Ap Government - Unit 3 Terms

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Congressional Record

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The official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session.

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Congressional Oversight

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The review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation. Congress exercises this power largely through its standing committee system

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Impeachment

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The first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to consider whether or not to forcibly remove a government official from office. Brings charges to the official.

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Pro Temp(pore)

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is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate and the highest-ranking senator.

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(Congressional) Whip

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A role in party politics whose primary purpose is to ensure control of the formal decision-making process in a parliamentary legislature. Party 'enforcers', who typically offer both inducements and punishments to party members. In modern times, most whips are concerned primarily with ensuring a desired attendance for an important vote.

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Caucus

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A meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement.

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The Frank

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The ability of members of congress to send mail free of charge.

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Quorum (Quorum Call)

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The minimum number of members of a deliberative body necessary to conduct the business of that group.

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Habeas Corpus

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A legal action, or writ, through which a person can seek relief from the unlawful detention of him or herself, or of another person. It protects the individual from harming him or herself, or from being harmed by the judicial system.

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Attainder

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An act of the legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial.

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Pigeonhole

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Not letting a bill pass through a committee onto the legislative floor.

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Ex-Post Facto Law

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A law that retroactively changes the legal consequences of acts committed or the legal status of facts and relationships that existed prior to the enactment of the law (No prosecution after the fact).

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Omnibus Bill

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A single document that is accepted in a single vote by a legislature but contains amendments to a number of other laws or even many entirely new laws.

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Sequential Referral

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The practice of sending a bill to more than one congressional committee for consideration and doing so in an ordered sequence.

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Double Tracking

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A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster, whereby disputed bill is temporarily shelved so that the Senate can go on with other business

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Discharge Petition

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Bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from a Committee and usually without cooperation of the leadership (Anti-filibuster).

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Filibuster

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a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision-making body whereby one attempts to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a proposal by extending a debate on that proposal.

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Cloture (Closure)

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The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster.

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Censure

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A process by which a formal reprimand is issued to an individual by an authoritative body.

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Incumbent

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The holder of a political office.

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Constituent

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A person who authorizes another to act in his or her behalf, as a voter in a district represented by an elected official.

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Germane

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Relevant to the subject of the pending bill or business.

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Gridlock

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difficulty of passing laws fulfilling a party's political agenda in a legislature that is nearly evenly divided, or in which two legislative houses, or the executive branch and the legislature are controlled by different political parties.

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Veto

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A power of one department or branch of a government to forbid or prohibit finally or provisionally the carrying out of projects attempted by another department;

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Pocket Veto

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A legislative maneuver in American federal lawmaking that allows the President to indirectly veto a bill. The U.S. Constitution requires the President to sign or veto any legislation placed on his desk within ten days (not including Sundays) while the United States Congress is in session.

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Appropriation

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The act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses. (Usually associated with spending)

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Gerrymandering

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A form of boundary delimitation (redistricting) in which electoral district or constituency boundaries are deliberately modified for electoral advantage.

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Malapportionment

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To apportion improperly or unfairly (voting districts, a legislature, etc.).

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Conference Committee

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An ad hoc (for a specific purpose) joint committee of a bicameral legislature, which is appointed by, and consists of, members of both chambers to resolve disagreements on a particular bill. (temporary)

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Standing Committee

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Permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules.

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Pork Barrel (Bill)

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

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Logrolling

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The trading of favors or quid pro quo, such as vote trading by legislative members to obtain passage of actions of interest to each legislative member.

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Rider

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An additional provision annexed to a bill under the consideration of a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill.

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Christmas Tree Bill

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A political term referring to a bill that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments. (Consists of many rider bills)

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Partisan

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"organized into political parties." If that doesn't do it; the opposite of non-partisan.

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Bipartisan

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In a two-party system, any bill, act, resolution, or any other action of a political body in which both of the major political parties are in agreement.

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Marginal District

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Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically with less than 55 percent of the vote.

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Safe District

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Any district that is practically guaranteed to any given candidate.

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Quorum Call

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A parliamentary procedure used to summon absent members of a deliberative body if a quorum is not present.

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Apportionment

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The process by which seats in the United States House of Representatives are redistributed amongst the 50 states following each constitutionally mandated 10-year census.

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Reapportionment

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Redistribution of representation in a legislative body, especially the periodic reallotment of U.S. congressional seats according to changes in the census figures as required by the Constitution.

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Redistricting

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A form of redistribution, is the process in the United States of changing political borders . This often means changing electoral district and constituency boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results.

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Census

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The procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population.

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Patent

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A set of exclusive rights granted by a state (national government) to an inventor or his assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for a public disclosure of an invention.

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Copyright

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A form of intellectual property that gives the author of an original work exclusive right for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation, after which time the work is said to enter the public domain.

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Subpoena

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A writ issued by a court that commands the presence of a witness to testify, under a penalty for failure.