AP U.S. Government and Politics Practice Test Chapter 6

Revenue Bills

Must originate in the House of Representatives.

Baker v. Carr

Case addressing unequal representation in districts.

Equal Protection Clause

Ensures equal treatment under the law.

Bicameralism

Legislative system with two chambers.

Conference Committee

Resolves differences between House and Senate bills.

Redistricting

Redrawing district boundaries for representation.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating district boundaries for political advantage.

Speaker of the House

Leader of the House of Representatives.

Majority Party

Political party with most seats in Congress.

Minority Party

Political party with fewer seats in Congress.

Filibuster

Tactic to delay or block legislation in Senate.

Committee Chair

Leader of a congressional committee.

Standing Committee

Permanent committee in Congress for specific issues.

Select Committee

Temporary committee for specific purposes.

Legislative Scheduling

Process of organizing bills for consideration.

Whips

Party members ensuring discipline and attendance.

Tenth Amendment

Reserves powers not delegated to states.

Seventeenth Amendment

Direct election of U.S. Senators.

House Majority Leader

Assists the Speaker in legislative agenda.

House Minority Leader

Leads the minority party in the House.

Senate Majority Leader

Leads the majority party in the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader

Leads the minority party in the Senate.

House of Representatives

Lower chamber of Congress with stricter rules.

Senate

Upper chamber of Congress with fewer restrictions.

Standing Committees

Permanent committees handling specific legislative areas.

Two-Year Terms

House members serve two-year terms, max twelve years.

Six-Year Terms

Senators serve six-year terms with no limits.

Unlimited Debate

Senate allows unlimited debate on legislation.

Filibuster

Senate tactic to delay or block legislation.

Cloture Motion

Procedure to end a filibuster in the Senate.

Conference Committee

Group resolving differences between House and Senate bills.

Appropriations Bills

Legislation for government spending, passed annually.

Majority Leader

Senate leader managing legislative agenda and strategy.

Minority Leader

Opposition leader in the Senate managing strategy.

Delegate Role

Representatives vote according to constituents' preferences.

Independent Commissions

Groups drawing district lines to reduce gerrymandering.

Mandatory Spending

Required spending by law, such as Social Security.

Discretionary Spending

Optional spending determined by annual appropriations.

Pork-Barrel Spending

Funds for local projects to gain political favor.

Legislative Hearings

Meetings to gather information on proposed legislation.

Subcommittee

Specialized committee within a larger committee.

Majority-Minority Districts

Districts designed to enhance minority representation.

Rules Committee

House committee managing legislative process and debate.

Independent Commissions

Draw legislative districts per one person, one vote.

Enumerated Power

Congress's explicit authority, like coining money.

Implied Power

Authority not explicitly stated but inferred.

Inherent Power

Powers essential for government functioning.

Reserved Power

Powers not delegated to federal government.

Concurrent Power

Shared powers between state and federal governments.

Fiscal Policies

Government's taxation and spending strategies.

Filibuster

Extended debate to delay legislative action.

Cloture

Formal procedure to end a filibuster.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating district boundaries to favor a party.

Pork Barrel

Legislation funding local projects for constituents.

Shaw v. Reno

Racial gerrymandering ruled unconstitutional.

House of Representatives

Lower chamber with representation based on population.

Senate

Upper chamber with equal state representation.

Rules Committee

Sets conditions for House legislative debate.

Unlimited Debate

Allowed in the Senate, not in the House.

Committee Composition

Majority party controls congressional committee organization.

Legislative Districts

Geographical areas represented by elected officials.

One Person, One Vote

Principle ensuring equal representation in voting.

Oversight

Congress's review of executive branch activities.

Declaring war

Formal act by Congress to initiate military conflict.

Presidential veto

President's power to reject legislation passed by Congress.

Two-thirds majority

Required votes to override a presidential veto.

Confirming ambassadors

Senate's role in approving presidential appointees.

Creating spending bills

Congress's authority to allocate federal funds.

Bipartisan support

Agreement from both major political parties.

Congressional oversight

Monitoring and supervising federal agencies' actions.

Sunset legislation

Laws that expire after a set period.

Legislative powers

Authorities granted to Congress by the Constitution.

Federal appropriations

Congress's power to allocate government spending.

Approval of treaties

Senate's responsibility to ratify international agreements.

Lower-court system

Judicial structure established by Congress.

Pardoning felons

Presidential power to forgive criminal offenses.

Cloture motion

Senate procedure to end debate on a bill.

Discretionary spending

Budget items subject to annual review and approval.

Delegate model

Representative acts according to constituents' preferences.

Trustee model

Representative makes decisions based on personal judgment.

Gridlock

Political stalemate preventing legislative progress.

Interagency task forces

Collaborative groups from multiple federal agencies.

Judicial nominee confirmation

Senate's role in approving judicial appointments.

Congressional influence

Power of Congress to shape agency operations.

Regulatory bills

Legislation governing federal agency regulations.

Accountability of bureaucracy

Responsibility of agencies to report and justify actions.

Party-line voting

Voting pattern aligned with party affiliation.