t get passed by talking until congress gives in and gets them to stop
Apportionment
Taking seats in the House and giving them to every state based on population
Mark-Up Session
This is when committees revise, debate, and amend bills
Whip
Person who keeps tabs on the House and tries to persuade party members to vote a certain way
Rider
Amendment to a bill that has little or no connection to the actual subject of the bill
Resolution**
Written motion adopted by a body of Congress
Senatorial Courtesy
President will ask the lower courts for suggestions on who to appoint in a lower court
Standing Committee
Permanent committee only in one party of Congress
Conference Committee
Temporary committee that differentiates differences between two bills proposed in the House and Senate
Franking Privilege
Incumbency advantage in which you get free mail to your district
President Pro-Tempore
Most senior member in the Senate and presides in absence of the Vice President
Incumbency
Someone already in office has a greater chance of getting reelected
Bicameral Legislature
Congress divided between the House and Senate
Speaker of the House
Speaker chosen by the majority party to represent the House of Representatives
Minority Party
Party with the least amount of members in Congress
Joint Committee
Permanent committee with members from both the House and Senate
Veto
Overriding a bill
Appropriation
Money given to Congress with a specific goal
Open Rule
When a committee can make amendments to a bill
Bipartisanship
Working of two political parties together to enact legislation in Congress
Incumbent
Someone who is running for office again
