Chapter 13 Flashcards Preview

AP Government and Politics > Chapter 13 > Flashcards

Flashcards in Chapter 13 Deck (37)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

Bicameral legislature

A

A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts

2
Q

Filibuster

A

An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill

3
Q

Partisan polarization

A

A vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators.

4
Q

Marginal districts

A

Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically by less than 55% of the vote

5
Q

Safe districts

A

Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55% or more

6
Q

Conservative coalition

A

An alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats

7
Q

Majority leader

A

The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or the Senate

8
Q

Minority leader

A

The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House or the Senate

9
Q

Whip

A

A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking

10
Q

Speaker

A

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his or her party in the House

11
Q

Party vote

A

There are two measures of such voting. By the stricter measure, a party vote occurs when 90% or more of the Democrats in either house of Congress vote together against 90% or more of the Republicans. A loose measure counts as a party vote any case where at least 50% of the Democrats vote together against at least 50% of the Republicans

12
Q

Caucus

A

An association of congressional members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest

13
Q

Standing committees

A

Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area

14
Q

Select committees

A

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose

15
Q

Joint committees

A

Committees on which both senators and representatives serve

16
Q

Conference committee

A

Joint committees appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill

17
Q

Simple resolution

A

Expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body

18
Q

Concurrent resolution

A

An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president

19
Q

Joint resolution

A

A formal expression of congressional Union that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president

20
Q

Discharge petition

A

A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for 30 days, may petition to have it brought to the floor

21
Q

Restrictive

A

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendment but no other to be made into a bill on the floor

22
Q

Closed rule

A

An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor

23
Q

Open rule

A

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor

24
Q

Quorum

A

Minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress

25
Q

Riders

A

Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will “ride” to passage through the Congress. When a bill has many riders, it is called a Christmas-tree bill

26
Q

Cloture rule

A

A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate

27
Q

Double tracking

A

A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business

28
Q

Voice vote

A

A congressional voting procedure in which members shout “yea” in approval or “nay” in disapproval, permitting members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills.

29
Q

Division vote

A

A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted

30
Q

Roll-call vote

A

A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering yes or no to their names

31
Q

Teller vote

A

A congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers, the yes’s first and the no’s second

32
Q

Veto

A

Power of president to disapprove a bill, can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.

33
Q

Divided government

A

One party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress

34
Q

Unified government

A

The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress

35
Q

Earmarks

A

“Hidden” congressional provisions that direct the federal government to fund specific projects or that exempt specific persons or groups from paying specific federal taxes or fees

36
Q

Pork-barrel legislation

A

Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hoe of winning their votes in return

37
Q

Franking privilege

A

The ability of members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature for postage