Interactions Among the Branches - Legislative

advice and consent

Terms in the Constitution describing the U.S. Senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments.

Baker v. Carr

case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congressional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state

Bicameral

A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

caucuses (in Congress, not as in elections)

Congressional groups based on ideology or issues

Cloture

A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate.

Committee of the Whole

A device used in the House of Representatives to expedite the passage of legislation. The quorum is reduced from 218 members to 100, and the Speaker appoints a member of the majority party as chair. Time allotted for debating the bill in question is split equally between its proponents and opponents. The committee cannot itself pass legislation but may debate and propose amendments.

Conference Chair

works with the whip, the majority leader, and the pro temp. They put people on different committees. This is a powerful job

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 Oversight

Power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review the operations and budgets of executive departments and independent regulatory agencies, conduct investigations through committee hearings, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy

deficit

An excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues.

Delegate Model

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

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.

discretionary spending

Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process

earmark

Funds that an appropriations bill designates for a particular purpose within a state or congressional district

enumerated powers

The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution.

estate tax

A tax on the estate, or total value of the money and property, of a person who has died

expressed powers

powers that congress has that are specifically listed in the constitution

Filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

floor leader

Members of the House and Senate picked by their parties to carry out party decisions and steer legislative action to meet party goals

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Gridlock

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

hold

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of the bill or nomination.

House Judiciary Committee

Considers legislation dealing with civil liberties, constitutional amendments, federal courts and judges, immigration, civil and criminal laws

Impeach

To formally charge a public official with misconduct in office

Implied Powers of Congress

powers that go beyond those enumerated in the constitution. "make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution' Article I

interest

A sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money

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.

Logrolling

An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills

mandatory spending

spending on certain programs that is mandated, or required, by existing law

marginal seat

A seat in the House of Representatives that is not considered to be safe for the incumbent in the next election (swing seat).

Markup session

A meeting held by a congressional committee or subcommittee to approve, amend, or redraft a bill.

multiple referral

a congressional process whereby a bill may be referred to several committees

Omnibus Bill

A single document that is accepted in a single vote by a legislature but contains amendments to a number of other laws or even many entirely new laws. "Christmas Tree Bill"

Politico Model

Legislators should follow their own judgment (that is, act like a trustee) until the public becomes vocal about a particular matter, at which point they should follow the dictates of constituents

pork-barrel legislation

legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return

President of the Senate

Vice President

President Pro Tempore

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

Reapportionment

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

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

Riders

Amendments to bills, often in the form of appropriations, that sometimes have nothing to do with the intent of the bill itself and many times are considered to be pork barrel legislation

Rules Committee

A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house.

safe seat

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted.

select committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

Senate Majority Leader

The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs the legislative program and party strategy.

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of senators (instead of being chosen by state legislatures)

Shaw v. Reno

NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts.

Speaker of the House

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives

sponsor

the member who introduces a bill

standing committee

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

swing district

a district where no single candidate or party has overwhelming support

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

unanimous consent

an agreement by every senator to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation

War Powers Act

Act that grants emergency executive powers to president to run war effort

Ways and Means Committee

House committee that handles tax bills

whip

a senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking

Appropriations Committee

A committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government

Speaker of the House 118th Congress

Mike Johnson

Senate Majority Leader 118th Congress

Chuck Schumer (D)

Apportionment

the process of allotting congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population, following the decennial census

Census

the official count of a population

Casework

the work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem

constituent

a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent

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

oversight power of congress

oversight by the United States Congress over the Executive Branch

includes the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation

Congress exercises this power through its congressional committee system

Political Polarization

In the 2000s the political parties became regionally divided. Traditional, religious, and anti-government voters were often in rural and suburban areas and voted Republican. Liberals were commonly found in urban areas and voted Democrat.

partisan

a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person

non-germane amendments (riders)

Additional bills that attach onto often an unrelated bill for someone else's benefit

germane amendments (house)

an amendment to a bill must be strictly relevant to the bill

Calendar Assignment

accompanies a bill that is pending before committees of either house; the bill is assigned

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.

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws, includes due process