Congress Ch. 6

Question 1

Bicameral Legislature

Answer 1

A two-house legislature

Question 2

Impeachment

Answer 2

The power delegated to the House of Representatives in the Constitution to charge the president, Vice President, or other “civil officers”, including federal judges “Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” This is the first step in the constitutional process of removing government officials from office.

Question 3

Incumbency

Answer 3

Already holding office.

Question 4

Redistricting

Answer 4

The process of redrawing congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state.

Question 5

Gerrymandering

Answer 5

The drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome without regard to the shape of the district.

Question 6

Majority Party

Answer 6

The political party in each house of Congress with the most members.

Question 7

Minority Party

Answer 7

The political party in each house of Congress with the second most members.

Question 8

Party Caucus (or Conference)

Answer 8

A formal gathering of all party members.

Question 9

Speaker of the House

Answer 9

The only officer of the House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution; the chamber’s most powerful position; traditionally a member of the majority party.

Question 10

Majority Leader

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

Minority Leader

Answer 11

The head of the party with the second highest number of elected representation in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Question 12

Whip

Answer 12

Party leader who keeps close contact with all members of his r her party, takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communication link within a party.

Question 13

President Pro Tempore

Answer 13

The official chair of the Senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party.

Question 14

Standing Committee

Answer 14

Committee to which proposed bills are referred; continues from one Congress to the next.

Question 15

Joint Committee

Answer 15

Standing committee that includes members from both houses of Congress set up to conduct investigations or special studies.

Question 16

Conference Committee

Answer 16

Special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate.

Question 17

Select (or Special) Committee

Answer 17

Temporary committee appointed for a specific purpose.

Question 18

Committee Chairs

Answer 18

Enjoy Tremendous power and prestige, with authorization to select all subcommittee chairs, call meetings, and recommend majority members to sit on conference committees.

Question 19

Committee Membership

Answer 19

Members of Congress set their sight on certain committee assignments based on their expertise or interests or on a particular committee’s ability to help their process of reelection.

Question 20

Committee Referrals

Answer 20

When a bill is introduced in each chamber is sent to the clerk of the chamber who give it a number and then is sent to the appropriate committee for consideration which in turns sends it to the sub committee for research.

Question 21

Markup

Answer 21

A session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor.

Question 22

Hold

Answer 22

A procedure by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill or nomination is brought to the floor. This request signals leadership that a member may have objections to the bill (or nomination) and should be consulted before further action is taken.

Question 23

Filibusters

Answer 23

A formal way of halting Senate action on a bill by means of king speeches or unlimited debate.

Question 24

Cloture

Answer 24

Mechanism requiring the vote of sixty senators to cut off debate.

Question 25

Veto

Answer 25

The formal, constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of Congress, thus preventing them from becoming law without further congressional action.

Question 26

Pocket Veto

Answer 26

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 president’s signature

Question 27

Office of Management and Budget

Answer 27

Two Budgets: one presidential and the other one Congress

Question 28

Congressional Budget Act of 1974

Answer 28

Act that established the congressional budgetary process by laying out a plan for congressional action on the annual budget resolution, appropriation, reconciliation, and any other revenue bills.

Question 29

Reconciliation

Answer 29

A procedure that allows consideration of controversial issues affecting the budget by liking debate to twenty hours, thereby ending threat of a filibuster.

Question 30

Pork

Answer 30

Legislation that allows representatives to bring money and jobs to their districts in the form of public works programs, military bases or other programs.

Question 31

Programmatic Requests

Answer 31

Federal funds designated to special projects within the state or congressional district.

Question 32

War Powers Resolution Act

Answer 32

Passed by Congress in 1973; requires the authorization of Congress to deploy troops overseas and limits the time of their deployment.

Question 33

Congressional Review

Answer 33

A process whereby Congress can nullify agency regulations by a joint resolution of legislative disapproval.