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23 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Bicameral |
A legislator consisting two parts, or houses. |
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Census |
A periodic and official count of a country's population. |
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Consituent |
A person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent. |
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Gerrymander |
Change voting district lines in order to favor a political party; N. CF. Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander. |
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Majority Party |
The party that holds the majority legislative seats i neither the House or the Senate. |
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Speaker of the house |
An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant. |
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President pro tempore |
Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president. |
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Standing Committee |
A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area. |
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Select Committees |
Committees that are temporarily selected. |
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Joint Committees |
Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses. |
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Seniority |
Unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving committee chairs to members of the committee with the longest records of continuous service. |
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Expressed powers |
Powers directly stated in the Constitution. |
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Implied powers |
Powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. |
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Elastic clause |
Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution. |
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Impeach |
To accuse government officials of misconduct in office. |
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Writ of habeus corpis |
A court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person. |
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Ex post facto laws |
A law which punishes people for a crime that was not a crime when it was committed. Congress cannot pass these laws. |
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Franking Privelage |
Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free. |
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Lobbyist |
Persuaders of legislators. |
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Casework |
Assistance given to constituents by congressional members, answering questions/doing favors. |
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Pork barrel project |
Profits towards the governments personal uses. |
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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. |
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Special interest group |
An organization of people with some common interest who try to influence government decisions. |
