APGOV CONGRESS

Bicameralism

The principle of a two-house legislature

Closed rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments (pg 306)

Cloture

A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate; takes 3/5 or 60 votes (pg 307)

Conference Committee

Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust/resolve differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form (pg 309)

Constituents

The residents of a congressional district or state (pg 296)

Delegate

An official who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of legislator (pg 315)

Discharge petition

Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration (pg 312)

Earmarks

Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents (pg 299)

Enumerated powers

The powers expressly given to Congress in the Constitution; also known as expressed powers (pg 302)

Filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue (pg 307)

Gerrymandering

The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent (pg 297)

Incumbent

The current holder of the elected office (pg 297)

Joint committee

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations (pg 307)

Logrolling

Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators (pg 315); defined in College Board's CED as - combining several pieces of legislation into one bill to secure enough votes for passage

Majority leader

The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line (pg 305)

Minority leader

The legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition (pg 305)

Open rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill (pg 306)

Override

An action taken by Congress to reverse the presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in each chamber (pg 314)

Party caucus

A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans (pg 305)

Polarization

The extent to which liberals and conservatives occupy more extreme positions on the liberal-conservative ideological spectrum (pg 316)

Pork-barrel legislation

Funding for a local project in a larger appropriation bill (see earmark)

President pro tempore

Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president (pg 306)

Reapportionment

The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislatures reapportion state legislative districts (pg 297)

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population (pg 297)

Rider

A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat (pg 314)

Safe seat

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted (pg 297)

Select committee

A congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation (pg 307)

Senatorial courtesy

Presidential custom of submitting the names of perspective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work

Seniority rule

A legislative practice that assigns the chair of the committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee (pg 309)

Speaker

The presiding officer in the House of Representatives, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party (pg 304)

Standing Committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area (pg 307)

Trustee

An official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator (pg 315)

Whip

Party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature (pg 305)