legislative branch

enumerated power

power given explicitly to the federal government by the constitution(article 1 section 8) to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs

implied power

a power not expressly defined in the constitution but permitted to congress through a loose interpretation of the Necessary and Proper clause

pork barrel spending

spending on often unecessary local projects that benefit a specific member of Congress’s district or state

line item veto

the ability of an executive to reject specific portions of a piece of legislation rather than reject the entire bill. In the US, most governors have this power, but the power of line item vetoes for the president has been ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court

advice and consent

a constitutional power stating that presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the senate. Also, foreign treaties become official only when the Senate approves them by a two thirds vote

supermajority/absolute majority

any number greater than 50 percent

fillibuster

a political procedure conducted by a legislator (In the US, a senator) to delay or prevent debate on a proposal, usually by holding the floor and speaking continuously, refusing to yield. To break a fillibuster, three fifths of senators present (60/100) must vote to end it (cloture)

inherent power

not enumerated or implied. It is assumed to be there as a direct result of the country’s existence

legislative branch

made up of the house and senate, known collectively as the congress

enumerated powers of congress

1. taxation

2. budget authority

3. regulate comemrce

4. declare war

standing committee

addresses timeless issues that will recure. Ex: agriculture, finance

select committees

temporary committees

joint committees

have members from both the house and the senate. May be temporary or permanent

conference committees

made up of both houses of congress and consider individual pieces of legislation

Before a bill can be presented to the president, it must pass through both chambers of Congress. A bill may go through the House and Senate with changes made by one group but not the other. In this instance, the job of the conference committee is to address those differences. It then sends a single unified version of the bill back to both houses of Congress for their approval. For a bill to become a law, both chambers must agree on the changes made by the conference committee.

rules committee

the next step in the proccess of a bill becoming a law.

This is after it is considered by a standing committee. The Rules Committee and how it functions allows us to observe a major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Senate Rules Committee and the House Rules Committee have different jobs. The Senate has a long tradition of unlimited debate. It allows senators to speak as long as they want on any piece of legislation. This is not the case with the House of Representatives. The House Rules Committee is one of the House’s most powerful committees. This is because most bills, after they go through the appropriate standing committee (Natural Resources, for example), go to the Rules Committee next. This sets the parameters for debate on that specific piece of legislation. The House Rules Committee can place legislation on an accelerated calendar, limit debate, and limit the number of amendments or changes offered.