Unit 5

Question 1

17th amendment

Answer 1

the process for electing senators

Question 2

appropriations

Answer 2

Allotted congressional seats to each state following the decennial census according to their proportion of the population

Question 3

conference committee

Answer 3

special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the house and senate

Question 4

caucuses

Answer 4

a group of congress members sharing some interest or characteristics

Question 5

casework

Answer 5

specifically helping constituents get what they think they have a right too

Question 6

“christmas-tree bill”

Answer 6

informal nomenclature for a bill on the Senate floor that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments. The amendments which adorn the bill may provide special benefits to various groups or interests.

Question 7

incumbency

Answer 7

already holding an office

Question 8

joint committee

Answer 8

standing committee that includes members from both houses to conduct investigations or special studies

Question 9

constituents

Answer 9

voting members of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect

Question 10

“elastic clause”

Answer 10

a statement in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8) granting Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers

Question 11

markup session

Answer 11

a session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor

Question 12

franking privilege

Answer 12

The privilege of sending certain matter through the public mails without payment of postage

Question 13

Germane amendments

Answer 13

an amendment to a bill must be strictly relevant to the bill

Question 14

president pro tempore

Answer 14

the official chair of the senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party

Question 15

select committee

Answer 15

temporary committee appointed for a specific purpose, ex. Watergate, Benghazi

Question 16

senatorial courtesy

Answer 16

a process by which presidents, when selecting district court judges, defer to the senators in whose state the vacancy occurs

Question 17

speaker of the house

Answer 17

the chamber’s most powerful position, usually a member of the majority party

Question 18

standing committee

Answer 18

committee to which proposed bills are referred; continues fro one congress to the next; handle bills in different policy areas, ex. education

Question 19

malapportionment

Answer 19

describes a distribution of representatives within a legislative body that is unequal or unfair

Question 20

oversight

Answer 20

The review, monitoring and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities and policy implementation

Question 21

party whips

Answer 21

party leader who keeps close contact with all members of the party, takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills and acts as a communications link within a party

Question 22

pigeonholing

Answer 22

to put something off for a while

Question 23

revenue bills

Answer 23

a bill (as for imposing a tax) for raising money for any public purpose. The Constitution requires all bills for raising revenue to originate in the HoR

Question 24

seniority system

Answer 24

describes the practice of granting privileges to members of Congress (Senators and Representatives) who have served the longest

Question 25

cloture

Answer 25

a motion generally used in the senate to end a filibuster; requires a 3/5 vote of the full senate; if invoked, further debate is limited to 30 hours

Question 26

bicameral

Answer 26

a two house legislature

Question 27

filibuster

Answer 27

an informal term for extended debate or other procedures used to prevent a vote on a bill in the senate

Question 28

gerrymandering

Answer 28

the drawing of congressional districts to produce a certain electoral outcome without regard to the shape of the district

Question 29

hold

Answer 29

a tactic by which a senator asks to be informed before a bill is brought to the floor to signal leadership that a member may have objections and should be consulted before continuing

Question 30

joint committee

Answer 30

standing committee that includes members from both houses of congress to conduct investigations or special studies

Question 31

logrolling

Answer 31

vote trading; voting to support a colleague’s bill in return for a promise of future support

Question 32

majority leader

Answer 32

the head of the party controlling the most seats

Question 33

minority leader

Answer 33

the head of the party controlling the second most seats

Question 34

pork barrel legislation

Answer 34

legislation that allows reps to to bring money and jobs to their districts in the form of public work projects, military bases or other

Question 35

trustee v. rep

Answer 35

voting for a trustee is voting for someone who knows better than you while voting for a rep is voting for someone who will represent you