Unit 2 Flashcards
trustee role
elected official will ultimately rely on their own judgement when making decisions. Politicians believe that their constituents have elected them because they trust their judgment to make the right decision to advance the interests of the nation.
delegate role
: Elected officials view themselves only as a mirror of their constituents. To the extent that it is possible, their behavior will reflect the wishes of the people in the district, even if it goes against the conscience of the elected official
politico role
the elected official will follow the trustee model until their constituents push them towards the delegate model on certain issue
partisan role
voting on party lines
political gerrymandering
practice of dividing a geographic area into electoral districts, often of highly irregular shape, to give one political party an unfair advantage by diluting the opposition’s voting strength
racial gerrymandering
district lines are drawn to prevent racial minorities from electing their preferred candidates
reapportionment
process of reallocating seats in the House every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census
redistricting
redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following a census , to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population
safe seat
an area in which the candidate from one particular party nearly always wins by a large number of votes.
constituency
The individuals who live within the geographical area represented by an elected official
caucus
association of congressional members who advocate a political ideology, regional, ethnic, or economic interest
congressional committees
groups of Members appointed to investigate, debate, and report on legislation
standing committee
permanent committees focused on particular policy areas
i.e committee on transportaion
majority party controls legislation
joint committee
congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses
members do routine management and research
select committee
short term congressional committees appointed for a specific purpose
ie watergate invsitgation
confernece committee
committee created to iron out the differneces in versions of a vill passed by house and senate
finished bill is sent to pres
speaker of the house
office mandated by the Constitution; is chosen in practice by the majority, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant
president of senate
VP
only called in to breake ties
President Pro Tempore
high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the Vice President
Majority/minority Leader
serve as the spokesperson for their party’s positions on the issues and coordinate their respective legislative strategies.
majority/minority whip
party leaders who work with the majority or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party
committee chairspersn
presiding officer of a committee
scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house
Rules Committee
review most bills after they come from the full committee and before they go to the full chamber for consideration. They determine the date the bill will be debated, the time allotted for discussion, and often what amendments can be made.
committee of the whole
the House of Representatives operating as a committee on which every Member of the House serves
elax the usual limits on debate, allowing a more open exchange of views without the urgency of a final vote
filibuster
strategy unique to the Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question., based on unlimited debate
cloture
a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster
quorom
The number of senators that must be present for the Senate or House to do business. The Constitution requires a majority of senators (51) and representatives (218) for a quorum
hold
A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of the bill or nomination
unanimous consent
Agreement on any question or matter before the Senate that sets aside a rule of procedure to expedite proceedings
discharge petition
a means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from the committee.
prevents a minority from stopping a majoritys desire to discuss a bill
logrolling
exchange of political favors for support of a bill
franking privelege
privilege that allows members of Congressmen to mail letters and other materials to constituents postage-free
discretionary spending
money formally approved by Congress and the President during the appropriations process each year
diveded into defense and nondefense
Mandatory Spending
funding for entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security and other payments to people, businesses, and state and local governments
entitlements
rights granted to citizens and certain non-citizens by federal law
include Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and welfare programs.
budget deficit
occurs when money going out (spending ) exceeds money coming in (revenue ) during a defined period
debt ceiling
total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations
pork barrel legislation
the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to direct expenditures to a representative’s district in return for their political support,
earmarks
a provision inserted into a discretionary spending appropriations bill that directs funds to a specific recipient while circumventing the merit-based or competitive funds allocation process
rider
an addition or amendment added to a bill that often has no relation to the bill but that may not pass on its own merits
divided government
one party controls the White House (executive branch), while another party controls one or both houses of the United States Congress
