legislative branch

Constituent

A person who lives in an electoral district and is represented by an elected official

Pork

Publicly funded projects secured by legislators to benefit their home districts or states. The funds for such projects are said to come from the "pork barrel" - the state or national treasury

Standing Committee

A permanent committee of legislators from either the House or Senate responsible for specific policy areas, such as foreign affairs or agriculture.

Joint Committee

A permanent committee of legislators from either the House or Senate responsible for specific policy areas, such as foreign affairs or agriculture.

Conference Committee

A temporary committee of legislators from both the House and Senate created to work out differences in bills passed by both houses of Congress.

Appropriations

Funds allocated by a legislature for a states purpose as part of a budget or spending bill

Joint Resolution

An official statement issued by both houses of Congress. Once signed by the president, a joint resolution has the force of law.

Casework

Personal services provided by members of Congress to their constituents, often to help their constituents with problems they are having with the federal bureaucracy.

Congressional Page

A high school junior who works as a messenger and errand-runner in the House or Senate

Seniority Rule

A tradition that a congressional committee member's seniority - the number of years of unbroken service on a committee - determines that member's position on the committee

Filibuster

The tactic of using endless speeches on the Senate floor to delay or prevent passage of legislation; filibusters are not permitted in the House

Cloture

The process used to end a filibuster in the Senate; at least 60 senators must support a cloture vote to overcome a filibuster

Hold

A request by a senator to delay action on a bill

Rider

An amendment attached to a bill that has little or no relation to the subject of the bill

Christmas Tree Bill

A bill with so many riders attached to it that it seems to offer something for everyone

Logrolling

The trading of votes among legislators to ensure the passage of various bills in which they have a special interest

Formal Qualifications - House

Must be at least 25 years old and US citizens for at least 7 years

Formal Qualifications - Senate

Must be at least 30 years old and US citizens for at least 9 years

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives

Majority Leader

Manages legislation on the House floor and is the majority party's second in command.

Minority Leader

The minority party's overall leader and main strategist.

President of the Senate

The official presiding officer of this body, assigned to the Vice President.

President pro tempore

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

Select/Special Committee

House and Senate sometimes form this type of committee to investigate specific problems. Such committees are usually temporary.

Majority Leader (Senate)

Spokesperson for the party that holds the most seats in the Senate. Does not have the ability to make things single-handedly happen on the floor.

Majority/Minority Whip (Senate)

Stand in for the majority and minority leaders. Their duties may vary based on the needs of party leaders.

Minority Leader (Senate)

Helps shape minority party policy and devise strategies for stopping majority sponsored bills opposed by minority party.

Oversight

The United States Congress has the authority to conduct hearings, investigations, and budget reviews of the actions by the executive branch.

Confirmation

The process by which the Senate approves or rejects a presidential nominee.

Impeachment

A formal charge of wrongdoing against the president or other public official; the first step in removal from office.

Ratification

The process by which the United States Congress formally approves actions, often treaties or amendments to the Constitution, through a vote.

Override

Occurs when Congress passes a bill into law despite the president's disapproval.

Amendment

A formal change or addition made to a law, contract, constitution, or other legal document.

Enacting Laws

Both houses of Congress must agree on a bill before it can become law; either house can amend or reject a bill offered by the other house.

Levying Taxes

The power to tax is one of the most important powers of Congress; tax bills can only originate in the House.

Power of the Purse

Congress must appropriate money to fund any federal project; appropriations are public funds allocated for a particular purpose by a legislature.

Declaring War

Congress is granted the power to declare war, but shares war-making powers with the president.

War Powers Act

This law requires the approval of Congress for any overseas troop deployment lasting longer than 90 days.

Citizen Legislature

A type of state legislature where members spend about half their time as lawmakers, commonly found in states with small populations.

Professional Legislature

A type of state legislature where members are full-time lawmakers, more common in states with larger populations.

Hybrid Legislature

A type of state legislature where lawmakers spend about two-thirds of their time on legislative business.

Work Load (State vs. Federal)

State legislatures meet for less time compared to federal legislatures.

Staff Size (State vs. Federal)

State legislatures have smaller staffs than federal legislatures.

Compensation (State vs. Federal)

State legislatures offer smaller salaries compared to federal legislatures.

Term Limits

Many state legislatures impose term limits, while Congress does not; as of 2010, 15 states had term limits.

Argument FOR Term Limits

Term limits can remove politicians who no longer act in the best interest of their constituents, allowing new ideas and progress.

Argument AGAINST Term Limits

Term limits limit voter choices and can remove experienced lawmakers, potentially decreasing lawmaking effectiveness.

Phase 1: Hearings

Committee hearings gather information on bills, with witnesses testifying to provide expert and lobbyist viewpoints.

Phase 2: Markup

Committee members meet to make final changes to a bill, debating and voting on proposed amendments.

Phase 3: Report

A committee report is written to explain the purpose of the bill and the committee's recommendation for its passage.

Interest Groups Pressure

Lobbyists confront legislators in Congress, influencing undecided votes on bills, such as environmental regulations.

Party Leaders Pressure

Political party leaders expect support for public policy goals and can offer favors like campaign funding assistance.

Colleagues Pressure

Members of Congress may trade votes with colleagues to pass bills beneficial to their constituencies.

Lyndon B. Johnson Treatment

A method of political persuasion where leaders exert pressure on legislators to support party goals.

Final Committee Vote

If a bill survives the final committee vote, it is sent back to the full House or Senate for consideration.

Committee Report

A document explaining the purpose of a bill and the committee's recommendation for its passage.

Subcommittee Markup

If a bill survives a subcommittee markup, it is sent back to the full committee for further amendments.

Voting to Endorse

Voting to return a bill back to the full committee indicates support for the bill.