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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Filibuster | Freedom by Senators to kill a bill by continuously talking until the bill is withdrawn.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. |