The Legislative Branch Flashcards
refers to the authority of the Senate to approve or reject a resolution of ratification of any treaty to which the US is a proposed signatory, as well as to evaluate and confirm Presidential nominees to positions in the federal government
Advice and Consent
the theory of congressional voting behavior which assumes that members vote on the basis of their own beliefs because the array of conflicting pressures on members cancel out one another
Attitudinal View of Representation
U.S. Supreme Court case that held that federal courts could hear cases alleging that a state’s drawing of electoral boundaries, i.e. redistricting, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution
Baker v. Carr
a Senate procedure that limits further consideration of a pending proposal to thirty hours in order to end a filibuster
Cloture Rule
a joint committee that is appointed to hold a conference on differing versions of a bill
Conference Committee
a means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from the committee by “discharging” the committee from further consideration of a bill or resolution
Discharge Petition
a type of government in presidential systems, when control of the executive branch and the legislative branch is split between two political parties, respectively, and in semi-presidential systems, when the executive branch itself is split between two parties
Divided Government
an action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures
Fillibuster
the relevance or appropriateness of amendments or motions to the item under discussion
Germaneness
manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class
Gerrymandering
the practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation
logrolling
an electoral district, such as a United States congressional district, in which the majority of the constituents in the district are racial or ethnic minorities
Majority-Minority Districts
a single document that is accepted in a single vote by a legislature but packages together several measures into one or combines diverse subjects
Omnibus Bill
the theory of congressional voting behavior which assumes that members make voting decisions to please fellow members and obtain their goodwill. Such behavior is possible since constituents seldom know how their representatives vote. Members vote by following cues provided by colleague
Organizational View of Representation
is the divergence of political attitudes away from the centre, towards ideological extremes
Party Polarization
a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district
Pork Barrel Lesgislation / Earmarks
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representational view of representation
an additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill
Rider
a legislative committee responsible for expediting the passage of bills
Rules Committee (HOR)
is an electoral district (constituency) in a legislative body (e.g. Congress, Parliament, City Council) which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both
Safe District (HOR)
a custom whereby presidential appointments are confirmed only if there is no objection to them by the senators from the appointee’s state, especially from the senior senator of the president’s party from that state
Senatorial Courtesy
is seen as the chief spokesperson for their party in the Senate, and, if the House is controlled by the opposite party, the United States Congress as whole
Senate Majority Leader
provides for the election of senators by replacing the phrase “chosen by the Legislature thereof” with “elected by the people thereof.”
Seventeenth Amendment
Shaw’s group claimed that drawing districts based on race violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 lead to the rise of the Shaw v. Reno court case which allowed for more representation of the Black (minority) representation in the state of North Carolina
Shaw v. Reno
