AP gov unit 2 review

congressional term

length of time between elections in congress (2 years)

Congressional Session

period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business

U.S. Senate

the upper house of the United States Congress (each state gets two)

at

large election

U.S. House of Representatives

the lower house of the U.S. Congress (dependant on state pop.)

Census

a population count that occurss every 10 years

Reapportionment

The redistribution of the 435 House of Representatives seats among the states after the census

Redistricting

The redrawing of each state's congressional districts after the reappointment

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

malapointment

when the districts do not reflect equal population

Baker v. Carr

case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congresional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state

Reynolds v. Sims

Court case that required that both houses of state legislature must be apportioned by the population

Shaw v. Reno

NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries

Rucho v. Common Cause

Partisan gerrymandering is a nonjusticiable political question.

Speaker of the House

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives

Majority Leader

the legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or Senate

minority leader

The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.

whips

Party leaders who work with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.

Vice President of the United States

serves as the constitutional President of the Senate, presiding over the chamber and casting tie

President Pro Tempore

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

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

select committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

joint committee

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate

conference committee

Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form.

Subcommittee

Division of existing committee that is formed to address specific issues

committee chairman

member who heads a standing committee in a legislative body

Ranking Member

usually the most senior member of a committee from the minority party.

seniority system

a system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee

expressed powers

the constitution delegates specific powers to congress (art. 1, sec. 8 cl 1

enumerated powers

Powers given to the national government alone

implied powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution

Elastic Clause

grants additional implied powers to congress: necessary and proper clause

Habeas Corpus

Constitutional protection against unlawful imprisonment

bill of attainder

a law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime

ex post facto law

a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed (congress cannot pass a law deeming something is a crime after it was comitted)

legislative power

the power to make a law and to frame public policies

nonlegislative power

duty Congress holds besides lawmaking

Impeachment

A formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office

Impeachment Trial

a formal Senate proceeding held to decide whether a government official should be removed from office after being accused of wrongdoing by the house of reps

confirm appointees

U.S. Senate reviews, holds hearings on, and formally votes to approve (or reject) individuals nominated by the president for key government positions

Ratify treaties

senate gives its final, official approval to make an international agreement legally binding

propose constitutional amendments

senate and the house must both have a majority vote

Congressional Oversight

a committee's investigation of the executive and of government agencies to ensure they are acting as Congress intends

Private bill

bills that benefit one person/ a small group of people (awards)

public bill

bills that benefit large groups of people (obama care)

revenue bill

legislative proposals that focus on raising money for the government through taxes, tariffs, user fees, and customs duties

hopper

a physical box or receptacle on the House floor where members of the U.S. House of Representatives formally submit new bills and resolutions for introduction

pigeonhole

to set it aside/delay a bill indefinitely, or effectively kill it by ignoring it so it never reaches a formal vote

hearing

a formal meeting held by a legislative committed, govt agency, or administrative body to gather info and examine public policy or legal matters

markup session

a meeting where a legislative committee or subcommittee debates, amends, and rewrites the text of a proposed bill before deciding whether to send it to the full chamber.

filibuster

speaking in all means to delay or end a debate/the passing of a bill (60 votes to end debate and bring bill to vote)

cloture

a formal parlimentary procedure used to end a debate and force an immediate vote on legislative proposal

quorum

the minimum number of members who must be present to legallaly concut official business or pass votes (usually simply majority)

pocket veto

a presidential veto that occurs when a president fails to sign a bill within the 10 day constitutional review period, and Congress is adjourned, preventing the president from returning the bill

delegate role

elected officials viewing themselves as a mirror of their constituents and voting even if it goesagainst their personal opinion

trustee role

elected officals relying on their own opinions when making decisions (voters trust their judgement)

politico role

a combination of trustee and delegate (often follows the trustee until pushed otherwise)

descriptive representation

idea that elected bodies should physically and demographically mirror the population they serve.

substantive representation

the idea that elected officials should advocate for and advance the actual policy preferences, needs, and interest of the people they represent.

prok-barrel legislature

the appropriation of govt funds for localized projects that primarily benefit a specific legislatuors home district or constituents rather than addressing broader national needs.

earmark

A provision in a spending bill that directs federal funds to a specific local project, organization, or govt, bypassing the traditional competitive bidding or merit-based allocation process (FETTERLETTER)

party line

the official set of policies, goals, and ideological positions defined and promoted by a political party.

logrolling

a political practce where legislatuors trade votes or support for each others proposed bills or special projects

special interest groups

an organized association of people who share a common intreest or goal and try to influence public policy and political decisions

lobbyist

a professional advocate paid to influence govt policy, lws and regulations on belaf of businesses, unions, non-profits, or other SIGs.