Chapter6.APGov.JuanitaE Flashcards
BiCameral Legislature
A two House Legislature
An example of Bicameral legislature would just be the senate and the house of representatives.
Apportioment
The process of allotting congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population, following the decennial census
Those in the electoral college are part of an apportionment.
Bill
A proposed law.
Obama proposed an abundance of laws during both of his terms such as the affordable health care act/Obama Care.
Impeachment
The power delegated to the house of representatives in the constitution to charge the president, vice president, or other civil officers, including federal judges, with “Treason, Bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors”. This is the first step in the constitutional process of removing government officials in office.
While i’m watching youtube, there are ads to sign for Trump’s Impeachment, and, only if I was 18, I would’ve signed it.
Edmund Burke
Conservative British political philosopher of the eighteenth century who articulated the view that elected representatives should act as “trustees” and use their own best judgment when voting.
Edmund Burke served for many years in the British House of Commons, and was one of the leading figures within the Conservative faction of the Whig party.
Trustee
Role played by a representative who listens to constituents’ opinions and then uses their best judgment to make a final decision
We, as American citizens and in the future, registered voter, are considered to be trustee’s when political elections are coming in play.
Delegate
Role played by a representative who votes the way their constituents would want, regardless of personal opinions; may refer to an elected representative to an elected representative to congress or a representative to the party convention
Delegates would also be considered those in the house of representatives. Recently they’re voting on Trump’s wall.
Politico
An elected representative who acts as a trustee or as a delegate, depending on the issue
Politico theory is from a delegate and trustee models of representation in an effort to formulate a theory that mirrors how representatives actually act in government.
Incumbency
Already Holding an office
An example of someone in incumbency is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Redistricting
The process of redrawing congressional districts to reflect increases or decreasing seats allotted to states, as well as population shifts within a state
As California has been growing in population since it was first discovered, there is a great possibility that this stat was redistricting with representatives.
Gerrymandering
The Drawing of Congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome without regard to the shape of the district
Gerrymandering is when a political group tries to change a voting district to create a result that helps them or hurts the group who is against them and is named after Elbridge Gerry.
Majority Leader
The head of the party controlling the most seats in the House of Representatives or the senate; is second in authority to the speaker of the house and in the senate is regarded as its most powerful member.
Currently the majority leader is Steny Hoyer.
Minority Leader
The head of the party with the second highest number of elected representatives in the house of representatives or the senate
Currently the minority leader is Kevin McCarthy.
Whip
Party leader who keeps close contact with all members of his or her party takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communications link within a party
In congress there’s two types of whip leaders, the minority whip leader being Steve Scalise and the majority whip leader is James Clyburn.
President Pro Tempore
The official chair of the senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party
During the Vice President’s absence, the President pro tempore is empowered to preside over Senate sessions.
Standing Committee
Committee to which proposed bills are referred; continues from one congress to the next
An example of a standing committee is the house of representatives.
Joint Committee
Standing committee that includes members from both house of congress set up to conduct investigations or special studies
An example of a joint committee would be those in the CIA or FBI
Conference Committee
Special Joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the house of representatives
A conference committee that has been going on for a while and was the effect of the month-long government shut down.
Select (or special) committee
Temporary committee appointed for a specific purpose\
Select committees are temporarily formed for specific purposes, often to study a particular issue.
Hilary Clinton
First female major part candidate for president of the United states, a democrat, who ran against President Donald Trump in 2016, Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013; New York senator from 2001 to 2009; former first lady
Hilary Clinton should have been president for the 2016 - 2020 term and would have done better reforms compared to our current president.
House Committee on Rules
The influential rules committee determines the scheduling and conditions, such as length of debate and type of allowable amendments, for all bills in the house of representatives (but not in the senate, where debate is less regulated)
Currently those on HCR are Jim Mcgovern and Tom Cole.
Discharge Petition
Petition that gives a majority of the house of representatives the authority to bring an issue to the floor in the face of committee inaction
An example of a discharge petition has been the discussion of The Wall v Border Security.
Seniority
Time continuous service on a committee
Seniority may be considered in making decisions about wages, layoffs, and other working conditions.
