AP GOV. Unit 2.1-2.3 (Quiz #3)

House of Representatives

Represents the public with 435 members, capped by the Re-Apportionment Act of 1929.

Impeach

The power of the House to formally charge a government official with misconduct.

Appropriation bills

Revenue raising bills that must start in the House.

House of Representatives

The body that elects the president if no candidate wins a majority.

Debate time in the House

Members get no more than an hour of debate time.

House term length

Members serve a term length of 2 years.

House Rules Committee

Dictates guidelines for debate and can table bills, rejecting them from the very start.

Speaker of the House

Mike Johnson, chosen by the majority party, presides over the House and makes committee assignments.

Majority/Minority Leaders

Lead their respective party, strategize, unify their party, and speak for their party on the floor.

Whips

Count votes, keep party members in line, and communicate party strategy.

Census

A population count every ten years required by Article 1 to ensure proportional representation.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing district lines.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing district lines to give one party or group an advantage.

Senate

Represents state interests with 100 members, 2 senators from each state.

Continuous body

Only one-third of the Senate could ever be new or inexperienced.

Conducts impeachment trials

A power of the Senate.

Advice and Consent

The Senate's power to confirm presidential appointments and approve treaties with a two-thirds majority.

17th Amendment

Changed the election of Senators from state legislatures to direct election by the people.

President of the Senate

Presides over the Senate.

President Pro Tempore

A symbolic position with little power over the Senate.

Filibuster

A tactic used in the Senate to delay or block a vote on a bill by extending debate.

Cloture

Can stop a filibuster but requires a 3/5 majority vote.

Unanimous consent

Agreement that allows a bill or action to proceed without a formal vote as long as no senator objects.

Delegate

Votes the way their constituents want.

Trustee

Votes based on their own judgment.

Politico

Uses both delegate and trustee approaches depending on the issue.

Partisan

Votes with their political party.

Logrolling

When a legislator agrees to support a colleague's legislation in return for future consideration of their own legislation.

Pork barrel legislation

Designed to allocate spending to a legislator's home district or state through the addition of an amendment to an unrelated bill.

Omnibus Bill

A big bill combining several smaller ones.

Pork Barrel Spending

Money added to benefit a specific district.

Rider

Unrelated item added to a bill.

Pigeonhole

Ignoring a bill so it dies in committee.

Discharge

Forcing a bill out of committee.

Mandatory Spending

Required by existing laws.

Entitlement Programs

Benefits paid to all people that meet eligibility requirements.

Discretionary Spending

Debated and divided up between the cabinets, agencies, programs, etc.

Deficit

An excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues in a given year.

Debt

All money borrowed over the years by the national government and still outstanding.

Office of Management And Budget

Essentially the president's accountant and the origin of the annual budget.

Standing Committee

Permanent committee focused on a specific area (like Defense or Education).

Subcommittee Review

The committee may send the bill to a subcommittee for research, hearings, debates, and changes (amendments).

Rules Committee

Sets the rules for debate (how long, who speaks, can it be changed?).

Conference Committee

Members from both houses who work out differences if the House and Senate pass different versions.

Final Vote in Both Houses

After compromise, both the House and Senate vote again.

President Takes Action

The President can sign the bill (it becomes law) or veto the bill (sends it back).

Congress Can Override a Veto

Requires a 2/3 vote in both the House and Senate to override.

Full Committee Review

The full committee reviews the bill again and decides whether to approve it, change it more, or kill it.

Floor Debate and Vote

Full House or Senate debates and votes on the bill, needing a simple majority to pass.