US Government Vocabulary Flashcards
Term
Two-year period of time during which congress meets
Session
Period of time during which, each year, congress assembles and conducts business
Special session
An extraordinary session of a legislative body, called to deal with an emergency situation
Apportion
Distribute, as in seats in a legislative body
Reapportion
Redistribute, as in seats in a legislative body
Off-year election
Congressional election that occurs between presidential election years
Single-member district
electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office
Continuous body
Governing unit, whose seats are never all up for election at the same time
Constituency
The people and interests that an elected official represents
Direct tax
One must be paid directly to the government by the person on whom it is imposed
Indirect tax
One first paid by one person but then passed on to another
Public debt
All of the money borrowed by the government and not yet repaid, plus the accrued interest on the money: also called the national debt or federal debt
Bankruptcy
The legal proceeding by which a bankrupt person’s assets are distributed among those to whom he or she owes debts
Naturalization
The legal process by which citizens of one country become citizens of another
Copyright
The exclusive, legal right of a person to reproduce, publish, and sell his or her own literary, musical, or artistic creations
Patent
A license issued to an inventor granting the exclusive right to maunfacture, use, or sell his or her invention for a limited period of time
Censure
Issue a formal condemnation
Subpoena
An order for a person to appear and to produce documents or other requested materials
Speaker of the house
The presiding officer of the house of representatives, chosen by and from the majority party in the house
President pro tempore
The member of the united states senate, or of the upper house of a state’s legislature, chosen to preside in the absence of the president of the senate
Committe chairman
Member who heads a standing committee in a legislative body
Rider
Unpopular provision added to an important bill certain to pass so that it will “ride” through the legislative process
Discharge petition
A procedure enabling members to force a bill that has been pigeonhold in committee onto the floor for consideration
Committe of the whole
An old parliamentary device for speeding business on the floor
Quorum
Least number of members who must be present for a legislative body to conduct business; majority
Engrossed
To print a bill in its final form
Filibuster
Various tactics aimed at defeating a bill in legislative body by preventing a final vote; associated with the U.S senate ; see cloture
Cloture
Procedure that may be used to limit or end floor debate in a legislative body
Veto
Chief executive’s power to reject a bill passed by a legislature; literally “I forbid”; see pocket veto
Pocket Veto
Type of veto a cheif executive may use after a legislature has adjourned; when the chief executive does not sign or reject a bill within the time allowed to do so; see veto
