Vincent Avila Ch. 6 Flashcards

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1
Q

Apportionment

A

Measures the population so that seats in the U.S. House of Representatives can be correctly apportioned among the states

Apportionment makes sure that each state has the equal amount of representatives per population.

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2
Q

Bicameral Legislature

A

A legislature with two houses, or chambers

The United States Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate

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3
Q

Bill

A

A draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion

Bills are the beginning of the law making process.

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4
Q

Cloture

A

A procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote

Cloture happens toward the end of discussion, before a vote.

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5
Q

Committee of the Whole

A

The whole membership of a legislative house (as the House of Representatives) sitting as a committee and operating under informal parliamentary rules

Committee of the whole consists of every member discussing issues.

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6
Q

Conference Committee

A

A committee of the United States Congress appointed by the House of Representatives and Senate to resolve disagreements on a particular bill

Conference committee is a very important process that a bill might take.

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7
Q

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

A

A federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress

The CBO deals with the economical side of the legislative branch.

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8
Q

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

A

A branch of the Library of Congress that provides objective, nonpartisan research, analysis, and information to assist Congress in its legislative, oversight, and representative functions

CRS Reports are the encyclopedic research reports written to clearly define issues in a legislative context

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9
Q

Congressional Review

A

The law empowers Congress to review, by means of an expedited legislative process, new federal regulations issued by government agencies and, by passage of a joint resolution, to overrule a regulation

This allows congress to be able to overrule a regulation that they don’t like.

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10
Q

Delegate

A

A person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular an elected representative sent to a conference

A delegate is usually the member of a group and is often a representative

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11
Q

Discharge Petition

A

A means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from the committee by “discharging” the committee from further consideration of a bill or resolution

Allows the majority to be able to force a floor vote on a bill.

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12
Q

Divided Government

A

Describes a situation in which one party controls the executive branch while another party controls one or both houses of the legislative branch

A government in which the same party controls both the white house and both houses of Congress is a divided government.

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13
Q

Edmund Burke

A

An Irish statesman born in Dublin, as well as an author, orator, political theorist and philosopher, who after moving to London in 1750 served as a member of parliament (MP) between 1766 and 1794 in the House of Commons with the Whig Party

Burke appealed to British values.

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14
Q

Filibuster

A

An action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures

Filibusters could be seen as a form of procrastination.

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15
Q

Gerrymandering

A

Manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class

People gerrymander to achieve the results they want.

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16
Q

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

A

An independent agency that investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars

The head of the GAO is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a list of candidates proposed by Congress

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17
Q

Hillary Clinton

A

An American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. She served as the 67th United States Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton was also first lady at one point.

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18
Q

Hold

A

A parliamentary procedure permitted by the Standing Rules of the United States Senate which allows one or more Senators to prevent a motion from reaching a vote on the Senate floor

A hold allows Senators to block a bill that they don’t like.

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19
Q

House Committee on Rules

A

It is in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor.

The Rules Committee also reviews, adopts and schedules consideration of floor resolutions

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20
Q

Impeachment

A

Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body levels charges against a government official.

Impeachment usually ends with the individual being from office.

21
Q

Incumbency

A

The current holder of an office

Incumbents have advantages over challengers during elections.

22
Q

Joint Committee

A

Committees including membership from both houses of Congress

Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation

23
Q

Logrolling

A

The trading of favors, or quid pro quo, such as vote trading by legislative members to obtain passage of actions of interest to each legislative member

Logrolling is seen as “mutual praise by authors of each other’s work”

24
Q

Majority Leader

A

The leader of the majority party in a legislative body, especially the party member who directs the activities of the majority party on the floor of either the Senate or the House of Representatives

The majority leader helps plan daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas

25
Q

Majority Party

A

A political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government usually with comparative regularity and when defeated to constitute the principal opposition to the party in power

The current majority party is the Republican Party.

26
Q

Markup

A

The process by which a U.S. congressional committee or state legislative session debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation

The markup process varies by locality.

27
Q

Minority Leader

A

The head of the minority party in a legislative body, especially the US Senate or House of Representatives

Minority leaders act as chief spokespersons and strategists for their parties.

28
Q

Minority Party

A

A political party whose electoral strength is so small as to prevent its gaining control of a government except in rare and exceptional circumstances

Four major types of minor parties: enduring, single-issue, candidate-centered, and fusion parties

29
Q

Party Caucus (or conference)

A

A meeting that party members attend to decide policies and choose candidates to run for office

The political parties of the U.S. are chosen by the party caucus.

30
Q

Pocket Veto

A

An indirect veto of a legislative bill by the president or a governor by retaining the bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with during the legislative session

Pocket vetoes are vetoes that weren’t dealt with and time and can no longer be passed.

31
Q

Politico

A

A politician or person with strong political views

A politico is someone that’s involved in politics.

32
Q

Pork

A

A metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district

Pork in election campaigns is a term that is used in derogatory fashion to attack opponents

33
Q

President Pro Tempore

A

A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the vice president

The president pro tempore can be labeled as the “president for a time”

34
Q

Programmatic Requests

A

Guidance solicited by the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees from Members of Congress

Earmarks are branded as being “programmatic requests.

35
Q

Reconciliation

A

A legislative process of the United States Congress that allows expedited passage of certain budgetary legislation on spending, revenues, and the federal debt limit with a simple majority vote in both the House (218 votes) and Senate (51 votes)

Reconciliation uses two sets of records to ensure figures are correct and in agreement

36
Q

Redistricting

A

The process of redrawing legislative districts

The quality of our representation is affected by redistricting.

37
Q

Richard M. Nixon

A

The 37th president of the United States from 1969 until 1974 and the only president to resign from the position

Richard M. Nixon subsequently served on active duty in the U.S. Navy Reserve during World War II.

38
Q

Select (or special) Committee

A

A congressional committee appointed to perform a special function that is beyond the authority or capacity of a standing committee

Select (or special) Committee is used to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy.

39
Q

Senatorial Courtesy

A

A long-standing unwritten, unofficial, and nonbinding political custom

Senatorial courtesy plays an important role in the appointments of official positions, and has the power to make or break a nomination

40
Q

Seniority

A

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

People that work somewhere longer gain seniority and are less likely to get in trouble.

41
Q

Speaker of the House

A

The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives

The Speaker, a member of the House, is elected by a majority party caucus

42
Q

Standing Committee

A

Permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules

The purpose of standing committees is to consider and recommend actions and propose policies in the functional areas under their jurisdictions

43
Q

Trustee

A

A synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another

A trustee is legally and morally bound to manage the trust property in a responsible and productive manner

44
Q

Unified Government

A

A government in which the same party controls both the white house and both parties of Congress

A Unified Government makes it easy to pass and enact legislation because of the shared goals held by members of the same party

45
Q

Veto

A

The power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions, enactments, etc

A veto is the right of a president, governor, or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature.

46
Q

War Powers Resolution

A

A federal law intended to check the president’s power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress

War Powers Resolution allows Congress to limit the President’s use of military forces.

47
Q

Whip

A

An official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature

The purpose of the whip is to get the Government’s business through Parliament

48
Q

Congressional Budget Act of 1974

A

A United States federal law that governs the role of the Congress in the United States budget process

The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 overhauled the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921.