AP Gov. CH 12: Congress

Pork Barreling

"Servicing the constituency". The mighty list of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges, and institutions available in a congressional district. (Use of govt funds for projects to please voters/legislators and win votes) *Designed to bring federal money to a home state (since Senate has no closed rules for amending legislation)*

Franking

*Free use of the mail system* to communicate with constituents each year, plus opportunities to *travel* at low fares/free to foreign nations on congressional inquiries

House v. Senate Powers/Structure

*HOUSE* - proposes revenue raising bills - Rules Committee CONTROLS debate - hold impeachment charges • procedures and rules are more formal because it is larger • more members and committees (members on less committees) *SENATE* - confirmations and ratifications - no time constraints on debates (filibuster) • procedures and rules are not as formal because it is smaller • less members and committees (members are on many committees)

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

A *counterweight* to the president's *Office of Management and Budget*. The CBO advises Congress on the probable consequences of budget decisions and forecasts revenues. It's principal focus is on analyzing the feasibility of the president's budget. - evaluates cost of legislative proposals

Seniority System

A *simple rule for picking committee chairs*, in effect until the 1970s. The member who had served on the committee the longest and whose party controlled congress became chair, regardless of party loyalty, mental state, or competence.

Congressional Caucus

A group of members of Congress sharing some interest/characteristic. Most are composed of members from both parties from both houses. The goal of all caucuses is to promote the interests around which they are formed.

President Pro Tempore

A high ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the U.S. Senate in the absence of the Vice President.

Bicameral

A legislature divided into two houses. The U.S. Congress and every American state legislature except Nebraska's are bicameral.

Filibuster

A strategy unique to the Senate whereby *opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death*, based on tradition of unlimited debate. Today, 60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster. It is a tactic used to delay or prevent the passage of legislation, e.g. a long irrelevant speech. This has been used to prevent action on the measure being debated.

Census

A valuable tool for understanding demographic changes. The Constitution requires that government conduct an "actual enumeration" of the population every ten years.

Casework

Activities of members of Congress that help the constituents as individuals; cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get.

Congressional District

An electoral constituency that elects a single member of congress (House). They are based on population which is taken using a census every ten years. Congressional districts were created based on the provision that each state should be roughly equal in population throughout the state and throughout the entire country.

House Rules Committee

An institution unique to the House of Representatives that reviews all bills (except revenue, budget, and appropriation bills) coming from a House committee before the go to the full house. - determines how long a bill will be debated -decides whether or not to allow an open rule (allow amendments) or closed rule (prohibits amendments) for amending a bill - can bring bills up for an immediate floor vote - *schedules/manages the flow of legislation on the floor to make it easier/more difficult for a bill to pass or make the process more efficient*

Speaker of the House

An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal an informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

An office that grew out of the Bureau of Budget, created in 1921, consisting of a handful of political appointees and hundreds of skilled professionals. The OMB performs both managerial (relating to management/managers) and budgetary functions, and although the president is its boss, the director and staff have considerable independence in the budgetary process. The OMB is the *president's* own final authority on any agency's budget.

Apportionment

Apportionment is one of the most important functions of the decennial census. It measures the population so that seats in the House can be correctly apportioned (divided) among the states.

How does a bill become law?

COURSE #1 1.) *Bill Introduction*: HOUSE (Bill is introduced by a member and assign to a committee, which usually refers it to a subcommittee.) 2.) *Committee Action*: Subcommittee (performs studies, holds hearings, makes revisions) --> Committee (may amend/rewrite bill) --> Rules Committee (issues a rule governing debate on the House floor) 3.) *Floor Action*: Full House (Bill is debated by full House, Amendments are offered, and vote is taken) 4.) *Conference Action*: Conference Committee (Members of House/Senate meet to iron out differences between bills) *Full House*: Full House votes on conference committee version. 5.) *Presidential Decision*: President signs/vetoes the bill. Congress may override veto by a 2/3 vote 6.) LAW COURSE #2 1.) *Bill Introduction*: SENATE (Bill is introduced by a member and assign to a committee, which usually refers it to a subcommittee.) 2.) *Committee Action*: Subcommittee (performs studies, holds hearings, makes revisions) --> Committee (may amend/rewrite bill) --> Leadership (Senate leaders of both parties schedule Senate debate on bill) 3.) *Floor Action*: Full Senate (Bill is debated by full Senate, Amendments are offered, and vote is taken) 4.) *Conference Action*: Conference Committee (Members of House/Senate meet to iron out differences between bills) *Full Senate*: Full Senate votes on conference committee version. 5.) *Presidential Decision*: President signs/vetoes the bill. Congress may override veto by a 2/3 vote 6.) LAW

Legislative Oversight

Congress' monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings. It is a power used by Congress to *review the operation and budgets of the executive branch.*

Select Committee

Congressional committees appointed for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation.

