Chapter 11: Congress - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key institutional terms, types of representation, legislative committee structures, and processes from Chapter 11 on Congress.

Apportionment

The process by which seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among the fifty states based on population data.

Bicameralism

 The political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies.

Bill

Proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature.

Cloture

A parliamentary process to end a debate in the Senate, as a measure against the filibuster; invoked when three-fifths of senators vote for the motion.

Collective Representation

The relationship between Congress and the United States as a whole, and whether the institution itself represents the American people.

Conference Committee

A special type of joint committee that reconciles different bills passed in the House and Senate so a single bill results.

Constituency

The body of voters, or constituents, represented by a particular politician.

Delegate Model of Representation

A model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents.

Descriptive Representation

The extent to which a body of representatives represents the descriptive characteristics of their constituencies, such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender.

Earmark

A mark in a bill that directs some of the bill's funds to be spent on specific projects or for specific tax exemptions.

Enumerated Powers

The powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs.

Equal Proportions Method

A mathematical formula using U.S. Census Bureau population data, gathered every ten years, to allocate House seats among the states.

Filibuster

A parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of legislative district boundaries as a way of favoring a particular candidate or political party.

Great Compromise

Also called the Connecticut Compromise, a proposal for a bicameral congress with members apportioned equally in the Senate (two per state) and proportionally by population in the House of Representatives.

Implied Powers

The powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government.

Inherent Powers

The powers neither enumerated nor implied but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country's existence.

Joint Committee

A legislative committee consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certain topics but lacks bill referral authority.

Majority Leader

The leader of the majority party in either the House or Senate; in the House, the majority leader serves under the Speaker of the House, whereas in the Senate, the majority leader is the chief spokesperson and functional leader of the majority party.

Markup

The amending and voting process in a congressional committee.

Minority Leader

The party member who directs the activities of the minority party on the floor of either the House or the Senate.

Omnibus Bill

A large, packaged bill that allows Congress to quickly accomplish policy changes by attaching them to a broad budget resolution.

Oversight

The right to review and monitor other bodies such as the executive branch.

Politico Model of Representation

A model of representation in which members of Congress act as either trustee or delegate, based on rational political calculations about who is best served, the constituency or the nation.

Pork-Barrel Politics

Federal spending intended to benefit a particular district or set of constituents.

President Pro Tempore

The senator who acts in the absence of the actual president of the Senate (who is the vice president of the United States); usually the most senior senator of the majority party.

Representation

An elected leader's looking out for his or her constituents while carrying out the duties of the office.

Select Committee

A small legislative committee created to fulfill a specific purpose and then disband; also called an ad hoc, or special, committee.

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party; second in the presidential line of succession after the vice president.

Standing Committee

A permanent legislative committee that meets regularly.

Surge-and-Decline Theory

A theory proposing that the surge of stimulation occurring during presidential elections subsides during midterm elections, accounting for differences observed in voter turnout and results.

Trustee Model of Representation

A model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best for their constituents.

Whip

In the House and in the Senate, a high leadership position whose primary duty is to enforce voting discipline in the chambers and conferences.