Party Polarization
A vote in which a majority of democratic legislators oppose a majority of republican legislators.
Bicameral Legislature
A lawmaking body make up of two chambers or parts.
Attitudinal
??? relating to, based on, or showing a person's opinions and feelings
Representational
??? representative democracies, where elected officials nominally speak for their constituents in the legislature. Generally, only citizens are granted representation in the government in the form of voting rights; however, some democracies have extended
Caucus
An association of congressional members created to advance a political ideal or a regional ethnic or economic interest.
Rider and Christmas Tree Bill
Amendments on matter unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will ride to passage through the Congress. When a bill has many riders it is called a Christmas tree Bill.
Constituents
??? Serving to compose or make up a thing; component: the constituent parts of a motor. 2. having power to frame or alter a political constitution or fundamental law, as distinguished from lawmaking power: a constituent assembly.
Cloture (aka: Rule 22)
A rule used by the senate to end or limit debate.
Senatorial Courtesy
??? An unwritten traditions whereby nominations for state-level federal judicial posts are not confirmed if they are opposed by a senator from the state in which the nominee will serve. The tradition also applies to courts of appeal when there is oppositi
CBO
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Speaker of the House
Is the presiding officer of the united states House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by article 1, section 2 of the united states constitution, which states in part, The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker
Discharge Petition
A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor.
Double-Tracking
A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business.
Entitlements
Is a government program guaranteeing access to some benefit by members of a specific group and based on established rights or by legislation.
Filibuster
An attempt to beat a bill in the senate by talking indefinitely thus preventing the senate from taking action on the bill.
Franking Privilege
The ability of members to mail letters to constituents free of charge by submitting their facsimile signature for postage.
GOA
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Gerrymandering
Manipulate the boundaries of(an electoral constitency) so as to favor one party or class
President Pro Tempore
Is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer
Incumbent
The holder of an office or post
Majority Leader
The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the house or the senate.
Majority-Minority District
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Malapportionment
Is the creation of electoral districts with divergent ratios of voters to representatives.
Mark-Up
The process or result of correcting text in preparation for printing.
Multiple Referral
Is the process through which a bill is referred to a second committee after the first is finished acting.
Open Rule vs. Closed Rule (debate)
Open Rule: An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor.
Closed Rule: An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor.
Poison Pill
A tatic used by a company threatened with an unwelcomed takeover bid to make itself unattrative to the bidder.
Quorum Call
Quorum Call:
Quorum Rule: The minimum number of members that must be present for business to conduct in congress.
Roll-call Vote
a congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering yea or nay to their names.
Conference Committees
Joint committees appointed to resolve difference in the Senate and the House versions of the same bill.
Joint Committees
Committees on which both senators and representatives serve.
Rules Committee
A legislative committee responsible for expediting the passage of bills.
Ways and Means Committee
A permanent committee of the House of Representatives, which makes recommendations to the House on all bills for raising revenue.
Safe vs. Marginal Districts
Safe Districts: Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55% or more.
Marginal Districts: Political districts in which candidates elect to the House of representatives when in close elections, typically by less than 55% of the vote.
Sophomore Surge
Is a term used in the political science of the united States Congress that refers to an increased in votes that congressional candidates usually receive when running for their first re-election
Whip
A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what the party members are thinking.
Voice Vote
A congressional voting procedure in which members shout yea in approval or nay in disapproval, permitting members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills.
Pork-barrel Legislation
Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return.
Teller Vote
A congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers the yea's first and the nay's second.
Standing Committees
Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area.
Select Committees
Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.
17th Amendment
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Budget and Impoundment Act.
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War Powers Act
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
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Gramm-Rudman Act
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Pendleton Act
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Wesberry v. Sanders
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Constitution vs. de facto differences between the US Congress and British Parliament.
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Incumbent Advantage. Define, list and explain?
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Who si the incumbency advantage in the House so much greater than in the Senate?
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Describe all of the potential places a Bill can be prevented from becoming a law. (bullets ok)
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The House is much larger than the Senate. List various results of this?
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Hoe does the legislative process reflect the framers intent to make process cautious and deliberative.
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Marginal districts
Political districts in which candidates elect to the House of representatives when in close elections, typically by less than 55% of the vote.
Safe Districts
Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55% or more.
Conservative Coalition
An alliance between republicans and conservative democrats.
Minority leader
The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House or the Senate.
Speaker
The presiding officer of the House of representatives and the leader of his party in the House.
Party Vote
There are two measures of such voting. By the stricture measure a party vote occurs when 90% or more of the democrats in either house of congress vote together agains 90% or more of the republicans. A looser measure counts as s a party vote any case where
Simple Resolution
An expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matter in either body.
Concurrent Resolution
An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate but not the president.
Joint Resolution
A formal expression of Congressional opinion that must be approved by both Houses of congress and by the President. Constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president.
Restrictive Rule
An order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not othesr to be made into a bill on the floor.
Division Vote
A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted.
Veto
Literally, I forbid: It refers to the power of a president to disprove a bill; it may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of congress.
Divided Government
One party controls the Whitehouse and the other party controls one or both houses of congress.
Unified Government
The same party controls the Whitehouse and both houses of congress.
Earmarks
Hidden conversional provisions that direct the Federal government to fund specific projects or the exempt specific persons or groups from paying specific federal taxes or fees.