Unit 4 Legislative Vocab Flashcards
Bicameral
A legislature with 2 separate chambers (ex: Senate & House of Representatives in the US)
Enumerated Powers
Specific powers granted to Congress by Consitution (Article 1 Section 8)
Implied Powers
Powers not explicitly stated in Consitution but are assumed to be necessary for Congress (“Necessary and Proper Clause”)
Speaker of the House
Leader of House of Representatives
Filibuster
A strategy used in Senate to delay/block a vote on a bill by speaking for an extended period (basically stalling)
Cloture
A procedure in Senate to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote (requires supermajority)
Rules Committee
A committee in the House of Representatives that determines the rules for debating & voting on bills
House Ways and Means Committee
A powerful House committee responsible for writing tax laws & overseeing social programs (ex: Social Security)
Discharge Petition
A petition used to bring a bill out of committee & to floor for a vote, bypassing committee leadership
Discretionary Spending
Government spending not required by law & decided by Congress through annual budget process
Mandatory Spending
Government spending required by law (funding for Medicare)
Entitlement Spending
Government spending on programs that provide benefits to eligible citizens
Debt/Deficit
The total amount the government owes due to borrowing
Monetary Spending
Management of money supply & interest rates by central bank to influence economy
Fiscal Policy
Government policies on taxation & spending to influence economy
Pork Barrel Legislation
Laws passed to benefit a specific group, often involving gov spending
Logrolling
When lawmakers agree to vote for each other’s bills to gain support for their own
Divided/United Government
Divided Government: when different parties control presidency & Congress
United Government: when one party controls both presidency & Congress
Incumbency
The status of holding a political office (advantageous in re-election like name recognition)
Partisanship Voting
When legislators vote based on party lines instead of individual beliefs/concerns
Polarization
The growing division between political parties (extreme positions & less compromise)
Gridlock
When government is unable to pass laws due to disagreements
Gerrymandering
The manipulation of district boundaries to favor a particular group
Redistricting
The process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts
Reapportionment
The process of redistributing the number of congressional seats based on changes in population after a census
Trustee Model
A model of representation where elected officials make decisions based on their judgment & the public good
Delegate Model
A model of representation where elected officials act as delegates, representing the views and wishes of their constituents
Politico Model
A mix of the trustee & delegate models where elected officials consider both their judgment and constituents’ preferences when making decisions
