AP Government - Legislative Branch Review
Requirements for House Election
25 years old, citizen for seven years, live in district
Cloture
3/5ths (60) votes are necessary to stop a filibuster
reconciliation
A procedure that allows consideration of controversial issues affecting the budget by limiting debate to 20 hours, preventing a filibuster.
senatorial courtesy
A process by which presidents when selecting district court judges refer to the senators in who state the vacancy occurs for a nomination.
Rider
A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat.
markup
A session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor
hold
A tactic by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor. Signals a member may have some objections to the bill or nomination.
Requirements for Senate Election
30 years old, citizen for 9 years, live in state
House Minority Leader
Carries out minority party agenda, liaison with majority party, may run for speaker is his/her party becomes the majority party
Logrolling
Congressman trading their vote on a bill for a promise from another member to support a future bill.
Congressional Budget Office
Created in 1974 to establish a nonpartisan arm of Congress that would generate economic reports related to budget issues.
Seventeenth Amendment
Direct election of senators
Apportionment
Distribution of representatives among the states based on the population of each state
Speaker of the House
Elected member of majority party; Directs legislative agenda, apponts committee chairman, 3rd in line for presidency
Congressional Budget Act of 1974
Established the congressional budget process by laying out a plan for the congressional action on the annual budget.
Caucus
Formed by members of both houses of Congress and both political parties who have similar interests.
Senate Majority/Minority Leaders
Help set the legislative agenda in the Senate
pocket veto
If Congress adjourns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill it is considered vetoed without the president's signature.
Conference Committees
Joint committees formed to make sure a house and senate bill are identical
Joint Committees
Made up of both house and senate members, most are not permanent, do NOT develop legislative proposals
House Appropriations Committee
Must approve all revenue legislation
President Pro Tempore
Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president
House Majority Leader
Part of majority party, spokesperson for the majority party, carries out legislative agenda, acts as liaison with minority party
War Powers Act
Passed in 1973, limits the president power to deploy troops overseas to a sixty-day period unless Congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period.
Standing Committees
Permanent committees, representation is proportional based on party makeup, each has a set of subcommittees
discharge petition
Petition to force bills out of a House committee, 218 signatures are needed to grant the discharge petition.
Congressional Oversight
Power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review the operations and budgets of executive departments and independent regulatory agencies, conduct investigations through committee hearings, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy
Expressed Powers
Powers directly stated in the Constitution
Implied Powers
Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution; inferred from the Expressed powers; based on Necessary and Proper Clause
President Pro Tempore
Presides over the Senate when the President of the Senate is not there
Gerrymandering
Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
Pork Barrel Legislation
Projects attached to appropriation bills to help members of a congressman's home district
Congressional Redistricting
Redrawing district lines following reapportionment; done by state legislatures
Vice President
Serves as President of the Senate (largely ceremonial role) and casts tie-breaking vote in Senate
Filibuster
Talk a bill to death
Select Committees
Temporary, deal with a specific issue not dealt with in standing committees
Incumbency Effect
Tendency of those already holding office to win reelection due to advantages because they already hold the office.
Congressional review
a process whereby Congress to nullify agency regulations by a joint resolution of legislative disapproval.
Bill
a proposed law
Reapportionment
a reallocation of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the census
Seniority System
a system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee
House Rules Committee
"gatekeeper" for legislation, sets rules to govern debate, controlled by the majority committee
House Ways and Means Committee
All revenue (tax) related bills start here
Earmarks
Amendments proposed by congressman and attached to appropriations bills. Sometimes called porkbarrelling.
Congressional caucuses
Association of members created to support a political ideology or regional economic interest (black caucus, women's caucus, blue dog democrats...)
Closed Rule
Bans amendments to a bill once the bill reaches the floor
veto
The formal constitutional authority of the President to reject bills passed by both houses.
Trustee View of Representation
The legislator who acts according to his or her conscience and the broad interest of the entire society
Delegate View of Representation
The legislator who acts according to the views of his or her constituents, even if they are different from their personal beliefs
Speaker of the House
The only officer of the House of Rep. mentioned in the Constitution. The chamber's most powerful position, usually a member of the majority party.
unified government
The political condition in which the same political party controls the presidency and Congress.
impeachment
The power held by the House of Representatives to charge the president, vice president, or other civil officers with Treason, Bribery, and other high Crimes and misdemeanors.
Reapportionment
The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.
Majority Whip
Third most powerful person in the House, key role is wo keep party members in line for votes, reports to majority leader and speaker
Committee Chairs
Usually majority party members, selected by majority party leaders,
politico theory of representation
Voting pattern that varies between a trustee, delegate, or partisan depending on the issue.
Senate
approve presidential appointments and treaties; more deliberative body; 1/3 of Senate is up for reelection every 6 years (continuous body); more foreign policy responsibility
Baker v. Carr
case that established the principle of one man, one vote. This decision created guidelines for drawing up congressional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state
Minority Whip
key role is wo keep party members in line for votes, reports to minority leader
Responsibilities of Representatives
more representative of the people; bring charges of impeachment; all revenue bills start in the House; all members up for reelection every 2 years
Lobbyists and Interest Groups
often provide members with information on topics relating to their group's interest or possible financial support in future campaigns
Incumbant
the person already holding an elective office
divided government
the political condition in which different political parties control the presidency and Congress (legislative=Republican, executive=Democrat)
Gerrymandering
the term for the redrawing of district lines to benefit one political party at the expense of another
delegate theory of representation
vote the way their constituents would want them to regardless of their own opinions.
