Congress APGOV

Constituents

One of the people represented by a legislator or another elected/appointed official

Homestyle

The actions and behaviors of a Congress member that is aimed at their constituents (voters) at home to gain their support and trust

Hillstyle

The actions and behaviors of a Congress remember in Washington to promote their own policies and career aspirations “on the hill”

Bicameralism

The division of a legislature into two separate assemblies

Lawmaking

The process of establishing the legal rules that govern society

Logrolling

An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree to support each other’s bills

Representation

The function of members of Congress as elected officials to represent the view of their constituents

Trustee

A legislator who acts according to their own conscience and the broad interests of society as a whole

Instructed delegate

A legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected hem and who votes according the the constituents views regardless of their own personal beliefs

Casework

Personal work for constituents by members of Congress

Ombudsperson

A person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials/agencies

Oversight

The process by which Congress follows up on laws that have been encased to ensure they are being enforced and administered in the way they were intended

Enumerated powers

Powers specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution. The first 17 clauses of Article I, Section 8, specific most of the enumerated powers of Congress

12th Amendment

Congress must certify the election of P and VP or chose them if there is no electoral vote majority

16th Amendment

Levy income tax

20/25th Amendment

Determine who will be acting president in case of death or disability of the president and outlines the process for presidential succession

Rules Committee

Standing committee of the HOR that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated. amended, and considered by the House

Rule

The proposal by the Rules Com of the House that states the conditions of debate for one piece of legislation

Unanimous Consent Agreement

An agreement on the rules of debate for proposed legislation in the Senate that is approved by all the members

Filibuster

A use of the Senate’s tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill

Unorthodox lawmaking

The use of out-of-the-ordinary parliamentary tactics to pass legislationthat bypass traditional procedures, often involving multiple steps or unusual alliances.

Direct primary

An intraparty election in which the voters select the candidates who will run on a party’s ticket in the subsequent general election

Party identifier

A person who identifies with a political partyand typically aligns their voting behavior with that party's candidates and policies.

Gerrymandering

The drawing of legislative district boundary lines to obtain partisan or factional advantage. A district is said to be gerrymandered when its shape is manipulated by the dominant party in the state legislature to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party.

Franking

A policy that enables members of Congress to send material through the mail by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage

Discharge petition

Procedure by which a bill in the HOR may be forced (discarded) out of a committee that has refused to report it for consideration by the House. The petition must be signed by an absolute majority (218)of representatives and is used only on rare occasions.

Standing committee

A permeant committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within certain subject areas

Select Committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose

Joint committee

A legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of Congress

Conference committee

A special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress in different forms

Seniority system

A custom followed in both chambers specifying that the member of the majority party with the longest term of continuous service will be given preference when a committee chairperson (or a holder of some other significant post) is selected

Safe seat

A district that returns a legislator with a 55% of the vote or more

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the HOR. The Speaker is always a member of the majority party and is the most powerful influential member of the House.

Majority leader of the House

A legislative position held by an important party member in the HOR. The majority leader is selected by the majority caucus party in caucus or conference to foster cohesion among party members and to act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House.

Minority leader of the House

The party leader elected by the minority party in the House

Whip

A member of Congress who aids the majority or minority leader in the House or Senate

President pro tempore

The temporary presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the VP (VP never shows)

Senate majority leader

The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate who directs the legislative program and party strategy.

Senate minority leader

The party officer in the Senate who commands the minority party’s opposition to the policies of the majority party and directs the legislative program and strategy of their party

Conservative coalition

An alliance of Republicans and Southern Democrats that can form in the House or Senate to oppose liberal legislation and support conservative legislation

Blue Dog Democrats

Members of Congress from more moderate states or districts who sometimes cross over to vote with Republicans on legislation (Choking out moderate Dems until they turned blue)

Polarization

Strong division between groups of people over beliefs

Divided government

The situation when the presidency and one or more houses of Congress are controlled by different parties

Earmark

Funding appropriation that is specifically designated for a named project in a member’s state or district (one man’s pork another mans job)

Pork

Special projects or appropriations that are intended to benefit a member’s district or state; slang term for earmarks (brining home the bacon)

Executive budget

The budget prepared and submitted by the president to Congress

Fiscal year (FY)

A 12-month period that is used for bookkeeping, or accounting, purposes. Usually’s the fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year. For example, the federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30

Spring Review

The annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to review their programs, activities, and goals and submit their requests for funding in the fiscal year

Fall review

The annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget, after refining formal federal agency requests for tuning for the next fiscal year, reviews the requests, makes changes, and submits recommendations to the president

First budget resolution

A resolution passed by Congress in May that sets overall revenue and spending goals for the following fiscal year

Authorization

A formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency. Some authorizations terminate in a year; others are renewable automatically, without further congressional action

Appropriation

The passage by Congress of a spending bill specifying the amount of authorized funds that actually will be allocated for an agency’s use

Second budget resolutions

A resolution passed by Congress in September that sets “binding” limits on taxes and spending for the following fiscal year

Continuing resolution

A temporary funding law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decidedly the beginning of the new fiscal year on Oct 1