Ap gov Congress vocab

partisan polarization

Heightened conflict between elected Democrats and Republicans

bicameral (two-chamber) legislature

A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts.

filibuster

An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely

majority-minority districts

Congressional district where a majority of voters are racial or ethnic minorities.

descriptive representation

When citizens are represented by elected officials from their same racial or ethnic background.

substantive representation

Ability of citizens to elect officials who will enact into law policies that the citizens favor.

marginal districts

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 a comfortable margin.

conservative coalition

An alliance between Republicans and conservative Democrats.

representational explanation

Argument that a members’ constituents’ views are the most important factor shaping how they vote

organizational explanation

Argument that what other members of members of Congress want is the most important factor shaping how members vote

attitudinal explanation

Argument that members are largely free to vote how they see fit on most issues

majority leader

The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or the Senate.

minority leader

The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House or the Senate.

whip

A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking.

Speaker

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party in the House.

party vote

A vote where most Democrats are on one side of the bill

caucus

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

standing committees

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

select committees

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.

joint committees

Committees on which both senators and representatives serve.

conference committee

Joint committees appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill.

simple resolution

An expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body.

concurrent resolution

An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate

joint resolution

A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president.

discharge petition

A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for 30 days, may petition to have it brought to the floor.

restrictive

An order from the House Rules Committee that limits debate and permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made to a bill on the floor.

closed rule

An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor.

open rule

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor.

quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress.

riders

Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will “ride” to passage through the Congress. When a bill has many riders

cloture rule

A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate.

double tracking

A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business.

voice vote

A congressional voting procedure in which members shout “yea” in approval or “nay” in disapproval

division vote

A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted.

roll-call vote

A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering “yea” or “nay” to their names.

teller vote

A congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers the “yeas” first and the “nays” second.

veto

Literally“I forbid”; it refers to the power of a president to disapprove a bill, and may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.

omnibus legislation

A single bill that contains many sub-bills which together gets one vote

divided government

One party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress.

unified government

The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress.