Unit 4 Vocab (Legislative Branch) Flashcards
Descriptive representation
The idea that a group elects an individual to represent them who in their own characteristics mirror some of the more frequent experiences and outward manifestations of the group
Substantive representation
The tendency of elected legislators to advocate on behalf of certain groups
Bicameral legislature
Any lawmaking body of government that consists of two separate houses or chambers, such as the House of Representatives and the Senate that make up the United States Congress
Speaker of the House
The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives
Majority leader
The head of the majority party in a legislative body, especially the US Senate or House of Representatives
Whips
Assistants to the floor leaders who are also elected by their party conferences
Minority leader
The head of the minority party in a legislative body, especially the US Senate or House of Representatives
Standing committee
Permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules
Subcommittee
A committee composed of some members of a larger committee, board, or other body and reporting to it
Joint committee
A committee made up of members of the two chambers of a bicameral legislature
Conference committee
A joint committee of the United States Congress appointed by the House of Representatives and Senate to resolve disagreements on a particular bill
Select committee
A small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose
Committee chairs
The parliamentary heads of a committee
Seniority system
The status given senators according to their length of service, which entitles a senator with greater seniority to preferential treatment in matters such as committee assignments
Caucus (congressional)
An informal organization of members of the House or the Senate, or both, that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members
Incumbents
The current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election
National Debt
the total amount of money that a country’s government has borrowed, by various means.
Social insurance taxes
taxes collected to pay for Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment compensation programs; regressive taxes
Capital budget
. A budget for items that will serve for the long-term. In the federal government, these purchases are counted as current expenditures and run up the deficit
Tax expenditures
represent the difference between what the government actually collects in taxes and what it would have collected without special exemptions
Social security act
The law that provided for Social Security and is the basis of modern American social welfare.
Medicare
A program added to the Social Security system in 1965 that provides hospitalization insurance for the elderly and permits older Americans to purchase inexpensive coverage for doctor fees and other health expenses.
Incrementalism
A description of the budget process where the best predictor of this year’s budget is last year’s budget, plus a little bit more (an increment).
Uncontrollable expenditures/ mandatory spending
Expenditures that are determined not by a fixed amount of money appropriated by Congress but by how many eligible beneficiaries there are for a program or by previous obligations of the government
Entitlements
those benefits guaranteed by law paid to individuals by the federal government, such. as Social Security.
House ways and means committee
The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole
Senate finance committee
. The Senate committee that, along with the House Ways and Means Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of congress as a whole
Congressional budget office
Advises congress on the probable consequences of its decisions, forecasts revenues, and is a counterweight to the president’s OMB
Budget resolution
A resolution binding Congress to a total expenditure level, supposedly the bottom line of all federal spending for all programs
Reconciliation
A congressional process through which program authorizations are revised to achieve required savings
Authorization bill
an act of Congress that establishes a discretionary government program or an entitlement, or that continues or changes such programs.
Appropriations bill
An act of Congress that actually funds programs within limits established by authorization bills
Continuing resolutions
when Congress cannot reach agreement and pass appropriations bills, these resolutions allow agencies to spend at the level of the previous year.
