click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Unit 3 Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Constituents | People in congressional districts |
| Redistricting | The process of redrawing the boundaries of districts |
| Joint Sessions | When senators and representatives meet together. Usually for the President's State of the Union Address |
| Standing Committee | Permanent committee that specializes in a particular topic. |
| Bill | Proposed law |
| President Pro-Tempore | President of the senate for the time being. This happens when the Vice president is absent |
| Speaker of the House | Leader of the House of Representatives |
| Conference Committee | A joint committee that helps members in the senate and the House of Representatives work together. |
| Vice President | Leader of the Senate. This person votes in senate in case of a tie. |
| Majority Party | The party with the most members in Congress. |
| Minority Party | The party with fewer members. |
| Interest Groups | Groups of people who work together for similar interests or goals |
| Bicameral | A two house legislature House of Representatives = Population Senate = Equality Senate + House of Representatives = Congress |
| Exposed Powers | Powers listed in Article 1 of the Constitution |
| Explusion | To force a member of Congress to leave because of wrong doing or dishonesty |
| Appropriations | Funds for specific use |
| Reapportionment | The redistribution of legislative seats (HR) according to population. ( Occurs after the cenus ) |
| Lobbyists | People who represent interest groups |
| Checks and Balances | A system in which each branch of government is able to limit the powers of the other two branches |
| Fillbuster | Freedom by Senators to kill a bill by continuously talking until the bill is withdrawn |
| Cloture | This limits a Senator to debate for no more than one hour. For it to be used, 60 senators must vote for it. It stops a fillbuster |
| Cenus | A process for counting a nation's population US cenus is completed every 10 years. |
| Implied Powers | A power not expressly named in the Constitution |
| Legislative Branch | The branch of government that makes laws |
| Impeach | To accuse an official of wrong doing |