Government Words Section 4

delegate

someone authorized to act or vote on behalf of others

trustees

someone with a fiduciary duty to manage public assets, funds, or institutions

partisans

strong supporters of a specific political party, candidate, or cause

polliticos

an informal term for a politician, often used to describe someone deeply involved in political maneuvering, campaigning, or party politics

bills

Treasury Bills (T-Bills), which are short-term U.S. debt securities (4-52 weeks) sold at a discount, or legislative bills, which are proposed laws or spending measures that Congress debates and votes on

floor consideratioin

a bill or measure is debated, amended, and voted on by the full legislative body

oversight function

the function where legislative bodies monitor, review, and supervise executive agencies

session

formal period when a legislature meets to conduct business

special session

a legislative meeting called outside of the regular schedule to address urgent or specific issues

apportion

refers to the decennial process of distributing the 435 seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states based on population data from the census

reapportion

the decennial process of redistributing the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states based on population changes recorded in the census

single-member district

an electoral district that elects only one representative to a legislative body

at-large

a system where government officials, such as city council members or representatives, are elected by the entire electorate of a jurisdiction

gerrymandering

the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give one political party

off-year election

a general election held in an odd-numbered year

continuous body

a legislative chamber, specifically the United States Senate, that never has all its seats up for election at the same time

constituencies

a defined geographical area represented by an elected official

expressed powers

specific authorities directly granted to the federal government, primarily Congress, in the U.S. Constitution

implied powers

authority not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution but deemed necessary to carry out the express, enumerated powers of the federal government

inherent powers

authority not explicitly listed in the U.S. Constitution but deemed necessary for the federal government to function

commerce power

empowers Congress to regulate trade with foreign nations,

tax

money taken by the government

deficit financing

a government policy of funding spending that exceeds revenue through borrowing—typically by issuing Treasury bonds, bills, and notes—or, in some cases, by printing more money

bankruptcy

Not having any more money

copyright

Works created by the U.S. federal government are generally not eligible for copyright protection and enter the public domain immediately upon creation

patent

an exclusive property right granted by the government—specifically the USPTO—to inventors for a limited time, generally 20 years from the filing date for utility patents

eminent domain

the government's legal power to seize private property for public use—such as infrastructure, schools, or parks

liberal constructionist

legal and constitutional interpretation philosophy that favors a broad, flexible reading of the Constitution, focusing on its intent and purpose rather than strict literalism

consensus

a decision-making process focusing on broad agreement rather than just a simple majority vote

appropriates

a legislative act

perjury

a felony involving the willful, knowing, and material false statement made under oath in a federal or state proceeding

subpoena

is a formal, legally binding court order or government directive requiring an individual to testify or produce documents (evidence) for a trial, deposition, investigation, or congressional hearing

successor

an individual designated to take over an office when the incumbent dies, resigns, is removed, or is incapacitated, ensuring continuity in leadership

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer, administrative head, and leader of the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives

President of the Senate

The Constitution instructs the Senate to choose a president pro tempore to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president

President Pro tempore

the senator chosen to preside over the U.S. Senate in the Vice President's absence

Minority leader

the elected spokesperson and floor leader for the minority party in the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate

whips

Whips are the party's vote organisers and go-betweens

committee chairperson

the appointed or elected leader of a legislative or advisory body

floor leaders

key party members in a legislative body

seniority rule

a long-standing congressional custom where committee chairs and leadership roles are assigned based on the length of service

party caucuses

a local, state, or national meeting of political party members

majority leader

A majority leader is a high-ranking party official elected by the majority party in a legislative body

bill

Something that is trying to become a law

joint resolution

a form of legislation requiring approval by both chambers of Congress (House and Senate) in identical form and, in most cases, the President's signature to become law

concurrent resolution

a measure adopted by both the U.S. House and Senate to express the sentiment of Congress

rider

refer to authority shared by both federal and state governments to act simultaneously in areas like taxation

pigeonholed

A bill dying in committee

discharge petition

House of Representatives procedure that forces a bill out of a stalled committee for a direct floor vote

pocket veto

an absolute, non-overrideable presidential veto that occurs when the President fails to sign a bill within 10 days