AP United States Government and Politics Chapter 4 Vocabulary

Flashcards covering essential vocabulary terms from AP United States Government and Politics Chapter 4, encompassing congressional structure, legislative procedures, representation models, and budget processes.

Mandatory spending

Spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget.

Committee chair

Leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee's agenda.

House majority leader

The person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives.

Pork barrel spending

Legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states.

Malapportionment

The uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts.

House Rules Committee

A powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor.

Incumbent

Running for reelection as opposed to running for the first time.

Whip

Collects information about how individual members are planning to vote, corralling their support on key votes, and setting party strategy in Congress.

Discretionary spending

Spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the President.

Committee of the Whole

Consists of all members of the House of Representatives and meets in the House chamber, but is governed with different rules of procedure than when the House of Representatives normally meets.

Redistricting

States' redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census.

Cloture

A successful vote requiring $\frac{3}{5}$ of senators ($60$) that can shut down debate and end a filibuster, letting the Senate move on to a vote.

Political action committee (PAC)

An organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns.

Entitlement program

A program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income.

Bipartisanship

Agreement between the parties to work together in Congress to pass legislation.

Minority leader

Head of the party with the second highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party's members.

Hold

A delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill.

Trustee role

The idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgement.

Filibuster

A tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation.

Majority-minority district

A district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district.

Politico role

Representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions.

Apportionment

The process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data.

Senate majority leader

The person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats.

Veto

The power of the president to reject a bill passed by Congress, sending it back to the originating branch with objections.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Executive branch office that assists the president in setting national spending priorities.

Lame duck period

The period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees.

Divided government

Control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress split between the two major parties.

Oversight

Efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals.

National debt

The total amount of money owed by the federal government.

Gridlock

A slowdown or halt in Congress's ability to overcome divisions, especially those based in partisanship.

Logrolling

The trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks (federal spending for a specific project) passed into legislation.

Budget deficit

The annual shortfall when a government takes in less money than it spends.

Discharge petition

A motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote.

Partisan gerrymandering

Drawing district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party.

Budget surplus

The amount of money remaining when the government takes in more than it spends.

Speaker of the House

The leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members.

Incumbency advantage

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

Gerrymandering

The intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters.

Constituency

A body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator.

Unanimous consent

An agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill.

Delegate role

The idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituents' wishes.