click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Ch 4 Vocab AP GoPo
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Logrolling | trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation. |
oversight | efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals. |
constituency | a body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator. |
apportionment | the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data. |
redistricting | states’ redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census. |
gerrymandering | the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters. |
partisan gerrymandering | drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party. |
majority-minority district | a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district. |
malapportionment | the uneven distribution of the population between legislative districts. |
incumbency | he holding of an office or the period during which one is held. |
incumbency advantage | institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election. |
Speaker of the House | the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members. |
political action committee (PAC) | an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns. |
House majority leader | the person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives. |
whip | a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline. |
minority leader | the head of the party with the second-highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party’s members. |
Senate majority leader | the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats. |
committee chair | leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee’s agenda. |
discharge petition | a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. |
House Rules Committee | a powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor. |
Committee of the Whole | consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation. |
hold | a delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill. |
unanimous consent agreement | an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill. |
filibuster | a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation. |
cloture | a procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action, provided three-fifths of senators agree to it. |
veto | formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of Congress. |
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) | the executive branch office that assists the president in setting national spending priorities. |
entitlement program | a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income. |
mandatory spending | spending required by existing laws that is “locked in” the budget. |
discretionary spending | spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president. |
budget surplus | the amount of money remaining when the government takes in more money than it spends. |
budget deficit | the difference when a government takes in less money than it spends. |
national debt | the total amount of money owed by the federal government. |
delegate role | the idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituent wishes. |
trustee role | the idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgment. |
politico role | representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions. |
bipartisanship | agreement between the parties to work together in Congress to pass legislation |
gridlock | a slowdown or halt in Congress’s ability to legislate and overcome divisions, especially those based on partisanship. |
divided government | a situation that occurs when control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress is split between the two major parties. |
lame duck period | period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees. |