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The Legislature Branch

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Term
Definition
constituents   the people who live within the particular geographic area a member of Congress represents  
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apportionment   the distribution of House seats among the states based on population  
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appropriation   a bill that sets aside funds for a specific purpose  
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impeachment   when Congress charges an official in the executive or judicial branch with wrongdoing and brings them to trial  
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oversight   when Congress uses its broad powers to review how the executive branch is operating and to make sure it is following the laws Congress has passed  
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necessary and proper clause   another name for the implied powers. another name for the implied powers is also elastic clause  
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indirect tax   a tax levied on one person but passed on to another for payment to the government  
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direct tax   a tax an individual pays directly to the government  
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deficit   when the federal government is not generating enough income to meet its expenses  
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commerce clause   the federal government's ability to regulate(control) interstate commerce  
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subpoenas   legal document that requires a person to testify in a certain matter  
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writ of habeas corpus   a count order that forces the police to present a person a court to face charges, except in cases of rebellion or invasion  
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bill of attainder   a law that punishes a person without a trial  
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ex post facto laws   laws that criminal an action that took place in the past and was legal at the time  
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reapportionment   the process in which seats are redistributed among states based on the results of the census  
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gerrymandering   the practice of drawing district boundaries for political advantages  
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speaker of the House   the most powerful member and the presiding office of the House of Represntatives  
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bills   proposed laws  
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floor leader   elected member of the majority or minority party who helps manage the action and strategy of the party in the House of Representatives  
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whips   elected members of the majority or minority party who encourage fellow party members to vote as the party leadership wants  
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party caucus   a meeting of all the House of Representatives members from a particular party  
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standing committees   permanent committees in the House of Representatives  
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select committees   committees, typically temporary, that carry out specific tasks not already covered by existing committees  
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joint committees   committees formed with Senate members that address broad issues affecting both chmabers  
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president of the Senate   position assigned to the vice president of the United States by the Constitution that allows the vice president to preside over debates and break tied votes  
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president pro tempore   the person who presides over the Senate in the absence of the president of the Senate  
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Senate majority leader   the most powerful position in the Senate, elected by the majority's party caucus  
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seniority rule   tradition that says the most senior majority senator on a committee becomes the committee chair  
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filibuster   when opponents of a measure take control of the Senate floor and refuse to stop talking in an effort to prevent the measure from coming up for a vote  
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closture   an end to debate  
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rider   a provision attached to a bill that bears little relationship to the bill's main topic  
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joint resolution   Congressional action used in certain unusual circumstances that follow the same procedures as a bill and has the force of law if passed by both houses and signed by the president  
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concurrent resolution   Congressional action without the for force of law that are passed by both houses to address matters that affect the operations of both chambers  
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discharge position   a document that a majority of House members sign to force a bill out of committee  
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committee of the Whole   when all House members become members of a single committee to allow the House to function when many members are at hearings or are otherwise absent  
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quorum   the number needed to legally conduct business  
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roll-call vote   a vote in which each member is required to publicly state his or her vote, also known as a record vote  
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conference committee   a committee formed when the House and Senate must reconcile different versions of the same bill  
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pocket veto   an indirect veto that takes place when the president does not sign a bill within 10 days, during which time Congress adjourns  
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