Vincent Avila Ch. 6

Question 1

Apportionment

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Bicameral Legislature

Answer 2

A legislature with two houses, or chambers

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

Question 3

Bill

Answer 3

A draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion

Bills are the beginning of the law making process.

Question 4

Cloture

Answer 4

A procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote

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

Question 5

Committee of the Whole

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Conference Committee

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Congressional Review

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Delegate

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Discharge Petition

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

Divided Government

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Edmund Burke

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Filibuster

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Gerrymandering

Answer 15

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

People gerrymander to achieve the results they want.

Question 16

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Hillary Clinton

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Hold

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

House Committee on Rules

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Impeachment

Answer 20

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

Impeachment usually ends with the individual being from office.

Question 21

Incumbency

Answer 21

The current holder of an office

Incumbents have advantages over challengers during elections.

Question 22

Joint Committee

Answer 22

Committees including membership from both houses of Congress

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

Question 23

Logrolling

Answer 23

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”

Question 24

Majority Leader

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Majority Party

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

Markup

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

Minority Leader

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Minority Party

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Party Caucus (or conference)

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

Pocket Veto

Answer 30

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.

Question 31

Politico

Answer 31

A politician or person with strong political views

A politico is someone that’s involved in politics.

Question 32

Pork

Answer 32

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

Question 33

President Pro Tempore

Answer 33

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”

Question 34

Programmatic Requests

Answer 34

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

Earmarks are branded as being “programmatic requests.

Question 35

Reconciliation

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Redistricting

Answer 36

The process of redrawing legislative districts

The quality of our representation is affected by redistricting.

Question 37

Richard M. Nixon

Answer 37

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.

Question 38

Select (or special) Committee

Answer 38

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.

Question 39

Senatorial Courtesy

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Seniority

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

Speaker of the House

Answer 41

The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives

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

Question 42

Standing Committee

Answer 42

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

Question 43

Trustee

Answer 43

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

Question 44

Unified Government

Answer 44

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

Question 45

Veto

Answer 45

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.

Question 46

War Powers Resolution

Answer 46

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.

Question 47

Whip

Answer 47

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

Question 48

Congressional Budget Act of 1974

Answer 48

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.