Unit 2 Congress Vocabulary

pork barrel spending

legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states

Logrolling

trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation

constituents/constituency

a body of voters in a given area who elect representatives or senators

oversight

efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals

Apportionment

the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data

Redistricting

states' redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census

Gerrymandering

the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

partisan gerrymandering

drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party

majority-minority districts

a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district

Malapportionment

the uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts

Incumbent/incumbency

being already in office as opposed to running for the first time

incumbency advantage

institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election

Speaker of the House

the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members

House Majority Leader

the person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives

whip

a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline

minority leader

the head of the party with the second-highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party's members

Senate Majority Leader

the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats

committee chair

leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee's agenda

discharge petition

a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote

House Rules Committee

a powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor

Committee of the Whole

consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation

hold

a delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill

unanimous consent agreement

an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill

Filibuster

a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation

Cloture

a procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action, provided 60 senators agree to it

Veto

the power of a president to reject a bill passed by Congress, sending it back to the originating branch with objections

entitlement program

a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income. examples: medicare/aid & social security

mandatory spending

spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget

discretionary spending

spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president

delegate role

the idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituents' wishes

trustee role

the idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgement

politico role

representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions

Bipartisanship

agreement between the parties to work together in Congress to pass legislation

Gridlock

a slowdown or halt in Congress' ability to legislate and overcome divisions, especially those based on partisanship

divided government

control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress split between the two major parties

Lame duck period

period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees

Caucus

an association of congressional members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest

franking privileges

the ability for a Congress person to use free postage in campaigns for re-election

Impeachment

House bringing charges against President (but not removing from office)

standing committee

permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area

conference committee

a temporary committee of congress made up of senators and representatives that meets to resolve differences between bills from their respective legislatures

joint committee

committees on which both senators and representatives serve

select committee

a small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose, usually investigative in nature

Quorum

the minimum number of members required to be in attendance for Congress to conduct official business

swing seat/district

a House district in which the winner of the general election carries less than 55% of the vote; polling difference between parties usually less than 5% points

Safe seat/district

a House district in which the winner of the general election carries more than 55% of the vote; polling difference between parties usually 5% points or more

17th Amendment

Passed in 1913, this amendment to the Constitution calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures.

germane

relevant; House rules state any riders/earmarks to the bill must be germane; Senate does not have that requirement

Omnibus Bill

One very large bill that encompasses many separate bills (in same topic)

bicameral legislature

a lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts (house and senate)