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unit 3 vocabulary
vocabulary words
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| constituents | people in congress districts. |
| redistricting | the process of redrawing the boundaries of district. |
| 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 | a purposed 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 reprsentatives. |
| confernce committee | a joint committee the 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 in congress |
| minority party | the party with fewer members |
| interest group | groups of people who work together for similalr interest or goals. |
| bicameral | a two house legislature. house of representatives (population) + senate (equality) = congress. |
| express powers | power 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 reprsent interest groups. |
| checks and balances | a system in witch 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 with drawn. |
| cloture | this limits a senator to debate for no more then one 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 the laws. |
| impeach | to accuse an official of wrong doing. |