Study Guide: Congress – Flashcards
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Incumbency
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Holding a political office for which one is running
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What advantages do incumbents have?
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voters know how they vote, presidential candidates support, free advertising, credit claiming, and position taking, weak opponents, campaign spending.
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Franking Privilege
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Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free
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Standing Commitee
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a perminate legislative comittiees that studies and debates the proposed laws
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Select/Special Commitee
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temporary committees meant ot investigate specific issues
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Joint Commitee
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a commitee that includes members of both houses
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Conference Commitee
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a joint commitee that meets to help house and senate members agree on the details of a proposed law
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How does a bill become a law?
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Citizens may develop an idea for a law, members of the House or the Senate propose the bill, the House and Senate vote to approve the bill, the President signs the bill or vetos the bill, the bill becomes a law. If vetoed, another vote can be taken. If 2/3 of the House and Senate vote to approve the bill becomes a law.
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Filibuster
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A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.
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Cloture
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A procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill
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Closed Rule; Open Rule
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An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate and forbids a particular bill from being amended on the legislative floor.
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Speaker of the House
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An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.
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Senate Majority Leader
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First-ranking party position, held by a distinguished senior member of the majority party in the Senate. The Senate majority leader schedules floor actions on bills, and helps guide the majority party's legislative program through the Senate.
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Party Whips
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a member of the Senate/House who is chosen by his/her party colleagues to assist the party's floor leader in managing its legislative program.
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House Rules Commitee
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an instituion unique to the House of Reps that reviews all bills (except revenue, budget, and appropriations bills) coming from a House committee before they go to a full house
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Ways & Means Committee
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House of Representatives committee responsible for raising revenue and taxation
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In which house does all revenue legislation originate?
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House of Representatives
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Revenue Bills
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Bills that deal with money must originate in the House of Representatives
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Appropriations Bills
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bills that allow for the spending of the governments money
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Reapportionment
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Process by which representative districts are switched according to population shifts, so that each district encompasses approximately the same number of people.
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Redistricting
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The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.
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Who does redistricting?
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Incumbent
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Gerrymandering
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Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
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Rules for drawing Congressional Distritcts
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Those who have the redistricting pen don't have a blank slate for drawing the lines.
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Malapportionment
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Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population.
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Key Powers of the Speaker of the House
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The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the Speaker of the House (or simply, the Speaker), serves as the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Speaker fulfills several roles, including representing constituents as a Member of Congress, acting as administrative head of the House, and serving as leader of the majority political party in the House.
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Pork Barrel Legislation
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legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return
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Earmarks
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"Hidden" congressional provisions that direct the federal government to fund specific projects or that exempt specific persons or groups from paying specific federal taxes or fees
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Subcommittees
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A group within a standing committee that specializes in a subcategory of its standing committee's responsibility.
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Who draws the boundary lines if congressional districts?
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Congressional Districts are electoral constituencies that elect one member to congress that are mostly based on the population of a certain area. These boundaries are determined by state legislatures in a process referred to as redistricting.
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Divided Government
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Governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
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Baker vs Carr
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The Supreme Court ruling that all state districts must be equal in population., required that voting district needed to be reapportioned.
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Wesberry vs Sanders
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The Court decision saying districts must reflect population. 1 person = 1 vote.
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Reynolds vs Simms
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1964 "1 person = 1 vote"
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How do the Senate and House differ?
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voted on by the people of the US
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Quorum
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Least number of members who must be present for a legislative body to conduct business; majority
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Caucus
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A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.
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Logrolling
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An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills
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Rider
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A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat.
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Committee Chairs
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The most important influencers of the congressional agenda. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house.
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Impeachement
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An action by the house of representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the US of committing "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
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Resolutions: Simple
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Legislative opinions on a matter that do not require Presidential signature (3 types)
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Resolutions: Joint
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is a legislative measure that requires approval by the Senate and the House and is presented to the President for his approval or disapproval, in exactly the same case as a bill.
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Resolutions: Concurrent
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is a resolution (a legislative measure) adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislature that lacks the force of law (is non-binding) and does not require the approval of the chief executive (president). Concurrent resolutions are typically adopted to regulate the internal affairs of the legislature that adopted it, or for other purposes where authority of law is not necessary—such as awards or recognition.
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Oversight
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Congressional review of the activities of an agency, department, or office.
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Thornburg vs Gingles
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Racial fairness, splintering is unconstitutional, packing is also unconstitutional, concentrating the power of minorities by packing all blacks into one district (weaken their power)
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Shaw vs Reno
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carolina 12th district redraw boundaries in order to allow one more black rep.
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Senatorial Courtesy
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Presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work.
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US Term Limits vs Thorton
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state restrictions on who could vote run for congress were unconstitutional
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Party Polarization
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a vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators
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Unanimous Consent
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an agreement on the rules of debate for proposed legislation in the Senate that is approved by all the members
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Lame Duck
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A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection
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20th Amendment
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(FDR) , change of dates for start of presidential/congressional terms
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Discharge Petition
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Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.
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Double-Tracking
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A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business.
