American Government Roots and Reform Chapter 6

Congress

Primary goals are to make laws of the nation, as well as to represent citizens' interests in national politics.

Congress

In 2014 less than 10 percent of Americans said the approved of the institution.

legislative branch

has been branded as a "do-nothing" institution

Bicameral Legislature

A two-house legislature

the population of any given state

What determines the number of representatives that a state sends to the House of Representatives?

Two senators regardless of the state's population.

What determines the number of senators that represent each state?

House of Representatives

Name of the lower house in Congress

Senate

Name of the upper house in Congress

Every 10 years

How often does the U.S. constitution require that a census be conducted?

Apportionment

adjusts the number of seats allotted to each state

bill

proposed law

No bill can become law without....

the consent of both houses

impeachment

power delegated to the House of Representatives in the Constitution to charge the President, vice president, or other "civil officers" with "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

Senate

Has the authority to conduct impeachment trials

Senate

Has the sole authority to approve major presidential appointments, including federal judges, ambassadors, and Cabinet-and sub-Cabinet-level postitions

Senate

Must approve all presidential treaties by two-thirds vote

Incumbency

already holding office

Redistricting

Process of redrawing congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts w/in a state

Gerrymandering

Drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome w/out regard to the shape of the district

Majority party

party with the most members

minority party

party with the 2nd most members

party caucus (or conference)

formal gathering of all party members

Speaker of the House

chamber's most powerful position, is the only officer of the House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

entire House of Representatives

Elects the Speaker of the House

Speaker of the House

Official spokesperson for the House, as well as second in line of presidential succession

Majority Leader

head of the party controlling the most seats in the House or Senate; 2nd in authority to the Speaker of House and in Senate is regarded as most powerful member

minority leader

head of the party with the 2nd highest number of elected representatives in House/Senate

whip

party leader who keeps close contact with all members of his/her party, takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communications link w/in a party

Constitution specifies that presiding officer of the Senate is...

Vice President of U.S

President pro tempore

majority party selects and who presides over the Senate in absence of vice pres.

First and last place to which bills go

standing committees

Congressional members are of four types:

standing, joint, conference, and select(special)

Standing committee

proposed bills are referred; cont from one Congress to next

Joint committee

conduct investigations or special studies, such as economy, taxation, or scandals

conference committee

special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by House/Senate

select committee

temporary committee appointed for a specific purpose such as investigating 9/11, terrorist attacks

Committee on Rules

gives each bill what is called a rule, which contains the date the bill will come up for debate and the times that will be allotted for discussion, and often specifies what kinds of amendments can be offered.

discharge petition

gives the majority of House of Reps the authority to bring an issue to the floor in the face of committee inaction

seniority

time of continuous service on the committee

War Powers Resolution, congressional review, approval of nominations, and impeachment

Congress can check power of executive and judicial branches by...

markup

session during which committee members can offer changes to a bill before is goes to the floor

hold

procedure by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor

filibuster

way of halting Senate action on a bill by means of long speeches or unlimited debate, grew out of the absence of rules to restrict speech in Senate

cloture

mechanism requiring the vote of sixty senators to cut off debate

veto

formal, constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of Congress, this preventing them from becoming law w/out further congressional action

pocket veto

If congress adjourns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of Congress, the bill is considered vetoed w/out the president's signature.

Congressional Budget Act of 1974

est congressional budgetary process by laying out a plan for congressional action on the annual budget resolution, appropriations, reconciliation, and any other revenue bills.

Congressional budget office

nonpartisan agency to help members make accurate estimations of revenues and expenditures and to lay out a plan for congressional action on the annual budget resolution, appropriations, reconciliation, and any other revenue bills.

reconciliation

procedure that allows consideration of controversial issues affecting the budget by limiting debate to twenty hours, thereby ending the threat of a filibuster.

pork

legislation that allows representatives to bring money and jobs to their districts in the form of public works programs, military bases, or other programs.

programmatic requests

federal funds designated for special projects w/in a state or congressional district.

War Powers Resolution

permits president to send troops into action only with the authorization of Congress or if the U.S, its territories, or armed forces are attacked.

Senatorial courtesy

process by which presidents generally defer to to senators who represent the state where the vacancy occurs

trustee

one who listens to the opinion of constituents and then can be trusted to use his/her own best judgement to make final decisions

delegate

representatives who vote the way their constituents would want them to, regardless of their own opinions.

politico

alternately dons the hat of a trustee and a delegate depending on the issue

political parties

Influence of these on members' votes have reached historically high levels in recent years

divided government

when different political parties controlled the presidency and the Congress

unified government

presidency and Congress are controlled by members of the same party and share a similar policy agenda

logrolling

vote trading; often takes place on specialized bills targeting money or projects to selected congressional districts

lobbyists

Primary function is to provide information to supportive/potentially supportive legislators, committees, and their staffs.