Legislative Branch Vocabulary List

Bicameral Legislature

A law making body made up of two chambers or houses

Quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in congress

Franking privilege

The ability of congressional members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by using their signature for postage

Majority leader

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

Minority leader

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

Whip

A senator or representative who assists the party leader by staying informed about voting decisions of other members.

Party polarization

A strong division in the views of Republicans and Democrats on the legislative agenda

Congressional caucus

a group of congressional members that meet to pursue a common legislative agenda

Standing committees

Permanently established legislative committees that review and consider bills in both the House and Senate

Select committee

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and usually for an investigative purpose

Joint committees

A committee made up of members from both the House and Senate

Conference committees

A joint committee appointed to iron out the differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill

Discharge petition

A device used to force a bill that has been stuck in committee (pigeonholed) for over 30 days, out onto the floor

Unanimous consent

A request or agreement setting the terms for the consideration or debate of a specified bill or other measure

Political/policy agenda

Issues that people believe require governmental action

Logrolling

Practice of legislators trading mutual support for their legislative proposals

Divided government

Occurs when different parties control the White House and Congress

Unified government

Occurs when the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress

Hold

A stalling approach by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor; tactic used to stop a bill from reaching the floor

Earmarks

“Hidden” congressional provisions that designate money for specific projects or programs

Pork Barrel Legislation

Legislation that provides benefits to constituents in a particular district or state in the hope of winning their votes in return. For example: providing funding to build a bridge in a particular city

Trustee

Descriptive of elected representatives who use their best judgement when making legislative voting decisions

Delegate

Descriptive of elected representatives who base their legislative voting decisions on the desires and opinions of their constituents

Politico

Descriptive of elected representatives who base their constituents opinions with their best judgements when making legislative voting decisions

Cloture rule

A process used by the Senate to end or limit debate/filibusters

Filibuster

An attempt to stall or defeat a bill in the senate by talking for an extended period of time

Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing districts in unusual shapes for the political advantage of one political party or group

Reapportionment

The practice of redistributing House seats every ten years according to census data

Malapportionment

The practice of distributing House seats in unequal districts, which diminishes certain district’s representative voice

Redistricting

The redrawing of legislative district lines after the census has been taken, to accommodate population shifts and ensure equal representation

Constituency

The individuals who live in the area an elected official is representing