Unit 2

Bicameral

2 houses. Congress is bicameral

Gerrymandering

Political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent of creating undue advantage for a party, group, or socio-economic class within the constituency. Packing/cracking

Delegate

a person chosen or elected to represent, vote, or act on behalf of a group of people

Quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action.

President Pro Tempore

Elected by majority, takes place of the vice president as president of the senate in his or her absence (typically the oldest member)

Rules Committee

Sets the rules for debate on the house floor

Pork Barrel Legislation

Laws that are passed by congress to appropriate money for local federal projects

Incumbent

An elected official who is already in office

Trustee

official or member of a governing board who is legally and ethically bound to manage public assets

Speaker of the House

Voted on by majority party, most powerful leader of the House, sets agenda, schedule debates, assigns members to committees

Whips

Assistant floor leaders, persuade people to vote on bills in a particular way

Conference Committee

Fixes differences in bills passed

Cloture

Rule ends a filibuster. Requires ⅗ majority vote. 60/100 sentators

Logrolling

An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each others bills

Census

Taken every 10 years to determine how the reps will be divided amongst 50 states

Reapportionment

Redistribution of seats in the house based on changes in population

Constituent

A person whom a member of congress has been elected to represent

President of the State

Vice president duty given by the constitution

Standing Committee

Permanent committees that exist from one congress to the next. The Senate has 16 and the House has 20.

Pigeonhole

When a committee wants to reject a bill and it ignores it and lets the bill “die”

Veto/Pocket Veto

When a president kills a bill passed during the last 10 days congress is in session by simply refusing to act on it.

Ex Post Facto Laws

retroactive law that criminalizes prior legal conduct, increases punishment for a crime after it was committed

Chief of State 

Ceremonial head of the nation

Chief Executive 

Leader of the government, head of executive branch

Commander in Chief

Control of united states military

Presidential Succession 

Vice President, speaker of the house, president pro-tempore, secretary of state

Executive Order 

Presidential directives, rules, or regulations

Executive Privilege

The right to withhold from congress or the other courts information

Pocket Veto 

president takes no action on a bill passed by Congress within the 10-day

Line Item Veto

The power to veto selected items in a bill. The president does not have the power to do this

Reprieve

A presidential order that postpones legal punishments 

Pardon

President order that releases a person from legal punishments

Clemency

the power of an executive official—such as a U.S. President for federal crimes or a state governor for state crimes—to show mercy by reducing, postponing, or eliminating a criminal sentence

Amnesty

A presidential order that pardons a group of people who have committed an offense against the government

Bureaucracy

hierarchical chain of command, a division of labor, specialized roles

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

Gather information, develop policy, and advise the president

Executive Departments

15 executive departments that form the core of the president's Cabinet

State of the Union 

An annual address from the president to congress describing legislative priorities

National Security Council

the principal forum used by the U.S. President to consider national security, military, and foreign policy matters.

Electoral College 

Process NOT a place. Alternative to electing president by popular vote or by congress. 538 electors, 270 votes required to elect (majority)

Faithless Elector

Elector votes against their party. Deviant votes

identify the similarities and differences between the House of Representatives and the US Senate (constitutional responsibilities, qualifications for office, terms, leadership).

similarities: Bicameral Role, Direct Election, Shared Powers, Residency

differences: house starts bills, impeachments, senate conducts trials, and can reject

process of how a bill becomes a law.

First, a bill is introduced. Then, they are sent to the committees that deal with the subject where the committee can edit the bill. When a committee decides to act on a bill, it holds hearings to listen to expert testimony. After the hearings they decide what changes, if any, to make a bill. Then there is floor action, debate, voting, and a bill must pass both the houses of congress and presented to the president.

roles of the Cabinet and Executive Office?

cabinet- 15 departments, advise president

executive office- budget, support