Chapter 6: The Legislative Branch

census

population count taken every 10 years
bill of attainder
census
impeach
constituent

constituent

a person from a legislator's district
constituent
seniority
gerrymander
census

Gerrymander

an oddly shaped election district designed to increase the voting strength of a particular group
elastic clause
majority party
gerrymander
implied powers

majority party

in both the House of Rep. and the Senate, the political party to which more than half the members belong
minority party
impeach
bill of attainder
majority party

minority party

in both the House of Rep. and the Senate, the political party to which fewer than half the members belong
minority party
majority party
gerrymander
seniority

standing committee

permanent committee that continues work from session to session
select committee
standing committee
joint committee
Ex post facto law

seniority

years of service, which is used as a consideration for assigning committee members
impeach
majority party
minority party
seniority

expressed powers

powers that Congress has that are specifically listen in the Constitution
implied powers
expressed powers
elastic clause
bill of attainder

implied powers

powers that Congress has that are not stated explicitly in the Constitution
expressed powers
implied powers
impeach
gerrymander

elastic clause

clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed power
impeach
implied powers
expressed powers
elastic clause

impeach

to accuse government officials of misconduct in office
bill of attainder
impeach
expressed powers
implied powers

writ of habeas corpus

a court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person
bill of attainder
writ of habeas corpus
impeach
seniority

bill of attainder

a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court
bill of attainder
ex post factor law
minority party
gerrymander

ex post facto law

a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed
bill of attainder
ex post facto law
seniority

franking privilege

the right of senators and representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage
casework
veto
franking privilege
cloture

lobbyist

a representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making
special interest group
lobbyist
pocket veto
voice vote

casework

the work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem
casework
pocket veto
lobbyist
filibuster

pork-barrel project

government project grant that primarily benefits the home district or state
casework
veto
pork-barrel project
cloture

joint resolution

a resolution that is passed by both houses of Congress
joint resolution
standing vote
roll-call vote
filibuster

special-interest group

an organization of people with some common interest who try to influence government decisions
lobbyist
special-interest group
joint resolution
pocket veto

filibuster

a tactic for defeating a bill in the Senate by talking until the bill's sponsor withdraws it
filibuster
veto
roll-call vote
lobbyist

cloture

a procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill
filibuster
veto
pocket veto
cloture

voice vote

a voting method in which those is favor say "yea" and those against say "no"
standing vote
voice vote
roll-call vote
cloture

standing vote

in Congress, when members stand to be counted for a vote on a bill
voice vote
standing vote
roll-call vote
cloture

roll-call vote

a voting method in the Senate in which members voice their votes in turn
standing vote
voice vote
roll-call vote
veto

veto

refusal to sign a bill or resolution
veto
pocket veto
filibuster
lobbyist

pocket veto

president's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days
pocket veto
cloture
casework
lobbyist