Politics Final - Congress

Trustee

Representative uses their own judgement to make decisions for constituents

Constituent

Resident living in within an elected official’s district

Delegate

Representative votes based directly on constituents’ opinions

Politico

Representative acts as both a trustee and delegate depending on the issue

Casework

Assistance members of Congress provide to constituents with government-related problems

Incumbent

Current officeholder seeking reflection

Incumbency advantage

Benefits current officeholders have in reelection campaigns such as name recognition and fundraising

Pork Barrel politics

Government spending/projects that benefit a member’s district

Position Taking

Publicly supporting issues to appeal to voters

Apportionment

Redistribution of House seats after the census every 10 years

Redistricting

Redrawing congressional district boundaries after the census

Gettymandering

Manipulating district boundaries for political advantage

Packing

Concentration opposing voters into one district to weaken their influence elsewhere

Cracking

Splitting opposing voters among districts to weaken their voting power

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Law protecting minority voting rights

Shelby County v Holder

Supreme Court case weakening federal oversight of state voting law changes

Speaker of the House

Most powerful leader in the House of Representatives who controls much of the agenda

Majority leader

Leader who helps direct the majority party’s legislative agenda

Minority leader

Leader of the minority party in Congress

Whip

Party leader responsible for counting votes and maintaining party discipline

President Pro Tempore

Ceremonial leader of the Senate chosen by seniority

Standing committee

Permanent congressional committee that handles specific policy areas

Subcommittee

Smaller specialized division within a standing committee

Select committee

Temporary committee created to investigate or focus on a specific issue

Joint committee

Committee made up of members from both the House and Senate

Conference committee

Temporary committee that resolves differences between House and Senate versions of bills

House Rules committee

Powerful House committee that controls debate and amendment rules for bills

Seniority system

System where longer-serving members gain greater influence and leadership positions

Legislative hearing

Hearing focused on gathering information about proposed legislation

Oversight hearing

Hearing investigating executive branch activities or government problems

Markup

Process where committees revise and amend bills

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

Agency providing Congress with research and policy analysis

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Agency providing economic analysis and cost estimates for legislation

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Agency investigating government spending and operations

Regular order

Traditional step-by-step legislative process for passing bills

Bill

Proposed law introduced in Congress

Sponsor

Member of Congress who introduces a bill

Open rules

House rule allowing any amendments to a bill

Modified open rule

House rule allowing limited amendments to a bill

Structured rule

House rule allowing only specific amendments

Closed rule

House rule prohibiting amendments to a bill

Fillbuster

Senate tactic of extended debate used to delay or block legislation

Cloture

Procedure used to end a filibuster requiring 60 senate votes

Unanimous consent

Senate agreement to speed up legislative procedures without objections

Rider

Unrelated amendment attached to a bill

Voice vote

Voting method where members verbally say yes or no

Roll-call vote

Vote where each member’s individual vote is officially recorded

Pocket veto

When the president ignores a bill while Congress adjourns causing the bill to die

Veto

President’s rejection of a bill

Veto override

Congress passing a bill over a president’s veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers

Quorum

Minimum number of members needed to conduct business

Committee of the Whole

Parliamentary procedure in the House used to speed debate on bills

Germaneness Requirement

Rule requiring amendments to be relevant to the bill

Authorization bill

Bill that creates or continues government programs/agencies

Appropriations bill

Bill providing funding for government programs

Omnibus bill

Large bill combining many smaller bills into one package

Unorthodox lawmaking

Modern legislative process that bypasses traditional regular order

Follow-the-leader lawmaking

Legislative process dominated by party leadership

Multiple referral

Sending a bill to several committees for review

Ping-ponging

House and Senate sending bills back and forth instead of using a conference committee

Constituency

The people represented by an elected official

Constituent service

Work done by members of Congress to help people in their district/state

Reapportionment

Redistribution of House seats among states based on population changes

Caucus

Meeting or organization of party members in Congress

Conference (party conference)

Gathering of party members to organize leadership and strategy

Markup session

Committee meeting where members debate and revise bill language

Oversight

Congressional review and monitoring of the executive branch activities

Deliberation

Careful discussion and debate before making decisions

Polarization

Growing ideological division between political parties

Gridlock

Difficulty passing legislation because of political disagreement

Floor debate

Debate by the full House or Senate on legislation

Calendar

Schedule of bills to be debated or voted on

Resolution

Formal statement expressing congressional opinion of intent

Joint resolution

Legislative measure often used for constitutional amendments or emergency appropriations

Committee chair

Leader of a congressional committee

Ranking member

Senior minority party member on a committee

Constituency opinion

Views and preferences of the people a representative serves

1st function of Congress

Lawmaking

2nd function of Congress

Oversight, monitoring and investigating other branches and government agencies

3rd function of Congress

Public education, C-span, informing public and shaping public opinion issues through hearings, debates, and speeches

4th function of Congress

Service to constituents, helping people in their state with problems involving government

What did Woodrow Wilson originally believe about Congress?

He believed Congress was the irresistible and dominant power in government

How did Wilson’s view change by WWII?

He believed executive powers became much more influential

What branch is usually blamed for government failures?

Congress

What is Congress’s major function?

Legislation

What are the major function of Congress?

Lawmaking, oversight, general accounting, public education, conflict resolution, representation, and service to constituents

What is conflict resolution in Congress?

Making different groups in society satisfied through compromise

Three types of representation

Delegate, trustee, politico

What is an instructed delegate?

A representative who votes the way constituents want

What does it mean to impeach someone

To bring charges against them

Which chamber impeaches a president?

House of Representatives

Which presidents have been impeached?

Trump, Clinton, Johnson

Malapportionment

Unequal representation due to uneven population distribution

What happens if a party is the majority in the House?

They control major officials and committee chairpersons

Who does the majority party choose in the House

The Speaker of the House

Current Speaker of the House

Mike Johnson

Where is the Speaker of the House in presidential succession?

Third in line

How often is the Speaker of the House elected?

Every two years

What is the role of the WHIP in Congress?

To make sure members attend voting and support party positions

The President of the Senate

Vice president