AP Government - Congress and Interest Groups

House revenue bill

Bills that deal with taxation (revenue for the government). They must originate in the House of Representatives (only house directly elected by the people)

Christmas tree bill

A bill that has a lot of riders that have nothing to do with the bill. This happens in the Senate where Senators are allowed to add riders, other bills, on to the original bill. This is different than amending a bill.

Filibuster

An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill. Can be defeated by a cloture vote (60 votes required)

Redistricting (census)

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census that happens every 10 years, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population. SC has ruled redistricting can be done more frequently than just every 10 years.

Interest Groups

An organization of people sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence government policymakers through direct and indirect methods.They help bridge the gap between citizens and government, help raise public awareness and inspire action on various issues. They also provide public officials with specialized information that may be useful in making policy choices, serve as another check on public officials.

Lobbyist

Employees of organizations established to influence the outcome of elections and legislations (K-Street in DC is where all the lobbyists are.) Direct Lobbying is direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions.

Political Action Committes

An organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election.

Override a Veto

In order to override a veto by the President, each chamber of Congress must vote to overturn by a 2/3 majority.

Congressional districts

constituents are grouped into a defined area that elects a single member of a Congress. Must have approx. equal population, be contiguous, compact, and race cannot be the main factor.

gerrymandering

the dividing of a state, county, etc., into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible. Packing and cracking.

cloture

a procedure for ending a debate in the Senate and taking a vote - 60 votes needed. This is one reason why it is difficult to pass bills in the Senate.

standing committee

a permanent committee that continues from year to year intended to consider all matters pertaining to a designated subject. This allows members of Congress to become experts on a topic. Representatives serve on fewer committees than members of the Senate. Example of a standing committee is Agriculture, Ways and Means (taxation in the House), Foreign Affairs, Small Business, Veterans Affairs, etc.

conference committee

a temporary committee made up of members from both houses whose task is to eliminate any differences between versions of legislation on the same subject passed in the different chambers. The revised conference version of the bill, called a conference report, needs to be passed again by both houses.

Speaker of the House

An officer mandated by the Constitution. The speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, but elected by the whole house, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the president should that office become vacant. The speaker plays a role in picking committee chairs and scheduling bills on the floor.

Whips

Party leaders who work with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.

Senate Majority Leader

The principal partisan ally of the Speaker of the House, or the party's manager in the Senate. The majority leader is responsible for scheduling bills, influencing committees assignments, and rounding up votes on behalf of the party's legislative positions. The most powerful position in the Senate.

Incumbent

Holding the political office for which one is running.

House Rules Committee

In charge of determining under what rule bills come to the floor.

Trade association

A group that represents a specific industry

Single issue interest group

Organized collections of people or organizations that try to influence public policy for a specific issue

Public interest group

An organization that seeks a collective good that if achieved will not selectively and materially benefit group members

Casework and Constituency Service

In case work, members and their staffs help constituents solve problems with the government, including navigating red tape and tracking down federal aid. with access to Media, members and their staffs may have relationships with reporters and they find it easy to spin stories or give quotes

Delegate

True delegates are Representatives who vote the way their constituents would want them to, regardless of their own opinions.

Trustee

representation in which a person listens to the opinions of constituents and can them be trusted to use his or her own best judgment to make final decisions

Politico

Representatives most likely will vote as delegates; on other matters, Representatives will act as trustees and use their own best judgment

Oversight

Holding committee hearings in which members question bureaucrats to determine if they are enforcing and interpreting the laws as intended by Congress. Congress is most visible and dramatic actions are seeing here especially in times of divided government, that is, when the executive and legislative branches are controlled by different parties

Hold

senator stops a bill and asks for more information on it

Divided government

Political condition in which different political parties control the presidency and at least one of the houses

Baker v. Carr

Courts gave themselves the power to review legislative apportionment and later upheld the "one person, one vote" doctrine. Districts must have approximately the same number of people in each district.

Shaw v. Reno

Legislative redistricting must be conscious of race and ensure compliance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

blocks district lines that deny minority voters an equal opportunity "to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice." It applies whether the denial is intentional, or an unintended end result.

Apportionment (reapportionment)

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census

Impeachment Process

2 Steps. 1.) Investigation and articles of impeachment with majority 2.)Trial in Senate, must find guilty of High Crimes and Misdemeanors. need Super Majority 67/100. Need bi-partisan support. Chief Justice of Supreme Ct. oversees trial.

Reasons for high reelection rates in Congress

Name recognition, helping out people in the district (constituent services), sometimes gerrymandered districts, and the ability to send out mail to constituents for free (franking), think name recognition.

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.