Gov Test 2 Vocab

17th Amendment

Made Senators directly elected by the people rather than appointed by state legislators

Caucus

a meeting of members belonging to a specific political party or faction to choose candidates, plan strategy, or decide policy

Voter Fraud

People purposely breaking the law and voting illegally.

Voter Suppression

People who want to vote being stopped by overly restrictive laws or bad election administration like zero early voting opportunities or not having enough polling locations in huge cities like Atlanta.

Cemetery Voting

Votes are cast in the names of registered voters who have passed away.

Gerrymandering

the practice of manipulating voting district boundaries to give one political party or group an unfair advantage in elections.

Good Time Charlie

Famous congressman (Charlie Wilson) got away with a lot of bad stuff. Gets put on the Ethics Committee because he believed in equity and wanted a criminal like himself in the committee to be represented. Personifies the rot of textbook congress.

The Hastert Rule

an informal practice in the U.S. House of Representatives where the Speaker will not schedule a floor vote on any bill unless it has the support of a majority of the majority party.

Jungle/All Party Primary

No such thing as party primaries all candidates for an office appear on the ballot regardless of party and if no candidate gets 50% a runoff is held at a later date (only a few states use this system).

Pork projects (Pork barrel / earmarks)

refer to government funds that lawmakers direct to local, narrow projects in their home districts or states.

Omnibus

Every bill that was supposed to be passed during the year thrown into one big bill.

Poison Pills

an amendment or provision added to a bill that is so objectionable to the opposing political party or the bill's original supporters that it forces them to vote against the entire measure or abandon it.

Rider

an additional, often unrelated provision attached to a bill—frequently a major or "must-pass" funding or appropriations measure—to increase its chances of becoming law.

Budget Reconciliation

fast-track legislative process created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 that allows Congress to change existing spending, revenue (taxes), and debt limit laws with a simple majority vote in the Senate. (Bypasses Filibuster)

Honeymoon Period

Refers to the norm that when presidents are first elected or reelected they are at their most popular and Congress is most willing to work with them including members of the other party.

Henry Clay

Known as an amazing orator and deal maker “The Great Compromiser”, believed in Legislative Supremacy or the idea that the Founders intended for Congress to be the most powerful branch, His compromises like the Missouri Compromise likely delayed the civil war.

Legislative supremacy

a constitutional principle stating that the legislative body holds the highest legal authority in government, making its enacted laws supreme over executive actions and judicial decisions.

Gag Rule

forbid even discussing slavery to maintain decorum. Sometimes an official rule sometimes just a rule of thumb

Sam Rayburn

Highly respected Speaker, Mentor of LBJ, Known for personal integrity, bipartisanship, and trying to make sure the House ran smoothly

Executive Privilege

right of executive officials to withhold information from the public/congress/courts or to refuse to appear before a legislative oversight committee.

Newt Gingrich

one of the first Republicans elected to Congress in Georgia after Reconstruction, erode the norms of the textbook Congress, made congress more polarized.