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Legislative Branch Vocab
n/a
46
History
12th Grade
11/01/2011

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Cards

Term
caucus
Definition
an association of members of congress created to advocate a political ideology or regional ethnic or economic interest
Term
party caucus
Definition
a meeting of local members of a political party especially to select delegates to a convention or register preferences for candidates running for office
Term
quorum
Definition
the minimum number of members of an assembly that must be present to make a meeting valid (conduct business)
Term
hopper
Definition
box on the clerks desk in which bills are placed
Term
double tracking
Definition
setting aside a bill against which one or more senators are filibustering
Term
sequential referral
Definition
referral first to one committee, then to a second when the first completes its work on the measure
Term
veto
Definition
refers to the power of the president to reject a bill
Term
pocket veto
Definition
one way for the president to dissapprove a bill sent by congress; if the president does not sign the bill within 10 days of his receiving it, and congress has adjourned within that time, the bills does not become law
Term
line item veto
Definition
the power of an executive (not the president) to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others
Term
unicameral
Definition
one house legislature
Term
bicameral
Definition
two house legislature
Term
committee
Definition
a group of people appointed for a specific function, especially one appointed by a legislature to consider the details of a proposed legislation
Term
sub-committee
Definition
composed of some members of a larger committee, board, or other body and reporting to it
Term
standing committee
Definition
a permanent committee that meets regularly
Term
select committee
Definition
appointed for a limited time and purpose
Term
joint committee
Definition
both representatives and senators serve
Term
conference committee
Definition
made up of reps and sens. appointed to resolve differences in the senate and house versions of the same piece of legislation before final passage
Term
rules committee
Definition
a legislative committee responsible for expediting the passage of bills
Term
pigeonhole
Definition
after 30 days when a bill dies in the standing committee
Term
filibuster
Definition
an action that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required process
Term
rider
Definition
a condition or proviso added to something already said or directed (usually irrelevant)
Term
Christmas Tree Bill
Definition
attracts many, often unrelated floor amendments. consists of many riders
Term
census
Definition
an official count of survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals
Term
cloture rule
Definition
a rule sued by the senate to end of limit debate. to pass, 3/5 of the entire senate (or 60 senators) must vote for it
Term
floor leaders
Definition
House:
Speaker- John Boehman
Majority Leader: Eric Cantor
Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi
Minority Whip: Steny Honer

Senate:
President: Jospeh Biden
Pro Tempore: Daniel Inouye
Majority Leader: Harry Reid
Majority Whip: Richard Durbin
Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell
Minority Whip: Jon Kyl
Term
open rule
Definition
an order from the house rules committee that permits a bill to be amended on the legislative floor
Term
closed rule
Definition
occurs when the HOR committee on rules votes to block all amendments to a legislative proposal on the floor
Term
restricted rule
Definition
an order from the House Rules Committee that permits amendments to some areas of the bill but not others on the legislative floor
Term
junket
Definition
a trip by a legislative committee to research a bill and obtain information
Term
discharge petition
Definition
a device by which any member of the House after a committee has had a bill for 30 days may petition to have it brought to the floor. if a majority of members agree (518) the bill is discharged from the committee
Term
roll call vote
Definition
congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering yea or nay to their names
Term
teller vote
Definition
a vote in the committee of the whole in which members file down the aisle of the House and are counted
Term
division vote
Definition
a congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted
Term
representational view
Definition
when congressmen vote to please their constituents
Term
organizational view
Definition
vote to please other congress members
Term
attitudinal view
Definition
ideology affects how they vote
Term
continuous body
Definition
a legislative body, such as the US senate, that achieves stability by staggering the terms of its members (prevents too many seats from changing at once)
Term
decentralization
Definition
power lies in more than area or group
Term
centralization
Definition
focus all power into one area/branch/person
Term
incumbent
Definition
one that occupies the white house/is in office during a presidential election
Term
franking
Definition
the ability of members of congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their signature (frank) for postage
Term
term
Definition
a period of time assigned to a person to serve
Term
session
Definition
period of time from the first assembling of congress to its adjournment
Term
reapportionment
Definition
redistribution of representation (seats) in a legislative body
Term
malapportionment
Definition
districts are divided unevenly based on population
Term
gerrymandering
Definition
districts are divided to benefit whatever party is in the a state legislature
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