Leg Flashcards
Bicameral legislature
A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or houses
Quorum
The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress
Franking privilege
The ability of congressional members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by using their signature for postage.
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 members holding the minority of seats in the House or the Senate.
Whip
A senator or representative who assists the party leader by staying informed about the voting decisions of other members.
Party polarization
A strong division in the views of Republicans and Democrats on the legislative agenda.
Congressional caucus
A group of congressional members that meet to pursue a common legislative agenda.
Standing committees-
Permanently established legislative committees that review and consider bills in both the House and Senate.
Select committees
Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and usually for an investigative purpose.
Joint Committees
A committee made up of members from both the House and the Senate.
Conference committees-
A joint committee appointed to iron out the differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill.
Discharge petition
A device used to force a bill that has been stuck in committee for over thirty days, out onto the floor.
Unanimous consent
a request or agreement setting the terms for the consideration or debate of a specified bill or other measure.
Political/policy agenda
Issues that people believe require governmental action
Logrolling
Logrolling- Practice of legislators trading mutual support for their legislative proposals.
Divided government-
Occurs when different parties control the White House and Congress.
Unified government
Occurs when the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress.
Hold
A stalling approach by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor; tactic used to stop a bill from reaching the floor.
Earmarks
Hidden” congressional provisions that designate money for specific projects or programs.
Pork barrel legislation-
Legislation that provides benefits to constituents in a particular district or state in the hope of winning their votes in return. For example: providing funding to build a bridge in a particular city.
Trustee
Descriptive of elected representatives who use their best judgment when making legislative voting decisions.
Delegate
Descriptive of elected representatives who base their legislative voting decisions on the desires and opinions of their constituents.
Politico
- Politico- Descriptive of elected representatives who balance their constituents’ opinions with their best judgment when making legislative voting decisions
Cloture rule
A process used by the Senate to end or limit debate/filibusters
Filibuster
An attempt to stall or defeat a bill in the Senate by talking for an extended period of time.
Gerrymandering
The practice of drawing districts in unusual shapes for the political advantage of one political party or group.
Reapportionment
The practice of redistributing House seats every ten years according to census data.
Malapportionment
The practice of distributing House seats into unequal districts, which diminishes certain district’s interests
Redistricting
- Redistricting- The redrawing of legislative district lines after the census has been taken, to accommodate population shifts and ensure equal representation
Constituency
The individuals who live in the area an elected official is representing.
