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Chapter 6
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Bicameral | A Legislature Consisting of Two Parts, or Houses. |
Census | A Population Count taken by the Census Bureau. |
Constutuent | A Person from a Legislators District. |
Gerrymander | An Oddly Shaped Election District designed to increase he voting strength of a particular party. |
Majority Party | In both the house of representatives and the senate, the political party to which more than half the members belong. |
Minority Party | in both the house of representatives and the senate, the political party to which fewer than half members belong. |
Standing Commitee | Permanent committee that continues work from session to session in its congress. |
Seniority | Years of service, which is used as a consideration for assigning committee members. |
Expressed Powers | Powers that Congress has that are specifically listed in the Constitution. |
Implies Powers | Powers that Congress has that are not stated explicitly in the Constitution. |
Elastic Clause | Cause in Article 1, section 8 of the constitution that gives congress, the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers |
Impeach | To Accuse government officials of misconduct in office. |
Writ of Habeas Corpus | A Court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they holding the person. |
Bill of Attainder | A Law that punishes a person accused of a crime without trial or a fair hearing in court. |
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. |
Franking Privilege | The right of senators and representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage. |
Lobbyist | Representatives of an interest group who contracts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making. |
Casework | The Work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem. |
Pork-Barrel Project | government project grant that primarily benefits the home district or state. |
Joint Resolution | A resolution that us passed by both houses of congress. |
Special Interest Group | an organization of people with some common interest who try to influence government decision |
Filibuster | A tactic for defeating a bill in the senate by talking until the bill's sponsor withdraws it. |
Cloture | A procedure used in the senate to limit debate on the bill. |
Voice Vote | a voting method in which those in favor say "Yea" and those against sat "No" |
Standing Vote | in congress, when members stand to be counted for a vote on a bill. |
Roll- Call Vote | a voting method in the senate in which members voice their votes in turn. |
Veto | refusal to sign a bill or resolution. |
Pocket Veto | presidents power to kill a bill if congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days. |