Conference Committee

Congressional committees formed when the senate and house pass a particular bill in different forms. Party leadership appoints members from each house to iron out the differences and bring back a single bill. They help *resolve disagreements* on a particular bill.

Joint Committee

Congressional committees on a few subject matter areas with membership drawn from *both houses*.

Reciprocity

Favors, benefits, or penalties that are granted by one state to the citizens/legal entities of another, should be returned in kind. It is a mutual/cooperative exchange of favors/privileges.

Party Leadership

Identifications (2003 FRQ): •Assignment of members to committees •Assignment of committee chairs •Scheduling •Agenda-setting (rules committee) •Party discipline •Leadership use of media •Recognition on floor •Leadership control of electoral support Those who have the real power in the congressional hierarchy are those whose party put them there. Much of the leadership in congress is really party leadership.

Committee System

Legislative work starts in congressional committees and subcommittees. Committee assignments are based on experience and seniority. Congressmen are assigned to one standing committee and multiple subcommittees. Committees hold hearing on legislation as well as oversight hearings dealing with existing laws, bureaucratic agencies, and the executive branch.

Bipartisan

Of or involving the cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other's policies

Discharge Petition

Parliamentary mechanism to force a bill out of a committee for a floor vote without cooperation of its members or party leadership.

Whips

Party leaders who work with the majority/minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on wavered whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.

Earmarks

Provisions with legislation that appropriate money to a specific project. They appear in appropriation bills and authorization bills. - no longer allowed by the House

Splintering

Redistricting in which a strong minority is divided up and diluted to prevent it from electing a representative.

Standing Committee

Separate subject-matter committees in each house of Congress that handle *bills* in different policy areas. They are *permanent* committees that meet regularly.

Majority Leader

The *principal ally of the Speaker of the House* or the party's wheel horse in the Senate. The majority leader is responsible for scheduling bills, influencing committee assignments, and rounding up votes in behalf of the party's legislative positions.

Ways and Means Committe

The Committee on Ways and Means is the *chief tax-writing committee* of the United States House of Representatives. It is a permanent committee of the House of Representatives, which *makes recommendations to the House on all bills for raising revenue*. The committee is the principal source of legislation concerning issues such as taxation, customs duties, and international trade agreements.

Judiciary Committee

The Judiciary Committee, with 20 members, is in charge of conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges (including Supreme Court justices) nominated by the president.

Revenue Raising Bills

The Origination Clause, sometimes called the Revenue Clause, is part of the U.S. Constitution. This clause says that all bills for raising revenue (state income) must start in the House, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as in the case of other bills.

Appropriations Committee

The United States House Committee on Appropriations is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Committee regulate expenditures of money by the government of the United States. *The House Committee on Appropriations is responsible for setting specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States*

Redistricting

The actual drawing of legislative boundaries. (Reapportionment is the process of dividing the number of state legislators and congressional representatives among a state's popul. In order to assure districts of about equal size.)

Gerrymandering

The deliberate redrawing of legislative districts that favors one political party and heavily influenced the outcome of the election. It's purpose is to draw a district regardless of natural boundaries so that voters of one party outnumber voters of the other political party, which likely will result in the electoral victory of the majority political party registration.

Committee Chairs

The most important influencers of the *congressional agenda*. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house.

Minority Leader

The principal leader of the minority leader in the House or in the Senate.

Cloture

The process of closing a debate in the Senate by calling for a vote. It is a process for limiting debate on a measure (it is the Senate's only weapon against a filibuster). A cloture is invoked when 3/5ths of all sworn-in senators vote for the cloture motion. It is a stand-off between a filibustering minority and an annoyed majority.

Incumbent

Those already holding office. In congressional districts, incumbents usually win. Incumbents have advantages such as name recognition, fundraising, PAC/campaign contributions, franking, professional staff, casework/pork barrel, and travel allowances.

Powers of Congress

•Collect taxes, pay debts, borrow/coin money, make laws dealing with counterfeiting (Economic Powers) •Regulate interstate and foreign commerce •Establish an army, create a national guard, declare war, punish piracy •Establish a post office; make copyright laws •Make laws dealing with immigration and naturalization •To make all laws "necessary and proper