AP US Gov Unit 5

bicameral

a two-chambered law-making body, like the U.S. Congress, which is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives

unicameral

a single legislative chamber or house that is responsible for making laws, as opposed to a bicameral system which has two chambers

hold

Senator communicates to Senate leadership their intent to block or delay a bill, nomination, or other measure from being considered by the full Senate. It relies on the Senate's need for unanimous consent to proceed with most business.

unanimous consent

legislative procedure where a motion is adopted only if every member present agrees to it, meaning no one objects (ex. Senate)

talking filibuster

one or more senators give prolonged speeches to delay or block a vote on a bill

virtual filibuster

a senator or a group of senators can delay or block a vote on a bill by threatening to use the filibuster, which requires a minimum of 60 votes to overcome, rather than the traditional practice of physically holding the Senate floor for extended periods with a speech

cloture

formal Senate procedure to end a filibuster and bring a bill, nomination, or other measure to an immediate vote. Invoking cloture requires a supermajority vote, currently three-fifths (60 of 100 senators

rule 22

cloture rule allows the Senate to end a filibuster with a three-fifths vote (60 senators)

double tracking

allows the Senate to move on to other legislation or votes without being completely stalled by a filibuster, has made it easier to stage filibusters and allows them to be more effective

Senate "continuous body"

only one-third of its members are up for re-election every two years, allowing the other two-thirds to carry over and maintain a constant membership (contrasts house where all members are elected every two years)

coalition

temporary alliance of two or more groups or factions to work together, often to achieve a specific goal like winning an election or passing a law

majority leader

leader of the majority party (democrat/Republican) in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, schedules business/voting and acts as a spokesperson, president>vice president>speaker of the house>majority leader>minority leader

minority leader

leader of the minority party (independent) in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, schedules business/voting and acts as a spokesperson, balances the power of the more-powerful majority party, president>vice president>speaker of the house>majority leader>minority leader

party whip

congressional leader who encourages members of their political party to vote, counts votes, encourages members to vote the same way as their party feels, etc.

pro-tempore

a senator, traditionally the most senior member of the majority party, who is chosen to preside over the Senate when the Vice President is absent

speaker of the house

leader of the House of Representatives, elected by the majority party, presides over debates, establishes the legislative agenda, appoints members, and maintains order, president>vice president>speaker of the house>majority leader>minority leader

party polarization

increasing ideological divide between the Democratic and Republican parties

congressional caucus

voluntary group of Congress members who share common interests, goals, or identities to pursue policy aims, develop expertise, and coordinate efforts. These are informal, semi-formal, or sometimes partisan groups, distinct from official committees

standing committee

permanent legislative committee in Congress that is responsible for a specific subject area, made up of a mix of members from the majority and minority parties

select committee

Temporary, specialized committee in Congress created for a specific purpose, unlike permanent standing committees. Once their work is complete, the select committee is usually disbanded. 

joint committee

congressional committee made up of members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate for “housekeeping” tasks, permanent or temporary

conference committee

Temporary, specialized committee for a specific bill including Senate and House members, reconciles differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill

simple resolution

a formal expression passed by only one house of Congress (either the House or the Senate), deals with only internal matters (houses’ own rules), can express sentiment or opinion, not signed by the President and are not legally binding

concurrent resolution

legislative measure passed by both the House and Senate that addresses the joint operations of Congress, expresses sentiments, or establishes internal rules, but it is not submitted to the President and does not have the force of law (ex. setting adjournment dates, creating joint committees)

joint resolution

legislative measure that requires approval from both the House and the Senate to become law, similar to a bill. While it can function like a bill for creating law, it is typically used for specific or temporary purposes, such as proposing constitutional amendments, authorizing military force, or passing continuing resolutions, sent to the president for approval

multiple referral

congressional process where a bill is sent to more than one committee for consideration because its subject matter spans the jurisdiction of several committees. For example, a bill on healthcare and tax policy could be sent to both the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Ways and Means Committee

