AP Gov Legislative Branch Textbook Reading Vocab

Bicameral Congress

Bicameral Congress

Congress comprised of two chambers to divide the constituencies

Pork barrel spending

Legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states

Logrolling

Voting on other’s earmarks in trade for votes on their own legislation between Congressmen

Oversight

Efforts made by Congress to ensure executive branch agencies, bureaus, cabinet departments, and their officials are acting legally and in accordance to Congressional goals

Constituency

Bodies of voters in an area who elect representatives/senators

Apportionment

Process of determining the number of representatives for each state using current census data

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral districts

Gerrymandering

Use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

Partisan gerrymandering

Drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a party

Baker v. Carr

Ruled that the states drawing unequal boundaries violated the equal protection clause under the 14th amendment, supporting the “one person, one vote” idea, and allowing the federal government to hold judicial hearings over boundaries

Malapportionment

The uneven distribution of the population among districts

Shaw v. Reno

Ruled that states couldn’t segregate voters only on the basis of race

Incumbents

Being already in office and running for reelection

Incumbency advantage

Institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off competitors in an election

Speaker of the House

Leader of the House of Representatives, chosen through member election

PACS

Political action committees, organizations that raise money for candidates and campaigns

House Majority Leader

Second in command of the House of Representatives

Majority whip

Member of Congress chosen by their party members who ensures party unity and discipline

House Minority Leader

Head of the minority party in Congress (chosen by party members)

Senate Majority Leader

Person with the most power in Senate and head of the party with the most seats

Committee chair

Leaders of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee agenda

Standing committee

Permanent committee that does most of the congressional work, is divided by policy area

Joint committee

Committee that contains members of the House and the Senate to focus public attention on an issue

Conference committee

Committee that is temporarily a joint committee that resolves House and Senate versions of bills

Select/special committees

Committees that are temporary and investigate an issue

Discharge petition

Motion filled to move a bill of out a committee and onto the House floor for a vote

House Rules Committee

Powerful committee that determines when a bill is subject to debate and vote, how long debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor

Committee of the Whole

Committee that consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making complex and controversial legislation consideration easier

Hold

Delay placed on legislation by a Senator who objects a bill

Unanimous Consent Agreement

Agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill

Filibuster

Tactic through which one senator uses the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation

Vote of Cloture

Procedure where Senators end debate on a bill and proceed to action; needs 60 votes for it to pass

Veto

Power of a president to reject a bill passed by Congress, sending it back to the origination branch without objections