Congress

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114th Congress

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The Congress of 2015-2016

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Bicameral

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A Legislative body with two chambers

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Constituents

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An elector/voter

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Gerrymander

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To manipulate the boundries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class

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Majority and Minority Party

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Majority Party- For example, if 58 members of the Senate were Republicans, then the Republican party would be the majority party.

Minority Party- The opposite of a majority party

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Speaker of the House

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The leader of the House of Representatives

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President Pro Tempore

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The leader of the Senate and 3rd in line for the presidency

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Committee

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Small groups of people who make changes to or decide whether or not to discard a bill.

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Seniority

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An official who has been in the business longer than others

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Expressed Powers

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Powers explicitly named in the Constitution

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Implied Powers

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Powers not specifically stated in the constitution, but can be implied

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Elastic Clause

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A statement in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8) granting Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.

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Authorization Bills

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A type of legislation used in the United States to authorize the activities of the various agencies and programs that are part of the federal government of the United States.

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Appropriations Bills

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A legislative motion (bill) that authorizes the government to spend money.

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Impeach

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To charge a holder of public office with misconduct

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Writ of Habeas Corpus

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A writ of habeas corpus (which literally means to "produce the body") is a court order to a person or agency holding someone in custody (such as a warden) to deliver the imprisoned individual to the court issuing the order and to show a valid reason for that person's detention.

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Bills of attainder

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A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them, often without a trial.

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Ex Post Facto Laws

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A law that makes illegal an act that was legal when committed, increases the penalties for an infraction after it has been committed, or changes the rules of evidence to make conviction easier. The Constitution prohibits the making of ex post facto law.

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Franking Privilege

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The congressional franking privilege, which dates from 1775, allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage. Congress, through legislative branch appropriations, reimburses the U.S. Postal Service for the franked mail it handles.

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Lobbyists

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Someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade legislators to support that business or cause.

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Pork-Barrel Projects

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A metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district.

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Filibuster

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"Talking a bill to death"

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Cloture

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a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote.

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Veto & Pocket Veto

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Veto- The president's formal refusal to sign a bill

Pocket Veto- A president does not do anything with the bill until it is too late for congress to pass it preventing it from becoming a law