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Unit 3
Unit 3 flash cards
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Contituents | People in congressional districts. |
| Redistricting | The process of redrawing the boundaries of districts. |
| Joint sessions | When senators and representatives meet together. Usually for the presidents's state of the union address. |
| Standing committee | Permanent committee that specializes in a particular topic. |
| Bill | A 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 the senate in case of a tie. |
| Majority party | The party with the most members of congress. |
| Minority Party | The party with fewer members. |
| Interest groups | Groups of people who work together for similar interests or goals. |
| Bicameral | House of A two house legislature House of Representatives (Population) + Senate (Equality) = Congress |
| Expressed powers | Powers listed in Article 1 of the Constitution. |
| Expulsion | To force a member of Congress to leave because of wrong doing or dishonesty. |
| Appropriations | Funds (Money) for specific use. |
| Reapportionment | The redistribution of legislative seats (HR) according to population. (Occurs after the census) |
| 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 |
| Filibuster | Freedom by Senators to kill a bill by continuously talking until the bill is withdrawn.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 on hour. For it to be used, 60 Senators must vote for it. It stops a filibuster. |
| Census | A process for counting a nation’s population. US census 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. |