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45 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Constituent |
One of the persons represented by a legislator or other elected or appointed official |
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Bicameralism |
The division of a legislature into two separate assemblies |
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Lawmaking |
The process of establishing the legal rules that govern society |
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Logrolling |
An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other's bills |
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Representation |
The function of members of Congress as elected officials representing the views of their constituents |
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Trustee |
A legislator who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interests of the entire society |
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Instructed Delegate |
A legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him or her and who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal beliefs |
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Casework |
Personal work for constituents by members of Congress |
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Ombudsperson |
A person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies |
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Oversight |
The process by which Congress follows up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended |
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Agenda Setting |
Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered |
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Enumerated Power |
A power specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution |
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Rules Committee |
A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the House |
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Filibuster |
The use of the Senate's tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill |
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Direct Primary |
An intraparty election in which the voters select the candidates who will run on a party's ticket in the subsequent general election |
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Party Identifier |
A person who identifies with a political party |
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Reapportionment |
The allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after each census |
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Redistricting |
The redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state |
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Justiciable Question |
A question that may be raised and reviewed in court |
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Gerrymandering |
The drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the purpose of obtaining partisan or factional advantage. |
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Franking |
A policy that enables members of Congress to send material through the mail by substituting their facsimile signature for postage |
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Discharge Petition |
A procedure by which a bill in the House may be forced out of a committee that has refused to report it for consideration by the House |
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Standing Committee |
A permanent committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area |
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Select Committee |
A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose |
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Joint Committee |
A legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of Congress |
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Conference Committee |
A special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress in different forms |
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Seniority System |
A custom followed in both chambers of Congress specifying that the member of the majority part with the longest term of continuous service will be given preference when a committee chairperson is selected |
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Safe Seat |
A district that returns a legislator with 55 percent of the vote or more |
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Speaker of the House |
The presiding officer in the House of Representatives |
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Majority Leader of the House |
A legislative position held by an important part member in the House of Representatives. |
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Minority Leader of the House |
The party leader elected by the minority party in the House |
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Whip |
A member of Congress who aids the majority or minority leader of the House or Senate |
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President Pro Tempore |
The temporary presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the Vice President |
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Senate Majority Leader |
The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs the legislative program and party strategy. |
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Senate Minority Leader |
The party officer in the Senate who commands the minority party's opposition to the policies of the majority party and directs the legislative program and strategy of his or her party |
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Conservative Coalition |
An alliance of Republicans and southern Democrats that can form in the House or Senate to oppose liberal legislation |
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Executive Budget |
The budget prepared and submitted by the president to Congress |
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Fiscal Year |
A twelve-month period that is used for bookkeeping, or accounting purposes. |
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Spring Review |
The annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to review their programs and submit their requests for next fiscal year |
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Fall Review |
The annual process in which the Office of Management and Budget, after receiving formal federal agency requests for funding for the next fiscal year, reviews the requests, makes changes, and submits recommendations to the President |
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Authorization |
A formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency |
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Appropriation |
The passage, by Congress, of a spending bill specifying the amount of authorized funds that actually will be allocated for an agency's use |
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First Budget Resolution |
A resolution passed by Congress in May that sets overall revenue and spending goals for the following fiscal year |
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Second Budget Resolution |
A resolution passed by Congress in September that sets "binding" limits on taxes and spending for the following fiscal year |
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Continuing Resolution |
A temporary funding law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1 |
