congress

bill

A proposed piece of legislation.

cloture

A procedural move in which a supermajority of 60 senators agrees to end a filibuster.

conference committee

A bicameral, bipartisan committee composed of legislators whose job is to reconcile two versions of a bill.

discharge petition

A special tactic used to extract a bill from a committee to have it considered by the entire House.

earmark

A designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure.

filibuster

A procedural move by a member of the Senate to attempt to halt passage of a bill, during which the senator can speak for an unlimited time on the Senate floor.

franking

The privilege of sending mail free of charge by members of Congress.

gerrymandering

The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit an incumbent, a political party, or another group.

joint committee

A bicameral committee composed of members of both chambers of Congress.

logrolling

The practice of members of Congress agreeing to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague's vote on another bill.

majority-minority district

A legislative district composed of a majority of a given minority community—say, African Americans—the intent of which is to make it likely that a member of that minority will be elected to Congress.

nuclear option

a maneuver exercised by the presiding officer in the Senate that eliminates the possibility of filibusters by subjecting votes on certain matters to a simple majority vote.

oversight

The process by which the legislative branch "checks" the executive branch to ensure that the laws Congress has passed are being administered in keeping with legislators' intent.

pork barrel

Legislators' appropriations of funds for special projects located within their congressional districts.

reapportionment

Reallocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state based on changes in state population since the last census.

redistricting

The redrawing of congressional district boundaries within each state, based on the reapportionment from the census.

Rules Committee

One of the most important committees in the House, which decides the length of debate and the scope of amendments that will be allowed on a bill.

select committee

A congressional committee created to consider specific policy issues or address a specific concern.

seniority system

The system in which the member with the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is given preference when the committee chooses its chair.

standing committee

A permanent committee in Congress, with a defined legislative jurisdiction.

unanimous consent

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

Bicameral Legislature

A law making body made of two houses. Ex: Congress (our legislature) is made of two house - The House of Representatives and The Senate.

Enumerated Powers

specific, explicitly listed powers given to the U.S. federal government by the Constitution

Rider

A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat

Constituencies

Voters in a political district, or supporters of an elected official; or interest groups or client groups that are either directly regulated by the bureaucracy or vitally affected by its decisions