Pt 2: Chapter 11 Vocab

Question 1

A legislature that has two chambers, (the House and the Senate)

Answer 1

Bicameral legislature

Question 2

A proposed law within Congress or another legislature

Answer 2

Bill

Question 3

A parliamentary maneuver that, if a 3/5 majority votes for it, limits Senate debate to 30 hours and has the effect of defeating a filibuster

Answer 3

Cloture

Question 4

A temporary committee that is formed to bargain over the differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill. Members are usually appointed from the House and Senate standing committees that originally worked on the bill

Answer 4

Conference committee

Question 5

The people residing within the geographical area represented by an elected offical

Answer 5

Constituency

Question 6

A procedural tactic in the us senate whereby a minority of legislators prevents a bill from coming to vote by holding the floor and talking until the majority gives in and the bill is withdrawn from consideration

Answer 6

Fillibuster

Leslie Knope

Question 7

The process by which the party in power draws election district boundaries in a way that enhances the reelection prospects of its candidates

Answer 7

Gerrymandering

Question 8

The current holder of a particular public office

Answer 8

Incumbent

Question 9

The policy area in which a particular congressional committee is authorized to act

Answer 9

Jurisdiction (of a congressional committee)

Question 10

A legislative proposal, or bill, that is passed by both the house and the senate and is not vetoed by the president

Answer 10

Law (as enacted by Congress)

Question 11

The authority (of a legislature) to make the laws necessary to carry out the government’s powers

Answer 11

Lawmaking function

Question 12

The congressional election that occurs midway through the president’s term of office

Answer 12

Midterm election

Question 13

An election in which there is no incumbent in the race

Answer 13

Open-seat election

Question 14

A supervisory activity of Congress that centers on its constitutional responsibility to see that the executive carries out the laws faithfully

Answer 14

Oversight function

Question 15

A group that consists of party’s members in the House or Senate and that serves to elect the party’s leadership, set policy goals, and plan party strategy

Answer 15

Party caucus

Question 16

Members of the House and Senate who are chosen by the Dem or Rep caucus in each chamber to represent the party’s interests in that chamber and who give some central direction to the chamber’s work

Answer 16

Party leaders

Question 17

The degree to which a party’s House or Senate members act as a unified group to exert collective control over legislative action

Answer 17

Party unity

Question 18

Spending whose tangible benefits are targeted at a particular legislature’s constituency

Answer 18

Pork (pork-barrel spending)

Question 19

The reallocation of House seats among states after each census as a result of population changes

Answer 19

Reappointment

Question 20

The process of altering election districts in order to make them as nearly equal in population as possible. Redistricting takes place every ten years, after each population census

Answer 20

Redistricting

Question 21

The responsibility of a legislature to represent various interests in society

Answer 21

Representative function

Question 22

A member of Congress’s consecutive years of service in a particular committee

Answer 22

Seniority

Question 23

Use of personal staff by members of Congress to perform services for constituents in order to gain their support in future elections

Answer 23

Service strategy

Question 24

Permanent congressional committees with responsibility for a particular area of public policy. An example is the senate foreign relations committee

Answer 24

Standing committee

Question 25

The president’s rejection of a bill, thereby keeping it from becoming law unless Congress overrides it

Answer 25

Veto

Question 26

When the party members meet among themselves to select candidates.

Answer 26

Caucus

Question 27

An election-type selection process, with general voters going to polling places for a secret ballet

Answer 27

Primary

Question 28

Delegates chosen locally by each party meet in a central location and select a candidate

Answer 28

Convention

Question 29

Whoever wins the most votes in the state, even if not a majority, gets all of the delegates

Answer 29

WTA

Question 30

The state’s delegates are divided up among the candidates, in proportion to their percentage of the vote

Answer 30

Proportional

Question 31

What is a candidates goal?

Answer 31

To get a majority of delegates for the convention

Question 32

Whos the House majority leader?

Answer 32

Kevin McCarthy

Question 33

Whos the House majority whip?

Answer 33

Steve Scalise

Question 34

Whos the Senate majority leader?

Answer 34

Mitch McConnell

Question 35

President of the Senate?

Answer 35

VP Biden

Question 36

Senate pro tempore?

Answer 36

Orin Hatch

Question 37

Minority leader in the House?

Answer 37

Nancy Pelosi