Congress

Question 1

Constituency

Answer 1

a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body

Question 2

Pork-barrel Project

Answer 2

legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted at a particular legislator’s constituency

Question 3

Earmarks

Answer 3

special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of congress for their constituents

Question 4

Riders

Answer 4

a provision attached to a bill in order to secure its passage or defeat

Question 5

Christmas tree bill

Answer 5

a bill that has lots of riders

Question 6

Reapportionment

Answer 6

the reallocation of House seats among states after each census as a result of popular changes

Question 7

Redistricting

Answer 7

the process of altering election districts in order to make them nearly as equal in population as possible

Question 8

Gerrymandering

Answer 8

the process by which the party in power draws election district boundaries in a way that is to the advantage of its candidates

Question 9

Incumbency

Answer 9

the current holder of the elected office is an incumbent

Question 10

Party Caucus

Answer 10

a mtg of members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and develop party policy

Question 11

Majority leader

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Minority leader

Answer 12

the legislative leader selected by the minority party as a spokesperson for the opposition

Question 13

Whip

Answer 13

party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank and file legislature

Question 14

Speaker

Answer 14

the presiding officer in the House of Reps, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party

Question 15

President of the Senate

Answer 15

Vice President

Question 16

President pro tempore

Answer 16

officer of the senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president

Question 17

standing committee

Answer 17

a permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focused on a policy area

Question 18

joint committee

Answer 18

a committee composed of members of both the House of Reps and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations

Question 19

ad hoc committee

Answer 19

committee formed for a specific task or objective and usually dissolved after the completion of the task

Question 20

conference committee

Answer 20

committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form

Question 21

Cloture

Answer 21

a procedure for terminating debate; especially filibusters in the Senate

Question 22

Filibuster

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Veto

Answer 23

a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body

Question 24

Override

Answer 24

an action taken by Congress to reverse presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in each chamber

Question 25

Oversight

Answer 25

a supervisory activity of Congress that centers on its constitutional responsibility to see that the executive branch carries out the laws faithfully and spends appropriations properly

Question 26

Logrolling

Answer 26

mutual aid and vote trading among legislators

Question 27

Quorum

Answer 27

the minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action

Question 28

Apportionment

Answer 28

the assigning of Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislatures reapportion state legislative districts.

Question 29

Appropriation

Answer 29

money granted by Congress to a state legislature for a specific purpose

Question 30

Mark up

Answer 30

the process by which a US congressional committee or state legislature session debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation

Question 31

Ways and Means Committee

Answer 31

makes recommendations to the House on all bills for raising revenue. The committee is the principal source of legislation concerning issues such as taxation, custom duties, and international trade agreements.

Question 32

Rules committee

Answer 32

a special committee of a legislature, as of the US House of Representatives, having the authority to establish rules or methods for expediting legislative action, and usually determining the date a bill is presented for consideration

Question 33

Congressional Budget Office

Answer 33

staff agency that advises Congress on the likely economic effects of different spending programs and provides info on the costs of proposed policies

Question 34

Franking privilege

Answer 34

benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free

Question 35

Bicameral legislature

Answer 35

2 House Legislature; House of Reps and the Senate