Unit 2 Test (vocab)

Question 1

constitutes

Answer 1

citizens from state or office that an elected official represents

Question 2

Congressional budget office

Answer 2

Non-partisan agency created by government to assist in the budget process

Question 3

safe districts

Answer 3

Electoral district in which the candidate from that party usually wins by 55 percent or more

Question 4

franking privilege

Answer 4

Free postage so the members of congress can send their constitutes mail about what is going on

Question 5

casework

Answer 5

process of finding solutions to the constituents problems

Question 6

redistricting

Answer 6

drawing congressional district boundaries to accord with population changes

Question 7

reapporitantment

Answer 7

periodic changes of the 435 house seats based on population

Question 8

gerrymander

Answer 8

drawing congressional boundaries to the advantage of one party

Question 9

racial gerrymandering

Answer 9

Redistricting that affects the racial and ethnic groups of people in that region. (is not alllowed)

Question 10

majority-minority district

Answer 10

a district in which there are a lot of minorities

Question 11

descriptive representation

Answer 11

The idea that a representative should have the same demographics as the people

Question 12

delegate representation

Answer 12

representation that mirrors the daily issues that the people have

Question 13

trustee representation

Answer 13

trusting the lawmakers own judgment

Question 14

politico style of representation

Answer 14

lawmaker tries to balance the opinions of the constituents and their own beliefs

Question 15

earmarks

Answer 15

funding for specific projects that are added by members of congress to appropriations bills.

Question 16

speaker of the house

Answer 16

most powerful leader of the house of representatives

Question 17

majority leader

Answer 17

leader of the majority party in each house. responsible for marshaling support for the parties agenda

Question 18

whips

Answer 18

assistant party leaders in each house whose jobs include ensuring that party members are present for floor votes and prepared to vote as the party prefers

Question 19

logrolling

Answer 19

trading votes for the mutual advantage of each member in the senate (done by whips)

Question 20

president pro-tempore

Answer 20

The second highest ranking in the US Senate

Question 21

committee chairs

Answer 21

The leaders of congressional committees. They usually have the most power in a majority committee

Question 22

Ranking minority member

Answer 22

the highest position on the minority committee. (usually the most senior of anyone on that committee.)

Question 23

discharge position

Answer 23

Method for freeing legislation from a committee in the house that requires 218 signatures

Question 24

filibuster

Answer 24

senate practice of continuous debate often employed to stop pending legislative action

Question 25

oversight

Answer 25

congressional authority to monitor the actions and budgets of executive agencies it creates

Question 26

Reconciliation

Answer 26

Process of amending spending bills to meet budget targets

Question 27

omnibus bill

Answer 27

A bill that folds spending for all executive agencies into one legislative package

Question 28

caucus

Answer 28

voter gathering used to select who to run in the general election

Question 29

nominating convection

Answer 29

meeting of delegates from all states and territories to elect who will run for president

Question 30

battleground state

Answer 30

a state where neither party holds much of an edge

Question 31

express powers

Answer 31

powers given to the president by the constitution

Question 32

delegated powers

Answer 32

powers ceded to president by congress

Question 33

discretionary powers

Answer 33

power that the president assumes, giving him greater authority and flexibility in performing duties in office

Question 34

recess appointment

Answer 34

Political appointment made by president when congress is out of session

Question 35

rescission

Answer 35

cutback of funds for particular programs that requires congressional approval

Question 36

line item veto

Answer 36

Executive power to reject a portion of a bill

Question 37

extraordinary rendition

Answer 37

The practice of secretely abducting terriorist suspects and taking them to undisclosed locations

Question 38

executive agreement

Answer 38

a pact made between the president and foreign leader of government that does not require senate approval

Question 39

coattails

Answer 39

This has to do with the success of the president that could potentially help the candidates of the same party that are running for something lower

Question 40

honeymood period

Answer 40

This is the time when congress and the people give the president the most latitude in decision making (right after he is elected president)

Question 41

Chief of staff

Answer 41

the official in charge of coordinating between president and other staffers