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Congress #1
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| incumbent | An officeholder who is seeking reelection. |
| Casework | Activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get. |
| bicameral legislature | a lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts |
| Speaker of the House | the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives |
| Congressional oversight and government reform committee | investigative committee in the House of Representatives who have the authority to investigate the subjects within the Committee's legislative jurisdiction as well as "any matter" within the jurisdiction of the other standing House Committees. |
| House Rules Committee | the committee that determines how and when debate on a bill will take place |
| Ways and Means Committee | The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole. |
| majority leader | The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line. |
| whip | a senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking |
| minority leader | The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. |
| discharge petition | a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in committee |
| Cloture | A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate. |
| Filibuster | A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue. |
| Gerrymandering | the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent |
| franking privilege | Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free |
| Earmarks | Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents. |
| pork-barrel legislation | legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return |
| Special Session of Congress | A meeting that the President can call to discuss matters with both houses of Congress |
| line-item veto | Presidential power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. |
| seniorty rule | Senators from majority party w/most years of service becomes chairmen of committee |
| party caucus | A closed meeting of a party's House or Senate members; also called a party conference |
Created by:
Mrs. Kaminski
Popular American Government sets