Super Vocab Test Part 1

Front 1

Seniority Rule

Back 1

The system under which committee chairs are awarded to members who have the longest continuous service on the committee

Front 2

Parliament

Back 2

An assembly of party representatives that choose a government and discusses major national issues

Front 3

Organizational View

Back 3

Explanation of congressional voting which suggests members of Congress respond primarily to cues provided by their colleagues

Front 4

Conservative Coalition

Back 4

An alliance of conservative Democrats with Republicans for voting purposes

Front 5

Party Polarization

Back 5

Indicated by votes in which a majority of voting Democrats oppose a majority of voting Republicans

Front 6

Closed Rule

Back 6

A rule issued by the Rules Committee that does not allow a bill to be amended on the House floor

Front 7

Simple Resolutions

Back 7

Resolution used for matters such as establishing the rules under which each body will operate

Front 8

Concurrent Resolution

Back 8

Resolution used for settling housekeeping and procedural matters that affect both houses

Front 9

Joint Resolution

Back 9

Resolution that is essentially the same as a law and is used to propose constitutional amendments

Front 10

Filibuster

Back 10

A means by which senators can extend debate on a bill in order to prevent or delay its consideration

Front 11

Attitudinal View

Back 11

Explanation of congressional voting which emphasizes the impact of personal ideology and party identification as a voting cue

Front 12

Cloture Rule

Back 12

A senate rule offering a means for stopping a filibuster

Front 13

Restrictive Rule

Back 13

A rule issued by the Rules Committee that permits some amendments to a bill but not to others

Front 14

Markup

Back 14

Committee revisions of a bill

Front 15

Congressional Caucus

Back 15

An association of members of Congress created to advocate a political ideology or a regional or economic interest

Front 16

Party Whip

Back 16

An individual who assists the party leader in staying abreast of the concerns and voting intentions of the party members

Front 17

Committee on Committees

Back 17

Assigns Republicans to standing committees in the Senate

Front 18

Representational View

Back 18

Explanation of congressional voting that is based on the assumption that members want to get reelected and vote to please their constituents

Front 19

House Rules Committee

Back 19

The group that decides what business comes up for a vote and what the limitations on debate should be

Front 20

Discharge Petition

Back 20

A means by which the House can remove a bill stalled in committee

Front 21

Multiple Referral

Back 21

The process through which a bill is referred to several committees that simultaneouslyconsider it in whole or in part

Front 22

Steering Committee

Back 22

Assigns Democrats to standing committees in the Senate

Front 23

Party Caucus

Back 23

A meeting of the members of a political party to decide questions of policy

Front 24

Party Vote

Back 24

The extent to which members of a party vote together in the House or the Senate

Front 25

Bicameral Legislature

Back 25

A lawmaking body composed of two chambers or parts

Front 26

Marginal Districts

Back 26

Districts in which the winner got less than 55% of the vote

Front 27

Riders

Back 27

Unrelated amendments added to a bill

Front 28

Safe District

Back 28

Districts in which the winner got more than 55% of the votes

Front 29

Sequential Referral

Back 29

The process through which a bill is referred to second committee after the first is finished acting

Front 30

Millionaire's Club

Back 30

A traditional, pejorative name for the United States Senate

Front 31

Majority Leader

Back 31

The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or Senate

Front 32

Select Committees

Back 32

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time period and purpose

Front 33

Franking Privilege

Back 33

The ability of members of Congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge

Front 34

Roll Call Vote

Back 34

A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering yea or nay to their names

Front 35

Minority Leader

Back 35

The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House or Senate

Front 36

Joint Committee

Back 36

A committee on which both representatives and senators serve

Front 37

Public Bill

Back 37

Legislation that deals with matters of general concern

Front 38

Open Rule

Back 38

An order from the Rules Committee in the House that permits a bill to be amended on the legislative floor

Front 39

Voice Vote

Back 39

A method of voting used in both houses in which members vote by shouting yea or nay

Front 40

Teller Vote

Back 40

A congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers, first the yeas and then the nays

Front 41

Double Tracking

Back 41

A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster; the disputed bill is shelved temporarily

Front 42

Conference Committee

Back 42

A special type of joint committee appointed to resolve differences in the House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

Front 43

Christmas Tree Bill

Back 43

A bill that has many riders

Front 44

Division Vote

Back 44

A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted

Front 45

Standing Committees

Back 45

The permanent committees of each house with the power to report bills

Front 46

Legislation that deals only with specific matters rather than with the general legislative affairs

Back 46

Private Bill

Front 47

Pork Barrel Legislation

Back 47

Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in the hope of winning their votes

Front 48

Quorum Call

Back 48

A calling of the role in either house of Congress to determine whether the number of members in attendance meets the minimum number required to conduct official business