Legislative Branch Vocabulary

Earmarks

________- A legislative provision which directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees.

Discharge Petition

________- A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had a bill for thirty hours, may ask to have it brought to the floor.

Pork Barrel Legislation

________- A metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representatives district.

Germane Amendments

________- Changes to bills on the floor of the House that must relate directly to the being considered.

Caucuses

________- A group of members of Congress which meet to pursue common legislative objectives.

Malapportionment

________- The creation of electoral districts with divergent ratios o voters to representatives.

Joint Committee

________- The four ________, made up of senators and representatives.

Congressional Oversight

________- The review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs and policy implementation.

congressional committees

Marking Up- The process in which ________ and subcommittee debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.

Rider

________ (wrecking amendment /poison pill)- In legislative debate, is an amendment made by a legislator who disagrees with the principles of a bill and seeks to make it useless by amending it to the point of nonsensicality.

Privilege

Franking ________- The ability to send mail by ones signature rather than by postage.

Elastic Clause

________- A statement in the U.S. Constitution which allows Congress to pass all necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.

Filibuster

________- A political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decisions.

electoral constituency

Gerrymandering- To achieve a result by manipulating the boundaries of an "________ "so as to favor one party or less.

Christmas

________- Tree Bill- A bill on the Senate floor which attracts many unrelated amendments which may benefit various groups.

Cloture

________- A procedure limiting consideration of a pending proposal to thirty hours in order to end a filibuster.

Lame Duck Session

________- A Congress session which occurs after the elections in November have occurred but before the successors terms have begun.

P Wesberry

________ lived in a congressional district with a population two to three times greater than that of other congressional districts in the city.

Pocket Veto

________- An indirect veto of a legislative bill by a president or governor in which they retain the bill unsigned until the deadline hits and it can not be dealt with in legislative session.

Revenue Bills

________- A proposal for a federal law that is used by the government to grain appropriate funds.

Majority

________- Minority District- An electoral district in which the majority of constituents are racial or ethnic minorities.

Appropriation

________ (s)- To take something for ones own use, and not necessarily with permission from the original owner.

President Pro Tempore

________- A high ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate when the Vice- President is absent.

2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act

A Public Law which approved the appropriations of $388 billion for various (11) departments

Appropriation(s)

To take something for ones own use, and not necessarily with permission from the original owner

Baker V. Carr

Baker argued that, because Tennessee had not redrawn district lines since 1901, his vote had reduced which violated the Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment

Caucuses

A group of members of Congress which meet to pursue common legislative objectives

Christmas-Tree Bill

A bill on the Senate floor which attracts many unrelated amendments which may benefit various groups

Cloture

A procedure limiting consideration of a pending proposal to thirty hours in order to end a filibuster

Closed Rule

No amendments outside the committee reporting the bill may be considered

Committee of the Whole

A committee of people on the floor of the House in which all revenue and most other bills are discussed

Conference Committees

Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill pass by each in different forms

Congressional Oversight

The review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs and policy implementation

Discharge Petition

A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had a bill for thirty hours, may ask to have it brought to the floor

Earmarks

A legislative provision which directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees

Elastic Clause

A statement in the U.S. Constitution which allows Congress to pass all necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers

Filibuster

A political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decisions

Franking Privilege

The ability to send mail by ones signature rather than by postage

Germane Amendments

Changes to bills on the floor of the House that must relate directly to the being considered

Gerrymandering

To achieve a result by manipulating the boundaries of an "electoral constituency" so as to favor one party or less

Joint Committee

The four joint committees, made up of senators and representatives

Lame Duck Session

A Congress session which occurs after the elections in November have occurred but before the successors terms have begun

Line-Item Veto

A partial veto in which the executive power nullifies or cancels specific sections of the bill instead of vetoing the entire legislative branch

Logrolling

The process in which politicians trade support for one issue or legislative power in exchange for another politicians support, especially by means by legislative votes

Majority Leader

Legislative leader selected by the majority party who keeps the party in line and plans strategy with other party leaders

Minority Leader

Legislative leader for the minority party as a spokesperson for the opposition

Majority-Minority District

An electoral district in which the majority of constituents are racial or ethnic minorities

Malapportionment

The creation of electoral districts with divergent ratios o voters to representatives

Marking Up

The process in which congressional committees and subcommittee debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation

Party Whips

An official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature

Pigeonholing

The process in which a Congressional Committee chairperson can kill a bill by ignoring it, such as not scheduling it for hearing or for a markup session

Pocket Veto

An indirect veto of a legislative bill by a president or governor in which they retain the bill unsigned until the deadline hits and it cannot be dealt with in legislative session

Pork Barrel Legislation

A metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representatives district

President Pro Tempore

A high ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate when the Vice-President is absent

Ranking Member & Ranking Minority Member

A member of the congressional committee or legislative committee who is the second in command, or the leader of the minority party

Revenue Bills

A proposal for a federal law that is used by the government to grain appropriate funds

Rider (wrecking amendment/poison pill)

In legislative debate, is an amendment made by a legislator who disagrees with the principles of a bill and seeks to make it useless by amending it to the point of nonsensicality

Select Committee

A congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation

Seniority System

A system that gives members of the majority power with longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee

Shaw V. Reno

North Carolina had redistricted and created only one black-majority district which led to North Carolina creating a second which was no longer than the interstate it ran with

Signing Statement

A written pronouncement issued by the president of the United States upon the signing of a new bill into law

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives

Standing Committee

Permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules

Wesberry V. Sanders

James