ap gov - chapter 6

Apportionment

The process of distributing congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population

bill

a proposed law

cloture

mechanism requiring the vote of sixty senators to cut off debate

conference committee

special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

congressional budget office (CBO)

provides Congress with evaluations of the potential economic effects of spending policies and analyzes the president’s budget and economic projections

delegate

role played by a representative who votes the way his or her constituents would want, regardless of personal opinions.

discharge petition

petition that gives a majority of the House of representatives the authority to bring an issue to the floor.

divided government

the political condition in which different political parties control the presidency and at least one house of Congress

filibuster

a formal way of halting senate action on a bill by means of long speeches or unlimited debate

gerrymandering

the drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome

government accountability office (GAO)

the GAO is an independent regulatory agency to audit the financial expenditure of the executive branch and federal agencies.

house committee on rules

the influential “Rules Committee” determines the scheduling and conditions for all bills in the House of Representatives.

impeachment

power delegated to the House of Representatives in the Constitution to charge the president, vice president, or other civil officers, including federal judges, and remove them from the government.

incumbency

already holding an office

joint committee

standing committee that includes members from both houses of Congress set up to conduct investigations or special studies

logrolling

vote trading; voting to support a colleague’s bill in return for a promise of future support.

markup

a session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor

pocket veto

the President fails to reject and return a bill to an adjourned congress within 10 days.

pork

legislation that allows representatives to bring money and jobs to their districts in the form of public works programs, military bases, or other programs.

president pro tempore

the official chair of the senate is usually the most senior member of the majority party.

reconciliation

a procedure that allows consideration of controversial issues affecting the budget by limiting debate to twenty hours.

select (or special) committee

special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

senatorial courtesy

a process by which presidents generally allow senators from the state to block a nomination by simply registering their objection.

standing committee

committee to which proposed bills are referred

war powers resolution

the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to sixty days in peacetime unless Congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period.

whip

a party leader who keeps close contact with all members of their party, takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communications link within a party.