Government AP : Chapter 11 - The Congress (copy)

Lawmaking

the process of establishing the legal rules that govern society

Logrolling

an arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other’s bills

Representation

the function of members of Congress as elected officials representing the views of their constituents

Trustee

a legislator who acts according to his/her conscience and the broad interests of the entire country

Instructed Delegate

a legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him/her and who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal views

Casework

personal work for constituents by members of Congress

Ombudsperson

a person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies

Oversight

The process by which Congress follows up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended

Enumerated Powers

powers specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution. The first 17 clauses of Article I, Section 8

Rules Committee

a standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the House

Rule

the proposal by the Rules Committee of the House that states the conditions for debate for one piece of legislation

Unanimous Consent Agreement

an agreement on the rules of debate for proposed legislation in the Senate that is approved by all the members

Filibuster

the use of the Senate’s tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill

Direct Primary

an intra party election in which the voters select the candidates who will run on a party’s ticket in the subsequent general election

Party Identifies

a person who identifies with a political party

Soft Money

contributions made outside the limits and prohibitions of federal law. This means that it is direct corporate and union contributions and large individual and PAC contributions.

Hard Money

federally regulated campaign contributions and other moneys spent to influence the outcome of a federal election

Reapportionment

the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after each census

Redistricting

the redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state

Justiciable Question

a question that may be raised and reviewed in court

Gerrymandering

the drawing of legislative district boundary lines to obtain partisan or factional advantage.

Franking

a policy that enables members of Congress to send material through mail by substituting their facsimile signatures for postage

Discharge Petition

procedure by which a bill in the House of Representatives may be forced out of a committee that has refused to report it for consideration by the House. The petition must be signed by an absolute majority (218) of representatives and is used only on rare occasions

Article I, Section 2

“one person, one vote.” requires the members of the House to be chosen “by the People of several States.”

Standing Committee

a permanent committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area

Select Committee

a temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a specific/special purpose

Joint Committee

a legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of Congress

Conference Committee

a special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress in different forms

Safe Seat

a district that returns a legislator with 55% of the vote or more

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer in the House of Representatives. Always a member of the majority party and is the most powerful and influential member of the House

Majority Leader of the House

a legislative position held by an important party member of the House of Representatives. They are elected by the majority leader in caucus or conference to foster cohesion among party members and to act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House.

Minority Leader of the House

The party leader elected by the minority party in the House.

President Pro Tempore

The temporary presiding officer of officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president

Senate Majority Leader

The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate who directs the legislative program and party strategy.

Senate Minority Leader

the party officer in the Senate who commands the minority party’s opposition to the policies of the majority party and directs the legislative program and strategy of his/her party.

The Ways and Means Committee

they are the people that essentially help design and figure out commerce- rules committee that sets the standards. Usually has longer-lasting members

Conservative Coalition

An alliance of Republicans and Southern Democrats that can form in the House or the Senate to oppose liberal legislation and support conservative legislation

Blue Dog Democrats

Members of Congress from more moderate states or districts who sometimes “cross over” to vote with Republicans on legislation. They will hold their tongue to debate the ideas of their party.

Polarization

Strong division between groups of people over beliefs

Divided Government

the situation when the presidency and one or more houses of Congress are controlled by different political parties

Earmark

funding appropriation that is specifically designated for a named project in a member’s state or district (special expenditures put into bills)

Pork

special projects or appropriations that are intended to benefit a member’s district or state; slang term for earmarks

Executive Budget

the budget prepared and submitted by the president to Congress

Fiscal Year (FY)

a 12-month period that is used for bookkeeping, or accounting, purposes. Usually, the fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year. For example, the federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30.

Spring Review

the annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to review their programs, activities, and goals and submit their requests for funding for the next fiscal year

Fall Review

the annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget, after reviewing formal federal agency requests for funding for the next fiscal year, reviews the requests, makes changes, and submits its recommendations to the president.

First Budget Resolution

a resolution passed by Congress in May that sets overall revenue and spending goals for the following fiscal year.

Authorization

a formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency. Some authorizations terminate in a year; others are renewable automatically, without further congressional action.

Appropriation

the passage by Congress of a spending bill specifying the amount of authorized funds that actually will be allocated for an agency’s use.

Second Budget Resolution

a resolution passed by Congress in September that sets “binding” limits on taxes and spending for the following fiscal year.

Continuing Resolution

a temporary funding law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1.

Twelfth Amendment

Adopted in 1804, specifies the separate election of the president and vice president by the electoral college.