Markup
A session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor
Markup is the process by which a U.S. congressional committee or state legislative session debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation.
Committee of the Whole
procedure that allows the House of Representatives to deliberate with a lower quorum and to expedite consideration and amendment of a bill
The Committee of the Whole House is a committee of the House on which all Representatives serve and which meets in the House Chamber for the consideration of measures from the Union calendar.
Hold
A procedure by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill or nomination is brought to the floor. The request signals leadership that a member may have objections to the bull (or nomination) and should be consulted before further action is taken
A hold is a parliamentary procedure permitted by the Standing Rules of the United States Senate which allows one or more Senators to prevent a motion from reaching a vote on the Senate floor.
Filibuster
A formal way of halting senate action on a bill by means of long speeches or unlimited debate
A filibuster is a political procedure where one or more members of parliament or congress debate over a proposed piece of legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision being made on the proposal.
Cloture
Mechanism requiring the vote of sixty senators to cut off debate
When playing the games on ICivics, you cant pass a bill if there is a cloture.
Veto
The formal, constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both house of congress, thus preventing them from becoming law without further congressional action
Many democrats can support the veto for the wall.
Pocket Veto
If congress adjourns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of congress, the bill is considered vetoed without the presidents signature
Democrats in the House of Rep. do have the power to withhold a pocket veto on the wall.
Richard M. Nixon
The 37th president, a republican, who served from 1969 trough 1974. Nixon advocated detente during the Cold War and resigned rather than face impeachment and likely removal from office due to the Watergate Scandl
Richard M Nixon signed a Selective Service Reform bill aimed at calming conscription .
Congressional Budget Act of 1974
Act that established the congressional budgetary process by laying out a plan for congressional action on the annual budget resolution, appropriations, reconciliation, and other revenue bills
The Congressional Budget Act created standing budget committees in both the House and the Senate
Reconciliation
A procedure that allows consideration of controversial issues affecting the budget and limiting debate to twenty hours, hereby ending threat of a filibuster
Pork
Legislation that allows representatives to bring money and jobs to their districts in the form of public works programs, military bases, or other programs
Programmatic requests
Federal funds designated for special projects within a state or congressional district. Referred to as earmarks
Divided Government
Te political condition in which different political parties control the presidency and at least one house of congress
War Powers Resolution
Passed by Congress in 1973; the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty day period in peacetime (which can be extended for an extra thirsty days to permit with drawl) unless congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period
Congressional Review
A process whereby congress can nullify agency regulations within a 60-day window by passing a joint resolution of legislative disapproval. The president’s approval of the resolution or a two-thirds majority rule in both houses to overrule a presidential veto is also required
Senatorial Courtesy
A process which presidents generally allow senators from the state in which a judicial vacancy occurs to block a nomination by simply registering their objection
Unified Government
The political condition in which the same political party controls the presidency and congress
logrolling
Vote trading; voting to support a colleague’s bill in return for a promise of future support
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Created in 1914, the non-partisan CRS provides information, studies and research in support of the work of Congress and prepares summaries and tracks the progress of all bills
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Established in 1921, the GAO is an independent regulatory agency for the purpose of auditing the financial expenditures of the executive branch and federal agencies; until 2004, the GAO was known as the General Accounting Office
Congressional Budget Office
Created in 1974, the CBO provides congress with evaluations of the potential economic effects proposed spending policies and analyzes the presidents budget and economic projections
Each year CBO releases reports and cost estimates for proposed legislation, without issuing any policy recommendations.
Minority Party
The political Party in each house of congress with the second most members
The minority members in the house of representatives are the republican party.
Party Caucus (or conference)
A formal gathering of all party members
An example of a part Caucus would be to discuss the wall Trump wants to build or the State of the Union address.
Speaker of House
The only officer of the house of representatives specifically mentioned in the constitution; the chambers most powerful position; traditionally a member of the majority party
Nancy Pelosi, who is a democrat, is the speaker of house currently.
Majority Party
The political party in each house of congress with the most members
After the votes were in for the midterm elections, the majority party was the Democrats.
