Poli 110 Final Brown

ad hoc committee

Appointed for a limited time and design and report a specific piece of legislation

conference committee

Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form.

select committee

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

special committee

a temporary committee organized around a specific purpose. Lacks the authority to review legislation.

Rules Committee

A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house.

Common Law

A legal system based on custom and court rulings

Civil Law

A law that governs relationships between individuals and defines their legal rights.

Statutory Law

Law passed by the U.S. Congress or state legislatures

Constitutional Law

law that involves the interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions

Administrative Law

The body of law created by administrative agencies (in the form of rules, regulations, orders, and decisions) in order to carry out their duties and responsibilities.

Case Law

Judicial interpretations of common law principles and doctrines, as well as interpretations of constitutional law, statutory law, and administrative law.

case work

Activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals; cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get

Closed Rule (House)

amendments to the bill cannot be offered

Open Rule (House)

Any member may offer an amendment that complies with standing rules of the House. Amend as it is being debated.

Filibuster

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.

cloture vote

Ends a filibuster, with a 60% of the votes to get it to end. (Senate)

conditional party government

The theory that lawmakers from the same party will cooperate to develop policy proposals. Majority party will have full control of what comes to the floor.

Continuing Resolution

a measure which allows agencies to continue working based on the previous year's budget.

discharge petition

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.

Earmarks

Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.

Entitlements

Benefits to which every eligible person has a legal right and that the government cannot deny.

Term length for Senate

six years

Term length for House of Representatives

two years

Reapportionment

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census. Number of House representatives for each state.

Redistricting

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.

Gerrymandering

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

majority leader

the legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or Senate

Multiple Referral of a Bill

Sending a bill to be considered by more than one committee in the same chamber.

pork-barrel legislation

Legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary or unwise projects within a state or district, to enhance a member's chance of reelection

President Pro Tempore

Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president (McConnel)

proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote. (The House)

Quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress. 51 Senate. 218 House.

restricted rule

Between open and closed rule. certain things are available for amending.

roll-call vote

a vote in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically. Determines if a quorum is present.

Speaker of the House

Nancy Pelosi

Brad Wilson (Utah)

status quo bias

tendency to do nothing when faced with making a decision

unanimous consent agreement

Rules under which the Senate debates, offers amendments, and votes on a given bill. All members of the chamber must agree to them, so any senator can object and halt progress on a bill.

General Session

meeting to discuss legislation. No bill shall pass that has more than one topic. (Omnibus)

Omnibus Bill

One very large bill that encompasses many separate bills.

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

party caucus

a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house

Leadership.

Presiding officer, majority and minority leader, majority and minority whip, assisted whip and conference chair.

Staff

21,362 in congress

professionalized legislature

Citizen legislatures are made of people who have other, full-time jobs.

When do the "best" candidates run?

When there isn't a lot of opposition. Same party as the president.

Electoral advantage

Name recognition

Familiarity.

The won before for a reason.

Will have more money.

Expertise.

strategic entry

Planned distribution, creates red/blue waves.

amateur candidate

one who does not have election or government experience

professional candidate

Experience in elections and positions.

wave election

an election where one political party wins, resulting in a change of control in the presidency and Congress, increased control the Congress, or change of control in one or both house of Congress

incumbent

the current officeholder

incumbancy advantage

The electoral benefit of holding office, in particular as it relates to the very high rates at which Congressional legislators win reelection

reelection incentive

advertising, credit claiming, position taking

Geographic Constituency

Everyone- determine relative homogeneity of constituents

Ex: race, religion, income, age, profession, partisanship

reelection constituency

The people within a Congress member's House district who can be counted on for support.

personal constituency

A small number of intimate friends, advisors, and confidants who support a member of Congress.

issue representation

focus on high policy content.

Service Representation

Casework

allocation representation

directing money back to constituents.

descriptive representation

the idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents

Delegate style of representation

the representative tries to mirror perfectly the views of his or her constituents.

Trustee style of representation

A Public Official who votes independent of the voters, interest groups, or primary employers based on one's perceived interest of the nation is higher than the state or congressional district.

soft money

Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.

How a Bill passes through Congress?

In the house, from drafting to introduction to referral to committee to committee hearing (where the action happens) to committee vote to rules committee to floor debate and floor vote

In the Senate, the same without a rules committee.

Senate philosophy

Protect the individual at the expense of the majority.

House philosophy

Protect the majority at the expense of the individual.

direct initiative

a process in which voters can place a proposal on a ballot and enact it into law without involving the legislature or the governor

indirect initiative

a process in which the legislature places a proposal on a ballot and allows voters to enact it into law, without involving the governor or further action by the legislature

legislative referendum

Ballot measure aimed at securing voter approval for some legislative acts, such as changes to a state's constitution.

popular referendum

A device that allows citizens to approve or repeal measures already acted on by legislative bodies.

Filling the Amendment Tree (Senate)

The Senate Majority Leader proposes a series of unimportant amendments to prevent unwanted amendments from coming to the floor.

Initiative

the ability to assess and initiate things independently.

Recall

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office

How do our expectations of presidents compare with their formal authority?

Protection, prosperity, policy

Personal comes into play occasionally.

No formal legislative power.

Needs public pressure.

-----------------

Enacts legislation.

Veto

Make treaties

Judicial Appointees.

Chief Clerk Era

Main job was staffing cabinet.

stewardship theory of the presidency

A theory that argues for a strong, assertive presidential role, with presidential authority limited only at points specifically prohibited by law.

Depression and WWII

Increase in executive power

OMB

Office of Management and Budget

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

Appointment Power

The authority vested in the president to fill a government office or position.

bully pulpit/going public

President sells his programs directly to the American public.

President's office is a "bully pulpit"

(a position to inspire Congress & the nation to follow his political agenda)

Stewardship Theory

Calls for assertive presidency that is confined only at specific points defined by law.

negotiation

One way for presidents to expand their power, persuading congress, cabinet from behind the scenes.