Head of State

the role of the president as the ceremonial head of the government

Chief Executive

the role of the president as head of the executive branch of the government

Signing Statement

a written declaration that a president may make when signing a bill into law. Usually, such statements point out sections of the law that the president deems unconstitutional

Civil Service

a collective term for the body of employees working for the government. Generally, it is understood to apply to all those who gain government employment through a merit system

Appointment Power

the authority vested in the president to fill a government office or position. Positions filled by presidential appointment include those in the executive branch and federal branch, commissioned officers in the armed forces, and members of the independent regulatory commissions

Reprieve

A formal postponement of the execution of a sentence imposed by court of law.

Pardon

a release from the punishment for or legal consequences of a crime; can be granted by the president before or after a conviction

Commutation

it means that the criminal sentence can be reduced in length to a specified number of years or the to the time served. Doing this to a sentence may reflect a change in the laws since the individual was convicted.

Commander In Chief

the role of the president as supreme commander of the military forces of the United States and of the state National Guard units when they are called into federal service.

War Powers Resolution

A law passed in 1973 spelling out the conditions under which the president can commit troops without congressional approval

Advice and Consent

terms in the Constitution describing the U.S Senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments

Chief Diplomat

the role of the president in recognizing foreign governments, making treaties, and effecting executive agreements

Diplomatic Recognition

the formal acknowledgement of a foreign government as legitimate

Executive Agreement

an intentional agreement made by the president, without senatorial ratification, with the head of a foreign state

Chief Legislator

the role of the president in influencing the making of laws

State of the Union Message

An annual message to Congress in which the president proposes a legislative program. This message is addressed not only to Congress, but also to the American people and to the world

Veto Message

the president's formal explanation of a veto when legislation is returned to Congress

Pocket Veto

A special veto exercised by the chief executive after a legislative body has adjourned. Bills not signed by the chief executive die after a specified period of time. If Congress wishes to reconsider such a bill, it must be reintroduced in the following session of Congress

Line-Item Veto

the power of an executive to veto individual lines or items within a piece of legislation without vetoing the entire bill

Constitutional Powers

Powers vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution

Statutory Powers

Powers created for the president through laws enacted by Congress

Expressed Powers

Powers of the president that are expressly written into the Constitution or into statutory law

Inherent Powers

Powers of the president derived from the statements in the Constitution that "the executive Power shall be vested in a President" and that the president should "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." This is defined through practice rather than through law

Patronage

The practice of rewarding faithful party workers ad followers with government employment and contracts

Washington Community

Individuals regularly involved with politics in Washington, D.C

Emergency Powers

Inherent powers exercised by the president during a period of national crisis

Executive Order

a rule or regulation issued by the president that has an effect of law. Executive orders can implement and give administrative effect to provisions in the Constitution, to treaties, and to statutes.

Federal Register

A publication of the U.S government that prints executive orders, rules, and regulations

Executive Privilege

the right of executive officials to withhold information from or refuse to appear before a legislative committee

Impeachment

An action by House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officials of the United States of committing "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Cabinet

An advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions. It includes the heads of 15 executive departments and others named by the president.

Kitchen Cabinet

The informal advisors to the president

Executive Office of the President

an organization established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to assist the president in carrying out major duties

White House Office

the personal office of the president, which tends to presidential political needs and manages the media

Chief of Staff

the person who is named to direct the White House Office and advise the president

Permanent Campaign

a coordinated and planned strategy carried out by the White House to increase the president's popularity and support

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

a division of the Executive Office of the President. It stands to assist the president in preparing the annual budget, clearing and coordinating departmental agency budgets, and supervising the administration of the federal budget

National Security Council (NSC)

an agency in the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on national security

Policy Czar

A high ranking member of the Executive Office of the President appointed to coordinate action in one specific policy area

Twenty-Fifth Amendment

a 1967 amendment to the Constitution that establishes procedures for filing presidential and vice presidential vacancies and makes provisions for presidential disability

Bureaucracy

a large organization that is structured hierarchically to carry out specific functions

Weberian model

A model of bureaucracy developed by the German sociologist Max Weber, who reviewed bureaucracies as rational, hierarchical organizations in which decisions are based on logical reasoning

Acquisitive model

A model of bureaucracy that views top-level bureaucrats as seeking to expand the size of their budgets and staffs to gain greater power

Monopolistic model

A model of bureaucracy that compares bureaucracies to monopolistic business firms. Lack of competition in either circumstance leads to inefficient and costly operations

Administrative Agency

A federal, state, or local government unit established to perform a specific function. Administrative agencies are created and authorized by legislative bodies to administer and enforce specific laws

Cabinet Department

One of the 15 departments of the executive (State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Energy, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs.)

Line Organization

In federal government, an administrative unit that is directly accountable to the president

Independent Executive Agency

A federal agency that is not part of a cabinet department but reports directly to the president