AP Gov Vocab - 4

Appropriation Committee

congressional committee that deals with federal spending

casework

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

caucus

a process through which a state's eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process

closed rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments.

cloture rule

Prevents filibustering (16 signatures) and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5s vote of the Senate

Commerce Clause

grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

committee of the whole

A committee that consists of an entire legislative body; used for a procedure in which a legislative body expedites its business by resolving itself into a committee of itself.

concurrent resolution

An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president

conference committee

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

Congressional Budget Office

federal agency within the legislative branch that provides budget and economic information to Congress

congressional research service

Part of the Library of Congress
Politically Neutral
Responds to requests by members of Congress for information and giving both sides arguments

constituent

a person from a legislator's district

continuous body

legislative body that achieves stability by staggering the terms of its members to prevent more than a minority of seats from changing in a single election

delegate model

The view that an elected represent should represent the opinions of his or her constituents.

discharge petition

a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in committee

filibuster

a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches

franking privilege

the ability of members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature for postage

Government Accountability Office

A federal legislative agency that audits (investigates) other agencies of the federal government and reports it's findings to Congress (makes sure they are not spending more money than the government has appropriated for them).

gerrymandering

the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent

House Rules Committee

the committee that determines how and when debate on a bill will take place

incumbent advantage

institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election

incumbents

those already holding office

joint committee

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.

joint resolution

A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of congress and by the president.

legislative oversight

Congress' monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings

logrolling

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

open rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.

pork barrel

the use of government funds for projects designed to please voters or legislators and win votes.

power of the purse

The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a negative or checking power over the other branches by freezing or cutting their funding.

President Pro Tempore

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

quorum

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

reapportionment

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

riders

Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will "ride" to passage through the Congress. When a bill has many riders, it is called a Christmas-tree bill.

select committee

a small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose.

senatorial courtesy

Unwritten tradition where nominations for state level federal judicial posts are not confirmed if they are opposed by a senator of the president's party from the state in which the nominee will serve - applies to courts of appeal when there's no opposition from the nominee's state senator

seniority system

a system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee

speaker of the house

An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

trustee model

a model of representation in which a member of the House or Senate follows his or her own conscience when deciding issue positions

ways and means committee

a committee exclusive to the House that determines tax policy