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