Unit 2, Ch 13, Part 2 (holy yap)

Federal budget

Federal budget

Generated by Congress to address both mandatory and discretionary spending.

Power of the purse

The ability of Congress to check the bureaucracy by appropriating or withholding funds.

Mandatory spending

Required by law for entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Entitlements

Any government-provided or government-managed benefit or service to which some or all individuals are entitled.

Social Security

A social insurance program funded by a payroll tax on current employers and employees to be redistributed to qualifying individuals for retirement, disability, or survivor benefits.

Medicare

A federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified elderly Americans.

Medicaid

A federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified low-income households.

Discretionary spending

Approved on an annual basis for defense spending, education, and infrastructure; as entitlement costs grow, discretionary spending opportunities will decrease unless tax revenues increase, or the budget deficit increases.

Infrastructure

A set of facilities, structures, and utilities developed, owned, operated, and maintained by the federal, state, and/or municipal government.

Pork barrel

Funding for a local project in a larger appropriation bill.

Logrolling

Combining several pieces of legislation into one bill to secure enough votes for passage.

Reapportionment

Redistribution of congressional seats to the several states based on the U.S. Census held every 10 years.

Redistricting

Redrawing of congressional districts by state legislatures based on congressional reapportionment.

Marginal districts

Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically less than 55 percent of the vote.

Safe districts

Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing of congressional districts with the intent to create undue advantage for a political party.

Divided government

When one party controls the presidency and the other party controls at least one of the chambers of Congress.

Polarization

When political attitudes move toward ideological extremes.

Gridlock

A situation in which no congressional action on legislation can be taken due to a lack of consensus.

Trustee representative

A representative who will vote on issues based on their own knowledge and judgment.

Delegate representative

A representative who sees themselves as an agent of those who elected them and will vote on issues based on the interests of their constituents.

Politico representative

Uses a combination of trustee and delegate role conceptions.

Partisan voting

When members of Congress vote based on their political party affiliation.

Policy agenda

A list of subjects or issues to which government officials will agree to consider as part of public policymaking.

Congressional agenda

The formal list of policies Congress is considering at any given time.

Discretionary power

Delegated by Congress to bureaucratic agencies to interpret and implement policies.