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Chapter 5: Leg
Legislative Branch
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| constituents | the people of a particular geographic area who are represented by a lawmaking body. |
| apportionment | distribution of House seats among the states based on population. |
| appropriation | a bill that sets aside funds for a specific purpose |
| impeachment | the process of charging officials in the executive and judicial branches with wrongdoing and bringing them to trial. |
| oversight | the power of Congress to check up on the executive branch and to make sure it is following the laws Congress has passed. |
| necessary and proper clause | the power to "make all laws that are necessary and proper" to exercise the powers granted by the Constitution. |
| indirect tax | tax levied on one person but passed on to another for payment to the government |
| direct tax | tax an individual pays directly to the government |
| deficit | when there is not enough expected revenue to cover expenses |
| commerce clause | outlines the commerce powers granted to Congress |
| subpoenas | legal documents that require a person to testify in a certain manner |
| writ of habeas corpus | a court order that forces the police to present a person in court to face charges |
| bill of attainder | a law that punishes a person without a trial |
| ex post facto laws | laws that criminalizes an action that took place in the past an that was legal at that time. |
| reapportionment | seats in the House of Representatives are redistributed among the states based on the results of the census. |
| gerrymandering | drawing district boundaries for political advantage |
| Speaker of the House | the most powerful member and presiding officer of the House of Representatives |
| bills | proposed laws |
| floor leader | help manage the actions and strategy of the party in the House |
| whips | to encourage fellow party members to vote as the party leadership wants |
| party caucus | meeting of all the House members from a particular political party |
| standing committees | permanent committees |
| select committees | carry out specific tasks not already covered by existing committees, such as investigations. |
| joint committees | special committees formed from members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to address broad issues that affect both chambers. |
| President of the Senate | a position held by the vice president of the United States, who presides over debate in the Senate chamber |
| president pro tempore | the person who presides in the absence of the president of the Senate |
| Senate majority leader | the person elected by the majority party who serves as the spokesperson and main strategist for the majority party in the Senate |
| seniority rule | a tradition in the Senate in which the chair of a committee is given to the most senior majority Senator on a committee |
| filibuster | a tactic used when opponents of a measure seek to prevent it coming up for a vote in the Senate by refusing to stop talking in hopes of stalling action long enough that the rest of the Senate will be forced to move on the other business |
| cloture | the vote to end debate of a bill in the Senate |
| rider | a provision that bears little relationship to the bill's main topic |
| pocket veto | a means by which the president can reject a bill, when Congress is not in session, by not signing it |
Created by:
ersmith1