AP Government - Chapter 13 Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering congressional procedures, legislative rules, committees, and government structures from AP Government Chapter 13.

Partisan polarization

A vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators.

Bicameral legislature

A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts.

Filibuster

An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking a vote on the bill.

Marginal districts

Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically by less than 55 percent of the vote.

Safe districts

Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more.

Conservative coalition

An alliance between Republican and Conservative Democrats.

Majority leader

The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or the Senate.

Minority leader

The legislative leader elected by party members holding the minority of seats in the House or the Senate.

Whip

A Senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking.

Speaker

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his or her party in the House.

Party vote

A vote occurring under a strict measure when 90% or more of the Democrats in either house of Congress vote together against 90% or more of the Republicans.

Caucus

A meeting of party followers in which party delegates are selected.

Standing committee

Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area.

Select committee

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.

Joint committee

Committees on which both Senators and representatives serve.

Conference committee

Joint committees appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill.

Simple resolution

An expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body.

Concurrent resolution

An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president.

Joint resolution

A formal expression of Congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president.

Discharge petition

A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has held a bill for 30 days, may petition to move it through to the floor.

Restrictive rule

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made into a bill on the floor.

Closed rule

An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate and forbids a bill from being amended on the floor.

Open rule

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor.

Quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress.

Riders

Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so they will "ride" to passage through Congress.

Cloture rule

A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate.

Double tracking

A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business.

Voice vote

A Congressional voting procedure in which members shout "yea" or "nay", permitting members to vote quickly on bills.

Division vote

A Congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted.

Roll-call vote

A Congressional voting procedure in which members answer "yea" or "nay" to their names.

Teller vote

A Congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers, the "yeas" first and the "nays" second.

Veto

Literally, "I forbid": refers to the power of a president to disapprove a bill; it may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.

Divided government

A government in which one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Unified government

A government in which the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress.

Earmarks

Hidden Congressional provisions that direct the federal government to fund specific projects or exempt specific persons or groups from paying federal taxes or fees.

Pork-barrel legislation

Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in hope of winning their votes in return.

Franking privilege

The ability of members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature for postage.