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Leadership positions
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a
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Terms
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every two years
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Analyzing Evolution
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Evolution of Presidential/Congressional Relations (Sundquist), Evolution of the Committee System (Smith and Deering), Evolution of Subcommittee (Haeberle, DAV)
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Mayhew
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Reelection connection: advertising, position taking, credit claiming
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House of Representatives
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Based on population
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informal qualifications
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political experience, connections, name familiarity, gender, charisma
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reapportionment
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the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census
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Trustee
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members of a governing board
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Logrolling
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Mutual aid among politicians, whereby one legislator supports another's pet project in return for the latter's support of his. The expression dated from the days when american pioneers needed help from neighbors in moving logs off of land to be farmed. (You scratch my back I will scratch yours)
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Impeachment
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The political equivalent of an indictment in criminal law, prescribed by the Constitution. The House of Representatives may impeach the president by a majority vote for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
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veto
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when a president rejects a bill
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federal government: name of upper house
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senate
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Constituent
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People who put incumbent in office
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US District Courts
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Original jurisdiction involving Federal crimes, civil suits...
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joint
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a resolution passed by both houses
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earmarks
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pet projects added to appropriation bills by congressmen, called "wasteful spending" and "pork barrel legislation" by critics
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Quorum
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the minimum number of congressional representatives who must be present in order for voting and debate to take place.
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warfare
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when violence occurs between political entities like communities, districts or nations.
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public bill
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legislative bill that deals with matters of general concern
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special resolution
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a resolution dealing with special matters not covered elsewhere (ie welcoming head of state to US)
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Resolution
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formal statements of agreements in the legislature
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Standing Vote
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Members stand and count people standing for vote
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Whip
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key member who deeps close contact with all member of his or her party and takes nose counts on key votes, prepares summaries of bills, and in general acts as communicative link within a party.
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several State legislatures
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Originally, the Constitution provided that the members of the Senate were to be chosen by the ____________________. (before the 17th amendment)
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incumbent
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current office holder (advantage in an election)
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Contempt of Congress
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deliberate obstruction of the operation of the federal legislative branch
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Committee staff
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they conduct research, offer legal advice, and draft legislation for the administration and organization of a certain committee.
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Single-member-district
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An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official.
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Filibuster
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a legislator who gives long speeches in an effort to delay or obstruct legislation that he (or she) opposes
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Delegate
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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 legislator.
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EASLEY V. CROMARTIE
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stated that redistricting for political reasons did not violate Federal Civil Rights Law banning race-based gerrymandering.
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Reciprocity
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Special advantages given by one member of Congress to another member of Congress, in return for special favors then or later
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Joint Resolution
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A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both house of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president
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teller vote
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voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers. yay first then nay
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symbolic representation
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efforts of members of congress to stand for American ideals or identify with common constituency values
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Presidential based hybrid-democracy degree of sep of powe w/in govt
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CONSIDERABLE; France, Haiti, Russia, Egypt
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franking privilege
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free postage for Congress members for mailings back home.
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restrictive rule
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an order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made into a bill on the floor.
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closed rule
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An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor.
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closed
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A rule issued by the Rules Committee that does not allow a bill to be amended on the House floor
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Sequential Referall
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Speaker assigns a bill to one committee and they must finish with it before it moves on to next
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conference committee
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Special committee created to iron out differences between Senate and House versions of a specific piece of legislation
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safe district
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district where the winner carries more than 55 percent of the vote
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committee staffers
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staffers who work for a specific committee, not a Congressman. They work with both parties.
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minority leader
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The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.
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standing committee
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A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area
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franking privileges
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right of a congressman to send job-related mail w/o postage
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conference committees
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An especially important kind of joint committee. Made up of representatives and senators appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same piece of legislation before final passage.
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Descriptive Representation
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A belief that constituents are most effectively represented by legislators who are similar to them in such key demographic characteristics as race, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
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17th Amendment
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says that U.S. Senators are elected by direct popular votes and not state legislature
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Voice Vote
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Those who support the bill say yea. Those who don't say nay.
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most of the work of Congress is done here
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committees
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What does the Commerce Clause entitle Congress to do?
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regulate airline routes
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double tracking
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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.
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Open rule
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..., an order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor
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Caucus (Congress)
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is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States.
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Germane Amendment
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an amendment that is relevant to the topic of the bill; typical of the House under closed rules
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cloture vote
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vote to put a time limit on (filibuster)
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Separation of Powers
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the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government
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Deleagte Model of represention
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adhere to the will of thier constituents
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Apportionment and redistricting in the house
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Constitution says that states' representation is based on pop. Set at 435.
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presidential veto
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refusal to sign a bill, which is then returned to Congress
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Concurrent Resolution
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It is not a law, it expresses an opinion of congress
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cloture rule
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A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate
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baker v carr
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case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congresional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state
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house leadership positions: Majority and minority leaders
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2nd most powerful position in the house is the majority leader; after that, the minority is next; both are the elected leaders of their party in the House; the house minority leader is the chief representative of his/her party for the H.O.R
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Trustee Model of repersentation
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consider will of the people but act on the best intrests of the nation
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Republicans and Dems gave more power to speaker of the house and majority leader of the senate, especially to appointments of the most important committees
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Decline in Power of Committees and Committee chairs in the legislative process and increase in the influence of parties and their leaders
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How are the House and Senate procedures different?
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-how the bill is introduced (it goes in the hopper in the house but is read allowed in the Senate)-when it goes to the floor (house has one hour debates and the senaet has untimed debates)-voting (the senate has role call voting, the house is too big to do that)
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