AP Gov, Vocab 2 Test

Bicameral Legislature

A two-house legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Enumerated Powers

Explicit powers given to Congress directly in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but authorized by the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Article I, Section 8, Clause 18; grants Congress authority to pass laws needed to carry out enumerated powers.

Speaker of the House

Presiding officer of the House of Representatives, chosen by the majority party.

Filibuster

Senate tactic used to delay or block a vote on a bill through extended debate.

Cloture

Senate procedure requiring 60 votes to end a filibuster.

Hold

Informal request by a senator to delay or prevent a bill or nomination from reaching the floor.

Unanimous Consent

Senate agreement to set aside rules and expedite business unless a senator objects.

Rules Committee

House committee that determines rules for debate, amendments, and timing of bills.

Committee of the Whole

House procedure used to expedite debate on legislation with a reduced quorum (100 People).

Discharge Petition

House mechanism forcing a bill out of committee with a majority signature (218 Votes).

Conference Committee

Temporary joint committee formed to reconcile differences between House and Senate bills.

Mandatory Spending

Spending required by law for entitlement programs (e.g., Social Security, Medicare).

Discretionary Spending

Spending Congress must approve annually through appropriations bills.

Entitlement Programs

Federal programs guaranteeing benefits to individuals meeting eligibility criteria.

Pork-Barrel Legislation

Funding added to bills for specific local projects to benefit a member's home district.

Logrolling

Vote-trading agreement between legislators to support each other's bills.

Partisan Voting

Voting strictly along political party lines.

Polarization

Widening ideological gap and conflict between political parties.

Gridlock

Legislative standstill caused by political stalemate or divided government.

Divided Government

State where one party controls the presidency and another controls one or both houses of Congress.

Gerrymandering

Drawing legislative district boundaries to favor a specific political party.

Redistricting

Redrawing state legislative and congressional district lines following a census.

Reapportionment

Reallocating House seats among states based on population changes from the decennial census.

Lame-Duck Period

Period between an election and the inauguration of new officials.

Trustee Role

Representation model where a legislator votes based on their own judgment.

Delegate Role

Representation model where a legislator votes strictly according to constituents' wishes.

Politico Role

Representation model balancing trustee and delegate roles based on the issue.

Formal Powers

Explicit constitutional powers granted to the president in Article II.

Informal Powers

Powers assumed by the president not explicitly stated in the Constitution.

Veto

Formal power of the president to reject a bill passed by Congress (2/3rd to Override).

Pocket Veto

Presidential veto taking place when no action is taken on a bill within 10 days of Congress adjourning.