DE US Government - Unit 2: Legislative Branch

Power of the Purse

Control over taxation and spending

Unicameral system

single house legislature

Bicameral system

two house legislature, can be symmetrical or asymmetrical

Rubber Stamp Legislature

little or no independent power that simply approves decisions made by the executive/ruling party

Arena Legislature

allows open debate and discussion but has limited influence on actual policy

Transformative Legislature

plays an active and independent role in shaping national policy

Plurality/First Past the Post/Single Member District

Legislative members are chosen in a winner take all system (common in two party systems)

Proportional Representation

Seats distributed in legislature by party vote share (common in multi party systems)

Mixed Electoral System

combines elements of proportional and plurality

Descriptive Representation

extent to which legislators physically or demographically resemble the people they represent

Substantive Representation

Representation based on advocating for peoples interests and policy preferences regardless of the legislator’s identity

Delegate Model

Representatives act as mouthpieces for the people, voting according to the wishes of the majority, even if they personally disagree

Trustee Model

Representatives use their own judgment and expertise to make decisions in what they believe is the best interest of the people and the nation, even if it goes against popular opinion in their district

Politico Model

hybrid of the trustee and delegate models. Representatives balance their own judgment with constituent preferences depending on the issue’s importance

Hyperpluralism

Elites and special interests having too much influence

Gridlock

a situation where no progress can be made because opposing factions are in stalemate

Polarization

divergence of political attitudes away from the center toward more extreme views

House of Representatives

Represent the people directly (population-based)

Senate

represent all states equally

Commerce Clause

grants Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, several states, and Indian tribes

Congressional Hearings

 formal meeting held by a congressional committee/subcommittee to gather information for activities such as creating new legislation, investigating a problem, or providing oversight of executive branch

Congressional Investigation

Congress uses its authority to gather information on matters relevant to its legislative duties, such as government waste, fraud, abuse, or potential new legislation

Subpoena

a writ ordering a person to attend a court

Confirmation Hearing

meeting held by the Senate to review and question a presidentially nominated candidate for a high-level federal position, such as a Cabinet member or a Supreme Court justice

Reporting Requirements

Congress mandates submissions from entities and officials in all three branches of the federal government as a means to inform its study of issues, oversight, and lawmaking and for multiple additional purposes.

Hopper

a box where members introduce bills in the House of Representatives

Committees

a group of people appointed for a specific function, typically consisting of members of a larger group

Subcommittees

a committee composed of some members of a larger committee, board, or other body and reporting to it.

Hearings

a formal proceeding where testimony is presented to a committee or judge

Mark up

process by which a U.S. congressional committee debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation

Discharge Petition

bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from the committee by "discharging" the committee from further consideration. needs 218 votes

Rules Committee

determines the rules for debate and procedure on the floor of the legislature, controlling when bills are debated, how long they are debated, and what amendments can be offered

Unanimous Consent Agreement

allows for business to be conducted without going through the formal process of motions, seconding, and voting if no member objects

Filibuster

legislative tactic used in the Senate to delay/block a vote on a bill or other measure by extending debate, most commonly through prolonged speeches. ending one requires 60 votes

Conference Committee

temporary, joint panel of senior members from the House and Senate that is formed to resolve differences between versions of a bill that has passed each chamber

Pocket Veto

an indirect veto of a legislative bill by the president or a governor by retaining the bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with during the legislative session.

Federal Budget

spending on mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare, discretionary spending for annual agency funding, and interest on the national debt

Mandatory Spending

government spending on programs required by existing law, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which does not require annual congressional approval

Entitlements

government programs that provide benefits to those who meet specific legal eligibility requirements (Social Security, Medicare)

Discretionary Spending

money not considered essential for survival and can be changed/cut in the short term

Surplus

more than what is needed/used

Deficit

less than what is needed/used

National Debt

the total amount of money that a country's government has borrowed, by various means

Apportionment

the determination of the number of members each US state sends to the House of Representatives, based on population

Reapportionment

process of reallocating the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states based on population changes recorded by the decennial U.S. Census

Gerrymandering

the manipulation of electoral boundaries so as to favor one party/class.

Speaker of the House

elected official who serves as the leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, presiding over its proceedings and acting as the leader of the majority party

Majority/minority leaders

Spokespeople for their respective parties

Majority/minority whips

assistant spokesperson for their respective party

President of the Senate

Vice president, can break a tie vote in Senate and overviews counting/receiving of electoral ballots in presidential elections

President pro tempore

a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president.

Standing committee

a permanent committee that meets regularly

Select Committee

a small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose

Joint Committee

a committee whose members are from both chambers of congress

Time, place, and manner clause

states have the right to run their elections,  but congress can pass federal election laws to standardize procedures

primary election

Determines which candidate will represent a political party in the House or Senate general election

general election

Voters choose among party nominees (and any independents) to elect U.S. Representatives or Senators

special election

Fills a vacancy in the U.S. House or Senate that occurs between regular elections

incumbents

those already in office

pork legislation

that allows representatives to bring money and jobs to their districts

franking privilege

Mailing newsletters to constituents at the government’s expense

issue/ideological polarization

Citizens and parties diverge on specific issues and values (ex. taxes)

partisan aligned polarization

Issue preferences harden and align with party and social identity

affective polarization

Emotional hostility and moral contempt dominate politics as citizens view opponents as immoral, corrupt, or dangerous

holds

Senators can informally delay floor consideration of a bill or nomination

amendment trees

Majority leaders can block further amendments

committee gatekeeping

Chairs can refuse to hear or vote on bills

lobbying

attempting to influence the decisions of government officials regarding legislation or policy