sequential referral

type of multiple referral, a congressional process where a bill is sent to a second committee after the first one has finished acting. The first committee reviews the bill, marks it up, and reports its recommendations. The bill then moves to the next designated committee for its consideration

discharge petition

legislative maneuver in the U.S. House of Representatives that allows a majority of members (218 signatures) to force a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote, even if the committee leadership opposes it

closed rule

procedural guideline issued by the House Rules Committee that severely restricts or prohibits amendments to a bill during its floor debate to save time

open rule

procedural guideline in the House of Representatives that allows for the unlimited offering of amendments to a bill during floor debate

restrictive rule

rule issued by the House Rules Committee that allows only certain types of amendments to be offered during debate on a bill (mix of an open and closed rule)

rider

provision on a subject other than the one covered in the bill, lawmakers attach them to bills likely to pass

“christmas tree” bill

multiple amendments or riders added to a bill, often done to get support from different legislators or interest groups

quorum

minimum number of members required to be present for a governing body to conduct business (majority for Senate and House of Representatives, 218/435 for House, 51/100 for Senate)

quorum call

procedure that determines if the minimum number of members are present in both houses of Congress, determines if a quorum is met

pork barrel legislation

government spending that benefits specific projects or groups, used by lawmakers to secure support

logrolling

lawmakers exchange votes (promise they’ll vote for someone’s bill if they vote for theirs), used to pass bills that otherwise wouldn’t have enough votes

entitlements

programs that provide mandated benefits to people who fit specific eligibility requirements (ex. medicare, social security)

franking privileges

congress can send mail without postage fees

appropriations bills

dictates where federal funding is spent

requirements for house of representatives

a candidate must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state they represent

requirements for senate

at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and a resident of the state you represent at the time of election

incumbent

current officeholder seeking reelection, they have name recognition, access to more campaign resources, experience, and overall higher election rates

27th amendment

prohibits any law that increases/decreases the salary of people in Congress from taking effect until the next election of members, promotes accountability and limits selfishness

general welfare clause

provision in the U.S. Constitution that empowers Congress to levy taxes and spend money for the purpose of promoting the general welfare of the United States, gives government the ability to enact various social programs and regulations that benefit the public (ex. medicare), clause of the taxing and spending clause that specifically defines that spending must be for a certain purpose, general welfare

taxing and spending clause

gives Congress the power to levy taxes and spend money for federal purposes, broader, umbrella term compared to general welfare clause

chamber that initiates all revenue bills

house of representatives

chamber that confirms presidential appointments

senate

In vetoing a bill, the President does which of the following?
A. rejects all sections of the bill
B. prevents any further action on the bill
C. sends the bill back to conference committee
D. rejects a particular part of the bill

A

powers of house vs. senate

house:

-initiate impeachment of politicians

-elect president if there’s no majority in the electoral college

-initiate revenue bills

senate:

-try impeachment cases (2/3 senate vote required)

-elect vice president if there’s no majority in the electoral college

-ratify treaties from president

-confirm executive appointments

-count electoral college votes

-filibuster

-hold confirmation hearings

shared powers of house/senate (need approval of both)

-passing legislation

-propose constitutional amendments

-declare war

-override presidential vetoes

-approve budget

-regulate interstate/foreign commerce

-establish federal courts

delegate form of democratic representation

mouthpiece for constituents (supporters) who always votes according to their wishes

trustee form of democratic representation

officials can make their own decisions if they feel it will benefit their constituents in the long run even if it’s against their wishes

In general, Congress is most likely to defer to the President
a. in the area of foreign policy
b. in the area of fiscal policy
c. in the area of social policy
d. late in the President's term
e. When the economy is strong

A

Why is the committee system more important in the House than the senate?

the House is so large that more work can be accomplished in the committees than on the floor.

divided government

one political party controls the majority of the executive branch and another controls the legislative branch

The Constitution's framers intended it to reflect the will of the people.

House of Representatives

The Constitution's framers designed it to represent the interests of the states.

senate

Most of the bills introduced in the House and the Senate are then

Referred to committee but never sent to the full congress