Ch. 11 Vocabulary Review: Congress

1. Individuals who already are elected to an office 1. Individuals who already are elected to an office. In congressional elections, they usually win. Incumbents

Bi-Cameral Legislature 2. A legislature divided into two houses. All U.S. state legislatures are set up this way, except Nebraska, which has one legislative chamber. Bi-Cameral Legislature

3. Through their leadership of the committees, they 3. Through their leadership of the committees, they have important influence on the congressional agenda. They play the dominant role in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house. Chair of the House Rules Committee Congressman Rich Nugent, Republican, Florida Committee Chairs

4. The principal partisan ally of the Speaker of the House or the 4. The principal partisan ally of the Speaker of the House or the majority party’s manager in the Senate. In each house he or she is responsible for scheduling bills, influencing committee assignments, and rounding up votes on behalf of the party’s legislative agenda. Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican, Kentucky House Majority Leader Congressman Kevin McCarthy Republican, California Majority Leader

5. Activities of members of congress that help 5. Activities of members of congress that help individuals, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get. Casework

6. A proposed law, drafted in legal language. Anyone can 6. A proposed law, drafted in legal language. Anyone can draft it, but only a member of the House of Representatives or Senate can formally submit it for consideration. Bill

7. A strategy unique to the Senate whereby opponents of a bill 7. A strategy unique to the Senate whereby opponents of a bill use their right to unlimited debate to prevent the Senate from ever voting on a proposed law. Sixty members present and voting can halt this action on legislation. Filibuster

8. Committees in each house that handle bills in 8. Committees in each house that handle bills in different policy areas. Standing Committees

9. Party members who work with the majority or 9. Party members who work with the majority or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to passage of a bill favored by a party. House Minority Whip Congressman Steny Hoyer, Democrat, Maryland House Majority Whip Congressman Steve Scalise, Republican, Louisiana Whips Senate Majority Whip, Senator John Cornyn – Republican, Texas Senate Minority Whip. Senator Dick Durbin Democrat, Illinois

Conference Committees 10. Congressional committees formed when the Senate and House pass a bill in different forms. Party leaders appoint members from each house to iron out the differences and bring back a single bill. Conference Committees

11. Congressional committees on a few subject 11. Congressional committees on a few subject matter areas with members drawn from both houses. Joint Committees

Legislative Oversight 12. Congress’s monitoring of the executive branch bureaucracy and its administration of policy, mainly performed through committee hearings. Legislative Oversight

Minority Leader The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or Senate. Minority Leader Senate Minority Leader, Senator Charles Shumer, Democrat, New York House Minority Leader, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Democrat, California

14. Federal projects, grants, and contracts 14. Federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district. Pork Barrel

15. The committee in the House of Representatives 15. The committee in the House of Representatives that reviews most of the bills from a House committee before they go to the full house. House Rules Committee

16. An office mandated by the Constitution. This 16. An office mandated by the Constitution. This office is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line (after the Vice President) to succeed to the Presidency should that office become vacant. Speaker of the House, Congressman Republican Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Speaker of the House

17. Congressional committees chosen for a 17. Congressional committees chosen for a particular purpose, like the Watergate investigation. Select Committees

18. A simple rule for picking committee chairs, in existence until 18. A simple rule for picking committee chairs, in existence until the 1970’s. The committee member who had served on the committee longest and whose party controlled the chamber became chair, regardless of party loyalty, mental state, or competence. Seniority System

19. A group of members of congress sharing. some characteristic 19. A group of members of congress sharing some characteristic. Many are members of both parties and from both houses. Congressional Caucus

20. The procedure by which the Senate can end. a filibuster 20. The procedure by which the Senate can end a filibuster. It takes 3/5ths vote of the Senate (usually 60 votes) to invoke Cloture. Cloture

21. The dividing of a state, county, etc. , into election 21. The dividing of a state, county, etc., into election districts so as to give one political party a  majority in many districts while concentrating  the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible. Gerrymandering

22. Privilege of sending mail without payment of. postage 22. Privilege of sending mail without payment of postage. The members of Congress have the right to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense. Franking Privilege

23. The practice of exchanging favors, especially 23. The practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other's proposed legislation. Logrolling

24. An additional provision added to a bill having 24. An additional provision added to a bill having little or no connection to the bill. They are used to pass a bill which would not get approved on its own. Riders

Congressional Caucuses 25. A group of members of the United States Congress that meets to pursue common legislative objectives.  Congressional Caucuses

Substantive Representation 26. Tendency for elected legislators to advocate on behalf of certain groups. There are 3 types: a. Trustee Represents constituents’ interests ALSO national, collective, and moral concerns that MAY cause the member to vote against the preference of a majority of his/her constituents. b. Delegate A member of congress who loyally represents constituents’ direct interests c. Politico A member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that constituents care about (e.g. immigration) and as a trustee on more complex or less salient issues (e.g. foreign policy) Substantive Representation

Descriptive Representation 27. When a member of congress shares the characteristics (gender, race, religion, ethnicity) or his or her constituents Descriptive Representation