Government Chapter 7

Front 1

A legislature divided into two house; the U.S. congress and the state legislatures are bicameral except Nebraska, which is unicameral

Back 1

Bicameral legislature

Front 2

The process of allotting congressional seats to each state following the decennial cenus according to their proportion of the population

Back 2

Apportionment

Front 3

The redrawing of congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state

Back 3

Redistricting

Front 4

A proposed law

Back 4

Bill

Front 5

The power delegated to the house of representatives in the constitution to charge the president, vice president or other “civil offices,” including federal judges, with “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” This is the first step in the constitutional process of removing such government officials from office”

Back 5

Impeachment

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The political party in each house of congress with the most members

Back 6

Majority party

Front 7

The political party in each house of congress with the second most members

Back 7

Minority party

Front 8

The only officer of the house of representatives specifically mentioned in the constitution; elevated at the beginning of each new congress by the entire house; traditionally a member of the majority party

Back 8

Speaker of the house

Front 9

A formal gathering of all party members

Back 9

Party caucus or conference

Front 10

The elected leader of the party controlling the most seats in the house of representatives or the senate; is second in authority to the speaker of the house and in the senate is regarded as its most powerful member.

Back 10

Majority leader

Front 11

The elected leader of the party with the second highest number of elected representatives in the house of representatives or the senate

Back 11

Minority leader

Front 12

Key representative who keeps close contact with all members and takes nose counts on key votes, prepares summaries of bills, and in general acts as communications like within the party

Back 12

Whip

Front 13

The official chair of the senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party

Back 13

President pro tempore

Front 14

Committee to which proposed bills are referred

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Standing committee

Front 15

Includes members from both houses of congress, conducts investigations or special studies

Back 15

Joint committee

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Joint committee created to iron out differences between senate and house versions of a specific piece of legislation

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Conference committee

Front 17

Temporary committee appointed for specific purpose, such as conducting a special investigation or study

Back 17

Select (or special) committee

Front 18

Petition that gives a majority of the house of representatives the authority to bring an issue to the floor in the face of committee inaction

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Discharge petition

Front 19

Legislation that allows representatives to bring home the bacon to their districts in the form of public works programs, military bases, or other programs designed to benefit their districts directly

Back 19

Pork

Front 20

Funds that an appropriations bill designates for a particular purpose within a state or congressional district

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Earmark

Front 21

Time of continuous service on a committee

Back 21

Seniority

Front 22

The fact that being in office helps a person stay in office because of a variety of benefits that go with the position

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Incumbency

Front 23

Role played by elected representatives who listen to constituents opinions and then use their best judgment to make final decisions

Back 23

Trustee

Front 24

Role played by elected representatives who vote the way their constituents would want them to, regardless of their own opinions

Back 24

Delegate

Front 25

Role played by elected representatives who act as trustees or as delegates, depending on the issue

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Politico

Front 26

The political condition in which different political parties control the white house and congress

Back 26

Divided government

Front 27

Vote trading, voting yea to support a colleague’s bill in return for a promise of future support

Back 27

Logrolling

Front 28

A process in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor in either house for a vote

Back 28

Markup

Front 29

A tactic by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor. This stops the bill from coming to the floor until the hold is removed

Back 29

Hold

Front 30

A formal way of halting action on a bill by means of long speeches or unlimited debate in the senate.

Back 30

Filibuster

Front 31

Mechanism requiring sixty senators to vote to cut off debate

Back 31

Cloture

Front 32

Formal constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of the legislative body, thus preventing their becoming law without further congressional activity

Back 32

Veto

Front 33

If congress adjorns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of congress without the presidents signature, the bill is considered veto

Back 33

Pocket veto

Front 34

Congressional review of the activities of an agency, department or office

Back 34

Oversight

Front 35

A process whereby congress can nullify agency regulations by a joint resolution of legislative disapproval

Back 35

Congressional review

Front 36

Passed by congress in 1973, the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty day period in peacetime (which can be extended for an extra thirty days to permit withdrawal) unless congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period

Back 36

war powers act

Front 37

a process by which president, when selecting district court judges, defer to the senator in whose state the vacancy occurs

Back 37

senatorial courtesy