Ap Gov unit 2 congress vocab

Senators serve for terms lasting _ years

6

House of Representatives members serve for terms lasting _ years

2

Debate in the House of Representatives is limited by:

Rules Committee

a tactic for defeating a bill in the Senate by talking until the bill's sponsor withdraws it

Filibuster

A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate. 3/5 vote required (60 senators)

Cloture

a group of individuals in Congress with a common interest in Congress that agree to vote together on an issue

coalition

The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution

enumerated powers

Powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions.

implied powers

Constitutional clause that gives Congress the power to use implied powers

Necessary and Proper Clause

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

standing committee

A group within a standing committee that specializes in a subcategory of its standing committee's responsibility

subcommittee

to "pigeonhole" a bill is to:

ignore it

the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives

Speaker of the House

Vice President of the United States; may only break ties

President of the Senate

a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president

President Pro Tempore

Party leader who works with the majority leader to count votes beforehand and pressure waverers

Majority Whip

A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated

Rules Committee

A committee that consists of an entire legislative body; used for a procedure in which a legislative body expedites

Committee of the Whole

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

hold

A unanimous resolution in the Senate restricting debate and limiting amendments to bills on the floor

unanimous consent

If signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee

Discharge petition

laws passed by Congress that appropriate money for local federal projects

pork-barrel legislation

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

logrolling

an inability to enact legislation because of partisan conflict within Congress or between Congress and the president

gridlock

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

Gerrymandering

case that established one man one vote. This decision created guidelines for drawing up congressional districts

Baker v. Carr

race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts are permitted

Shaw v. Reno

one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress

divided government

A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection

lame duck

a concept of legislative work as simply voting the desires of one's constituents, regardless of one's own personal views

delegate

the concept that legislators should vote on the basis of their consciences and the broad interests of the nation, not simply

trustee

An elected representative who acts as a trustee or as a delegate, depending on the issue

politico

the term "veto" means to a bill

reject

a presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced

signing statement

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president

pocket veto

An annual speech in which the president addresses Congress to report on the condition of the country and recommend policies

State of the Union

The only crime a president may not pardon is:

impeachment

The power to establish lower courts is given in Article III to:

Congress

describes the legislative branch

Article I of the Constitution

oversight function

congressional check on the executive branch; it involves committees in Congress holding hearings that generally include testimony from officials representing government bureaucracies; generally used to uncover wrongdoing by bureaucrats or problems with existing law that needs to be changed

the influence that legislatures have over public policy because of their power to vote money for public purposes

Power of the Purse