AP GoPo Unit 2 Part 1: Legislative Branch

House membership

435

Senate membership

100

House qualifications

25 years old

7 years' citizenship

resident of state

Senate qualifications

30 years old

9 years' citizenship

resident of state

House term length

2 years

Senate term length

6 years

reapportionment

states' House seats recalculated every 10 years after the census

redistricting

state legislatures redraw House district lines

gerrymandering

majority party in a state legislature may draw district lines unfairly to benefit their party

safe seats

House districts that regularly remain in the hands of the same party

packing

creating districts that include a large proportion of the opposing party's voters

cracking

spreading opposing party's voters among many districts

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Federal courts may intervene in redistricting cases in the interest of equal protection. Established "one person, one vote" doctrine.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Although racial considerations may be a legitimate concern, drawing district boundaries based solely on race violates the Fourteenth Amendment.

divided government

when the majority party in one or more houses of Congress differs from the party of the president

gridlock

inability to enact legislation because of partisan conflict within Congress or between Congress and the president

coalitions

groups or individuals in Congress join together to advance a set of policy goals that none could do alone

delegate

legislator votes based on preferences of constituents

trustee

legislator votes based on conscience in the best interest of society

politico

legislator votes as a delegate or trustee depending on the issue and the degree of public concern

special powers of the House

initiates all revenue (tax) bills,

charges officials with impeachment,

chooses president in an Electoral College tie

special powers of the Senate

confirms presidential appointments (judges, cabinet secretaries, etc.),

conducts trials of impeached officials,

ratifies treaties (2/3rds vote)

seniority rule

unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving committee chairmanships for majority members with the longest tenure

oversight

the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, etc., to monitor the activities of executive agencies

standing committees

permanent groups that focus on bills related to a particular policy area

subcommittees

specialized divisions of standing committees

joint committees

limited number of committees with members from both houses

select or special committees

temporary groups formed for specific purposes such as to investigate a particular issue

conference committee

temporary committees with members from both houses that reconcile different versions of the same bill, AKA: third house of Congress

Speaker of the House

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

floor leaders

the chief officers of the majority and minority parties in each house

whip

an assistant to the party floor leader

President Pro Tempore

a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president

pork barrel spending

writing bills that produce income for home district

logrolling

legislators trading votes

pigeonholed

expression describing how most bills die in committee

discharge petition

forces a pigeonholed bill out of committee with a majority of the House members' support

markup

practice of making changes to a bill in committee

Rules Committee

committee unique to the House that sets rules for debate by the Committee of the Whole

unanimous consent

brings a bill to the floor in the Senate

filibuster

may extend debate to prevent a vote

hold

individual senator signals their intention to filibuster

cloture

vote to end debate in the Senate; at least 60 votes; ends a filibuster

pocket veto

president's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days

tax deductions

certain items/actions are exempted or taxed at a lower rate, often in order to achieve some social goal

16th Amendment

allows for the income tax

progressive tax

tax for which the percentage of income paid in taxes increases as income increases

deficit spending

government expenditures exceed revenues in a given year

national debt

sum of government deficits over time

discretionary spending

spending over which Congress has control

mandatory spending

spending required by law; about 2/3rds of the budget

Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

helps prepare the president's annual budget proposal

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

agency of Congress that analyzes presidential budget recommendations and estimates the cost of proposed legislation

budget resolution

binds Congress to a total expenditure level

appropriations bills

spending bills passed to meet budget targets

omnibus bill

combines many appropriations bills for a single vote