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12 GOV Vocab 10 - 12
Ponder American Government Vocab CH 10, 11, & 12
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Congressional Term | lasts for two years, and each term is numbered consecutively |
| congressional session | period during which congress meets and conducts business. |
| Adjourn | when Congress suspends work until the next session. |
| Prorogue | The President has the power to end, discontinue a session, but only when the 2 houses cannot agree on a date for adjournment |
| special session | sessions called by the President to deal with some emergency situation |
| Apportion | total number of seats in the House of Representatives distributed among the states on the basis of their respective population |
| Reapportion | redistribute the seats of the House of Representatives after each decennial census |
| off-year election | election in non-presidential election years |
| single-member district | voters in each district select one member of the House for that district. |
| at-large | When all a state’s House of Representatives seats are filled in a statewide election. |
| continuous body | Refers to the U.S. Senate. All senate seats are never up for election at the same time. |
| Constituency | The people and interests that an elected official represents. |
| trustee | Lawmaker who votes based on his or her conscience and judgment, not the views of his or her constituents. |
| partisan | Lawmaker who owes his/her first allegiance to his/her political party and votes according to the party line. |
| politico | Lawmaker who attempts to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles |
| oversight function | Review by legislative committees of the policies and programs of the executive branch. |
| franking privilege | Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free. |
| expressed powers | Those delegated powers of the National Government that are spelled out, expressly, in the Constitution;also called the “enumerated powers.” |
| implied powers | Those delegated powers of the National Government that are suggested by the expressed powers set out in the Constitution; those “necessary and proper” to carry out the expressed powers |
| inherent powers | Powers the Constitution is presumed to have delegated to the National Government because it is the government of a sovereign state within the world community. |
| strict constructionist | One who argues a narrow interpretation of the Constitution’s provisions, in particular those granting powers to the Federal Government. |
| loose (liberal) constructionist | One who argues a broad interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution, particularly those granting powers to the Federal Government. |
| consensus | General agreement among various groups on fundamental matters; broad agreement on public questions. |
| tax | A charge levied by government on persons or property to meet public needs. |
| direct tax | A tax that must be paid by the person on whom it is levied; |
| indirect tax | A tax levied on one party but passed on to another for payment. |
| deficit financing | Practice of funding government by borrowing to make up the difference between government spending and revenue. |
| public debt | All of the money borrowed by the government and not yet repaid, plus the accrued interest on that money; also called the national debt or federal debt. |
| commerce power | Exclusive power of Congress to regulate interstate and foreign trade. |
| legal tender | Any kind of money that a creditor must, by law, accept in payment for debts. |
| bankrupt | The legal proceeding by which a bankrupt person’s assets are distributed among those to whom he or she owes debts. |
| naturalization | The legal process by which citizens of one country become citizens of another. |
| copyright | The exclusive, legal right of a person to reproduce, publish, and sell his or her own literary, musical, or artistic creations. |
| patent | A license issued to an inventor granting the exclusive right to manufacture, use, or sell his or her invention for a limited period of time. |
| eminent domain | Power of a government to take private property for public use. |
| appropriate | Assign to a particular use. |
| Necessary and Proper Clause | Constitutional clause that gives Congress the power to make all laws “necessary and proper” for executing its powers; |
| doctrine | Principle or fundamental policy. |
| successor | A person who inherits a title or office. |
| impeach | To bring formal charges against a public official; the House of Representatives has the sole power to impeach civil officers of the United States. |
| acquit | Find not guilty of a charge. |
| perjury | The act of lying under oath. |
| censure | Issue a formal condemnation. |
| subpoena | An order for a person to appear and to produce documents or other requested materials. |
| Speaker of the House | The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, chosen by and from the majority party in the House. |
| president of the Senate | The presiding officer of a senate; in Congress, the Vice President of the United States; in a State’s legislature, either the lieutenant governor or a senator. |
| president pro tempore | The member of the United States Senate, or of the upper house of a State’s legislature, chosen to preside in the absence of the president of the Senate. |
| party caucus | A closed meeting of a party’s House or Senate members; also called a party conference. |
| floor leader | Members of the House and Senate picked by their parties to carry out party decisions and steer legislative action to meet party goals. |
| whip | Assistants to the floor leaders in the House and Senate, responsible for monitoring and marshalling votes. |
| committee chairman | Member who heads a standing committee in a legislative body. |
| seniority rule | Unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving the top posts in each chamber, particularly committee chairmanships, for members with the longest records of service. |
| standing commtittee | Permanent committee in a legislative body to which bills in a specified subject-matter area are referred; see select committee. |
| select committee | Legislative committee created for a limited time and for some specific purpose; also known as a special committee. |
| joint committee | Legislative committee composed of members of both houses. |
| conference committee | Temporary joint committee created to reconcile any differences between the two houses’ versions of a bill. |
| bill | A proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration. |
| joint resolution | A proposal for action that has the force of law when passed; usually deals with special circumstances or temporary matters. |
| concurrent resolution | A statement of position on an issue used by the House and Senate acting jointly; does not have the force of law and does not require the President’s signature. |
| rider | Unpopular provision added to an important bill certain to pass so that it will “ride” through the legislative process. |
| discharge petition | A procedure enabling members to force a bill that has been pigeonholed in committee onto the floor for consideration. |
| subcommittee | Division of existing committee that is formed to address specific issues. |
| quorum | Least number of members who must be present for a legislative body to conduct business; majority. |
| filibuster | Various tactics (usually long speeches) aimed at defeating a bill in a legislative body by preventing a final vote; associated with the U.S. Senate; |
| cloture | Procedure that may be used to limit or end floor debate in a legislative body. |
| pocket veto | Type of veto a chief executive may use after a legislature has adjourned; when the chief executive does not sign or reject a bill within the time allowed to do so |
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breckart2
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