The Constitution and its Underpinnings

pork barrel spending - legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states (been criticized for putting narrow interests ahead of those of the nation’s voters)

logrolling - trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation

earmarks - the allocation of money to specific projects in states or congressional districts

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

constituency - a body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator

1842 Apportionment Act - mandated single member districts

apportionment - the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data

redistricting - states’ redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census

gerrymandering - the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

partisan gerrymandering - drawing district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party

majority - minority districts - a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district

Baker v. Carr (1962) - Supreme Court decided that the court had the authority to review district boundaries created by state legislatures (Tennessee was required to redraw its’ boundaries)

malapportionment - the uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts

incumbency - being already in office as opposed to running for the first time

incumbency advantage - institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election

Shaw v. Reno (1993) - the Supreme Court overturned the race-conscious drawing of a strangely shaped legislative district

Office of Management and Budget - the executive branch office that assists the president in setting national spending priorities

entitlement program - a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income

mandatory spending - spending required by existing laws that is locked in the budget

discretionary spending - spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president

budget surplus - the amount of money remaining when the government takes in more than it spends

budget deficit - the annual shortfall when a government takes in less money than it spends

national debt - the total amount owed by the federal government

Speaker of the House - the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members (chosen every 2 years)

political action committee (PAC) - an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns

House majority leader - the person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives

whip - a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline

minority leader - the head of the party with the second-highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party’s members

Senate majority leader - the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats

committee chairs - leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee’s agenda

4 types of committees - standing, joint, conference, and select

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

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

Committee of the Whole - consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation

hold - a delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill

unanimous consent agreement - an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill

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

cloture - a procedure through which senators can end a filibuster and proceed to action, provided 60 senators agree to it

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

legislative voting decisions - consider constituents interests, members of the political party, input from congressional staff

delegate role - idea that the main duty of a congressperson is to carry out constituents wishes

trustee role - members should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgement

politico role - representation where Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions

bipartisanship - agreement between the parties to work with each other on legislation in Congress

gridlock - slowdown or halt in Congresses ability to legislate and overcome divisions

lame duck period - end of presidency, Congress block initiatives

advantages of being in office - perform casework constituents, bring money back to the districts, franking privilege (can send mail to constituents for free)

incumbency advantages - name recognition, gerrymandering, “running scared”, fundraising, media access

rider - something added to a bill that may or may not be relevant

president pro tempore - acts as president of the Senate if the vice president is unable to

ex post de facto laws - a law that punishes someone for a crime that was not illegal when they committed it (these laws are illegal)

habeas corpus - a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment

advice and consent - the authority of the senate to ratify treaties, confirm cabinet and judicial appointments