The Legislative Branch

two years

length of a congressional term

119th

current congressional term

incumbent

the current officeholder

advantages of an incumbent

name recognition, access to media, franking

franking privilege

the ability of congressional members to use their signature as postage

sophmores surge

the increase in voting that congressional candidates get in their first re-election

marginal district

a close election, winner gets less than 55% of the vote

safe district

winner gets over 55% of the vote

Mike Johnson

current speaker of the house

speaker of the house

presides over meetings and committees, tends to serve the longest in the House, the most powerful person in Congress

majority leader

the legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats, tries to sway votes and unifies party

minority leader

the legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats, tries to sway votes and unifies party

whips

a leadership position that helps floor leaders, keeps track of party standing

leaders and whips

leadership roles created by parties, not the consitution

vice president of the us

president of the senate

break ties

primary function of the vice president in the senate

president pro tempore

presides over the senate when without VP, usually the longest standing from the majority party

senate majority leader

most powerful position in the senate

apportioned

distributed seats among districts

reapportionment

reassigning seats based on the Census

Reapportionment Act or 1929

limited the number of House seats to 435

10 years

amount of time between each census

gerrymandering

redrawing congressional districts for the purpose of benefiting the party/person in power

cracking and packing

the two techniques that politicians use in gerrymandering

tennessee

the state where baker v. carr took place

baker v. carr

rural areas overrepresent urban districts

14th amendment

used in the decision on Baker v. Carr

north carolina

state where shaw v. reno took place

janet reno

the attorney general who was accused of racial gerrymandering

shaw v. reno

SC case that addressed racial gerrymandering in north carolina

voters rights act of 1965

law that justify desicion in shaw v reno

ways and means committee

responsible for tax bills, a permanent committee in the House

rules committee

determines guidelines for how a bill is handled in the House, a permanent committee in the House

committee of the whole

vote as a small group on a bill to represent the entire House, a permanent committee in the House

discharge petition

brings a bill out of committee

continuous body

term used for the senate that implies not everyone gets elected at the same time

list from the House

how senators were chosen in the original constitution

17th amendment

called for the direct voting for Senators

fillibuster

a prolonged speech meant to stop progress of a bill

cloture rule

used to end/prevent a filibuster, need 3/5ths votes

advice and consent

the power of the senate to approve presidential appointments, cabinent members, ambassadors, supreme court justices, ex.

budget and impoundment control act of 1974

created House and Senate budget committees

CBO

congressional budget office

congressional budget office

forces the reconciliation of House and Senate budgeting bills

office of management and budget

determines the budget and costs of programs, part of the executive branch, created in 1970

fiscal year

the year long period for an approved budget

october 1

the first day of a fiscal year

government shutdown

the consequence of not having a budget approved by the end of a fiscal year

personal and corporate income taxes, tariffs, social security, excise taxes

four main sources of revenue for the federal government

excise taxes

taxes levied on a particular good or service, like alcohol and tobacco

mandatory spending

spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget

US debt, social security, pensions, Medicare, Medicaid

examples of programs that require mandatory spending

62

percentage of the federal budget that is mandatory spending

discretionary spending

the allocation of leftover funds from mandatory spending

military defense, education

examples of programs that are funded through discretionary spending

38

percentage of the federal budget that is discretionary spending

bill

a proposed law

private bills

bills that concern individual people/places

public bills

bills that apply to the entire nation

joint resolution

deals with temporary or unusual matters, invokes the force of law

concurrent resolution

deals with common concerns of both houses, does not require the president's signature or force of law

germane

amendments directly related to the topic of the bill

non-germane

amendments that aren't related to the topic of the bill, usually part of a deal

riders

another name for non-germane amendments

Omnibus Bill

an enormous bill that takes on multiple aspects of laws and programs

pork barrel spending

lawmakers bring things back to home state/district, includes a very specific addition to a bill

earmark

money designated for a bill

multiple referrals

occurs when committees overlap jurisdiction on a bill and each addresses the bill

sequential referrals

occurs when one committee gets priority to review a bill first

markups

revisions on a bill

pigeon hole

deciding not to act on a bill so that it dies

caucus

a group of like-minded congressional members joining for a specific interest or concern

logrolling

occurs when congressional members trade votes to gain support for a bill

trustee model

using conscious and experience to vote

delegate model

voting on how constituents would want them to vote

partisan model

voting according to their political party

politico model

combining and balancing all voting models when voting

quorum

the number of members needed to be present to conduct business

218

the quorum in the House

51

the quorum in the Senate

representational

a view of congress that thinks they vote to please consituents

organizantional

a view of Congress that thinks they vote to please colleagues in order to gain standing and status, influenced heavily by whips

attitudinal

a view of congress that thinks they vote according to ideology, occurs more in the House

Congressional Accountability Act 1995

outlaws bribes from PACs and interest groups in Congress

Financial Disclosure Act

requires congressional members to publicly disclose income, assets, and transactions

writ of habeas corpus

a limit on congressional power that states congress can't take away a fugitives right to know why they're held

bills of attainder

a limit on congressional power that states Congress can't pass laws that punish people without a trial

ex post facto laws

a limit on congressional power that states Congress can't label an act a crime after it was performed and arrest you afterwards

exports

a limit on congressional power that states Congress can't tax _______

personal staff

gathers info and deals with reporters on behalf of a congressional member, in both DC and home state

committee staff

draft bills, organize hearings, gather info, typically has expert knowledge on the committee matter

standing

a type of committee that is permanent and in both House and Senate, where most of the work is done

select

a type of committee that is temporary and in both House and Senate, made to do a certain job

joint

a type of committee that has members of both houses of Congress, working together on specific issues.

conference

a type of committee that is always temporary and in both House and Senate, comes together only to iron out differences of each house on a bill

loyalty, expertise, preferences, seniority

reasons a congressional member gets on a committee

party leader

person who assigns members to a committee

seniority and vacancy

reasons a congressional member would move up on a committee

expressed powers

powers listed in the constituion

tax, borrow, declare war, enter treaties, coin money, regulate commerce

the six expressed powers of Congress