Unit 2 Vocab
Page 1: Legislative Vocabulary and Concepts
Key Terms:
Pork Barrel Spending: Government spending for local projects secured solely to bring money to a representative's district.
Logrolling: The practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other's proposed legislation.
Oversight: The review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation.
Constituency: The body of voters who elect a representative.
Apportionment: The process of dividing and allocating congressional seats to different states based on population.
Redistricting: The process of redrawing district boundaries to ensure equitable representation.
Gerrymandering: The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to benefit a particular political party.
Partisan Gerrymandering: A form of gerrymandering that intentionally gives one political party an advantage.
Majority-Minority District: A district where the majority of the constituents are from a specific minority group.
Malapportionment: The uneven distribution of representatives to a legislative body, leading to unequal representation.
Incumbency: Holding a political office and the advantages that come with it, often leading to re-election.
Speaker of the House: The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, responsible for leading the House and its proceedings.
House Majority Leader: The leader of the majority party in the House, assisting the Speaker in legislative duties.
Whip: Party official in both chambers responsible for mobilizing votes and ensuring party discipline.
Minority Leader: The head of the minority party in the House or Senate, responsible for representing minority interests.
Senate Majority Leader: The principal leader of the majority party in the Senate, managing legislative processes.
Committee Chair: The leader of a committee who sets the agenda and presides over meetings.
Discharge Petition: A means by which members of the House can force a bill out of a committee.
House Rules Committee: A committee that establishes the rules for debate and amendment of legislation in the House.
Committee of the Whole: A committee that includes all House members, allowing for a more informal discussion on a bill.
Hold: A procedural practice in the Senate to pause a bill or nomination.
Unanimous Consent Agreement: A unanimous agreement by the members of the Senate or House to expedite proceedings.
Filibuster: A tactic used to delay or block legislative action, often by prolonged speech.
Cloture: A procedure for ending a filibuster and bringing a debate to a close.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): The office responsible for overseeing the federal budget and administration.
Entitlement Program: Programs that provide benefits to eligible individuals regardless of need.
Mandatory Spending: Expenditures that are required by existing laws, such as Social Security.
Discretionary Spending: Government spending implemented through an appropriations bill, subject to annual review.
Budget Surplus: When revenues exceed expenditures in a given fiscal year.
Budget Deficit: When expenditures exceed revenues in a given fiscal year.
National Debt: The total amount of money that a country's government has borrowed and owes to creditors.
Delegate Role: A model of representation where representatives act according to the wishes of their constituents.
Trustee Role: A model of representation where representatives use their best judgment to make decisions.
Politico Role: A model of representation that combines elements of both delegate and trustee roles.
Divided Government: A situation when one party controls the presidency while another party controls one or both houses of Congress.
Lame Duck Period: The time between election day and the swearing in of new officials, where outgoing officials have limited power.