Legislative vocab Flashcards
Bicameral
having two branches or chambers.
Separation of powers
the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.
Checks and balances
provides each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
Senate
the upper chamber in a bicameral legislature
House of representatives
the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers, and part of the federal government’s legislative branch.
Bill
the form used for most legislation, whether permanent or temporary, general or special, public or private.
Impeachment
a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct
Head of state
he highest representative of a sovereign state, who may or may not also be its head of government
Commander in Chief
a head of state or officer in supreme command of a country’s armed forces.
Presidential Cabinet
The Cabinet is an advisory body made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments.
Franking privilege-
allows them to send mail free of charge through the United States Postal Service.
Immunity-
refers to legal protection that exempts a person from liability, punishment, or legal action that would otherwise apply
Speaker of the House
The Speaker of the House is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President
President Pro Tempore
The Constitution instructs the Senate to choose a president pro tempore to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president.
Ex Post Facto
most typically used to refer to a criminal statute that punishes actions retroactively, thereby criminalizing conduct that was legal when originally performed.
Bill of Attainder
is legislation that imposes punishment on a specific person or group of people without a judicial trial.
Writ of Habeaus Corpus
a protection against illegal imprisonment
Veto
a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body
Pocket veto
an indirect veto of a legislative bill by the president or a governor by retaining the bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with during the legislative session.
