ap gov: chapter 4 vocab

advice and consent

the authority of the senate to ratify treaties, confirm cabinet, and judicial appts., a legal expression in the United States Constitution that allows the Senate to constrain the President's powers of appointment and treaty-making

bicameral

a legislative body having two branches or chambers

caucuses

An association of members of Congress created to advocate a political ideology, a constituency, or regional or economic interests. Almost a hundred of these groups now exist, and they rival political parties as a source of policy leadership.

enumerated powers

specific powers granted to the federal government by the Constitution in Article I, Section VIII

implied powers

powers that are not explicitly stated in the Constitution but inferred from its language

House of Representatives

one of 2 chambers of Congress, number of representatives per state is dependent on population. 435 members. considered the lower house. handles more budget objectives.

necessary and proper clause

power granted to Congress to make laws that are required to carry out its enumerated powers

power of the purse

power to control the federal budget, granted in the Constitution to Congress

Senate

one of 2 chambers of Congress. number of representatives per state is not dependent on population; each state gets 2 representatives. 100 members. considered the elite house, handles more political policy.

17th Amendment (1913)

mandated that senators be elected directly by the people of their state

War Powers Act (1973)

limits the President’s power to start or increase military action without Congress’ approval. President must consult with Congress before using the military, report to Congress within 48 hours of using the military, provide full account of circumstances of military action, and provide an estimate of the scope and duration of the military action.

cloture rule

Rule 22 of the Senate, providing for the end of debate on a bill if three fifths of the members agree. A motion for this is brought to the floor if sixteen senators sign a petition. The purpose is typically to terminate a filibuster and to force a vote on a bill.

Committee of the Whole

A device used in the House of Representatives to expedite the passage of legislation. The quorum is reduced from 218 members to 100, and the Speaker appoints a member of the majority party as chair. Time allotted for debating the bill in question is split equally between its proponents and opponents. The committee cannot itself pass legislation but may debate and propose amendments.

conference committees

A special type of joint committee appointed to resolve differences in House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation.

discharge petitions

A procedure for removing legislation from the control of a committee and bringing it to the floor for immediate consideration. In the House, the petition must contain the names of 218 members to succeed. In the Senate, any member may move to discharge a bill from committee, but the petition requires a majority vote to succeed.

discretionary spending

Areas of the budget as those areas of the budget that Congress can change year to year and includes the 12 appropriations bills that fund the various agencies of the federal government.

filibuster

A prolonged speech or series of speeches made to delay action on legislation in the Senate. The purpose is to kill the measure by talking it to death.

germane

something that is relevant, appropriate, and related to the subject of a bill

hold

Senate procedure that allows a senator to delay a vote on a bill or nomination

joint committees

Committee on which both representatives and senators serve.

logrolling

the practice where legislators exchange support for each other’s proposed legislation

mandatory spending

areas of the federal budget that must be enacted each year by law and are not dependent on annual review by committees of Congress.

omnibus bill

large bill made up of many smaller bills on the same broad topic

pork-barrel spending

the practice in which lawmakers allocate government funds for local projects, primarily to benefit their constituents and secure political support

President of the Senate

the VP of the US

president pro tempore

A position created in the Constitution to serve as presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president.

rider

A nongermane amendment to an important bill. It is added so the measure will "ride" to passage through the Congress. When a bill has lots of these, it is called a Christmas tree bill.

Rules Committee

committee in the House that establishes rule for debate on bills and resolutions

select committees

temporary congressional committees established to investigate specific issues, conduct hearings, and report their findings to the full Congress

Senate majority leader

head of the majority party in the Senate, responsible for setting the legislative agenda and ensuring party discipline

Speaker of the House

The constitutionally mandated presiding officer of the House of Representatives. Chosen in the caucus of the majority party and is empowered to recognize members to speak on the floor, to rule whether a motion is germane, to assign bills to committee, to appoint House members to select and joint committees, and to appoint the majority members of the Rules Committee.

sponsor

formal support and introduction of a proposed piece of legislation by a member of Congress

unanimous consent

formal agreement in which every member of a group agrees to a proposal or decision

Way and Means committee

committee responsible for overseeing taxation and revenue raising measures

whip

A member of the party leadership in each house who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking, rounds up members when important votes are to be taken, and attempts to keep a nose count of how the voting on a controversial issue is likely to go.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

court case that established that redistricting is an issue that federal courts could hear about. lead to “one person, one vote” rule and widespread redistricting

delegate model

theory of representation where elected officials act strictly according to the wishes of their constituents, prioritizing their preferences over personal beliefs

gerrymandering

process of manipulating boundaries of electoral districts to favor one political party over another

gridlock

situation in which the legislative process is stalled due to the inability of lawmakers to reach an agreement on policy decisions

“lame duck” president

when a president whose term is coming to an end and their power is perceived as being diminished, so they have less influence in politics

“one person one vote” principle

principle that asserts each individual’s vote should carry equal weight in the electoral process, ensuring fairness and equality in democratic representation

politico model

theory of legislative behavior where lawmakers act as delegates on highly public issues and the role of trustees on more complex or less visible matters

racial gerrymandering

intentional manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor or disadvantage a particular racial or ethnic group

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

court case that ruled that racial gerrymandering is not constitutional, even if the lawmakers’ intent was good

swing district

districts that can support either Republican or Democratic candidates, making them crucial in determining the outcome of congressional elections

trustee model

political theory that suggests elected officials should act in the best interests of their constituents, using their own judgement to make decisions rather than strictly adhering to public opinion