Chapter 11: Congress

conference committee

A committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form.

Joint committees

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations

districts

Each state is divided into one or more congressional districts with one representative elected from each district

logrolling

mutual aid and vote trading among legislators

gerrymandering

the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent

enumerated powers

the powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution

impeach

to accuse a public official of misconduct in office

general oversight committee

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subcommittee

..., A group within a standing committee that specializes in a subcategory of its standing committee's responsibility.

veto

..., The constitutional power of the president to send a bill back to Congress with reasons for rejecting it. A two-thirds vote in each house can override a veto.

caucuses

..., meetings of party leaders to determine party policy or to choose the party's candidates for public office

Select committees

A congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation (sometimes known as special committee)

seniority rule

A legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee

Standing committees

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area.

discharge petition

A petition that, if signed by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration

filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

Open rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill

Closed rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments

cloture

A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate

riders

A provision attached to a bill-to which it may or may not be related-in order to secure its passage or defeat

pocket veto

A veto exercised by the president after Congress has adjourned; if the president takes no action for ten days, the bill does not become law and is not returned to Congress for a possible override

safe seat

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted

President pro tempore

An officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president

delegates

An official who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of the legislator

trustees

An official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator

attentive public

Citizens who follow public affairs closely

Authorizing committee.

Committees in both chambers that determines when an approved amount of money will be spend and where in the country it will be spent., determine broad amount of spending for certain departments

Congressional ethics

Congress has rules that members must follow. Congress is responsible for punishing members who break these rules.

Budget committee.

House & Senate standing committees that begins budget process in Congress by setting overall budget size and amounts that will be spent on different topics (ex. defense, education)

Appropriations committee.

House and Senate committees that appropriate or allocate specific funding levels to each government program or activity, in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money. is one of the most powerful committee

Permanent campaign

Members of Congress are always working to get reelected, so a lot of what Congress does promotes reelection

House Rules Committee

Powerful House standing committee that reviews all bills coming from other House committees before they go to the full House (gatekeeper function); sets time limit for debate decides whether amendments can be added (open or closed rule).

implied powers

Powers of the federal government that go beyond those enumerated in the Constitution. The Constitution states that congress has the power to "make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution" the powers enumerated in Article I.

earmarks

Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents

revenue bills

Tax bills for raising money and bills authorizing the spending of money, must originate in the house.

Revenue committee.

The committee that deals with the financial resources of the federal government. The individual income tax and social security tax are two major sources of revenue.

incumbent

The current holder of elected office

Majority leader

The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line.

Minority leader

The legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer in the House of Representatives, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party

redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population

Party caucus

a meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans.

polarization

a sharp division, as of a population or group, into opposing factions

packed

a technique of gerrymandering. placing all of one party in one district to ensure the rest of the districts will go to another party

veto override

an action taken by Congress to reverse a presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in each chamber

markup

clean up the wording or amend its version of the bill

Policy committee

composed of a dozen or so senators who help the party leader schedule Senate business, choosing what bills are to be given major attention and in what order

Blue Dog Coalition

created by moderate and conservative Democrats to work for budget cuts and increased defense spending

Rules and administration committee.

determine the basic operations of their chamber. the house committee is more powerful than the one in the senate.

franking

incumbents do not have to pay postage on their mail to their district, except during the last 90 days before an election

reapportionment

the assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislatures reapportion state legislative districts

Majority whip

the leader of the majority party who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature

Minority whip

the leader of the minority party who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature

bicameralism

the principle of a two-house legislature

constituents

the residents of a congressional district or state