Macgruder Chapter 10+12

Question 1

bicameral

Answer 1

an adjective describing a legislative body composed of two chambers

Question 2

term

Answer 2

two year period of time during which congress meets

Question 3

session

Answer 3

period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business

Question 4

conveve

Answer 4

to begin a new session of Congress

Question 5

adjourn

Answer 5

suspend, as in a session of congress

Question 6

recess

Answer 6

a time when both houses of Congress temporarily suspend business

Question 7

prorogue

Answer 7

adjourn, as in a legislative session

Question 8

special session

Answer 8

an extraordinary session of a legislative body, called to deal with an emergency situation

Question 9

apportion

Answer 9

distribute, as in seats in a legislative body

Question 10

reapportion

Answer 10

redistribute seats in a legislative body every ten years

Question 11

off-year elections

Answer 11

congressional election that occurs between presidential election years

Question 12

single-member district

Answer 12

electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office

Question 13

at-large election

Answer 13

election of an officeholder by the voters of an entire government unit (state or country) rather than the voters of a district or subdivision

Question 14

gerrymandering

Answer 14

drawing electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group

Question 15

incumbent

Answer 15

current office holder

Question 16

continuous body

Answer 16

governing unit (US senate) whose seats are never all up for election at the same time

Question 17

constituency

Answer 17

the people and interests than an elected official represents

Question 18

delegate

Answer 18

representatives, members of congress who cast votes based on the wishes of their constituents

Question 19

Trustees

Answer 19

law maker who votes based on his or her conscience and judgement, not the views of his or her constituents

Question 20

Partisan

Answer 20

law maker who owes their 1st allegiance to political party and votes according to party laws

Question 21

politico

Answer 21

law maker who attempts to balance basic elements of trustee, delegate, and partisan roles

Question 22

bill

Answer 22

proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration

Question 23

floor consideration

Answer 23

the process by which proposed laws are considered and acted upon by the full membership of the house or senate

Question 24

oversight function

Answer 24

review by legislative committees of the policies and programs of the executive branch

Question 25

franking privlege

Answer 25

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

Question 26

speaker of the house

Answer 26

presiding officer of the House of Representatives, chosen by and from majority party in House

Question 27

President of the senate

Answer 27

the presiding officer of a senate; in congress; the vice president of the united states; in a State's legislature, either the lieutenant governor or a senator

Question 28

President Pro Tempore

Answer 28

member of US senate chosen to preside in absence of president of the senate

Question 29

party caucus

Answer 29

closed meeting of a party's House or Senate members; also called party conference

Question 30

floor leaders

Answer 30

members of the house and senate picked by their parties to carry out party decisions and steer legislation action to meet party goals

Question 31

majority leader

Answer 31

floor leader of the party that holds the majority of seats in each house of congress

Question 32

minority leader

Answer 32

floor leader of the party that holds the minority of seats in each house of congress

Question 33

whips

Answer 33

assistants to the floor leaders in the House and Senate, responsible for monitoring and marshaling votes

Question 34

committee chairmen

Answer 34

member who heads a standing committee in a legislative body

Question 35

seniority rule

Answer 35

unwritten rule in both houses of congress, reserves top posts in each chamber for members with longest record of service

Question 36

standing committee

Answer 36

permanent committee in a legislative body to which bills in a specified subject-matter area are referred

Question 37

subcommittee

Answer 37

division of existing committee that is formed to address specific issues

Question 38

select committee

Answer 38

legislative committee created for a limited time and for a specific purpose

Question 39

joint committee

Answer 39

legislative committee composed of members of both houses

Question 40

conference committee

Answer 40

temporary join committee created to reconcile any differences between the two housess' versions of a bill

Question 41

joint resolution

Answer 41

proposal for action that has the force of law when passed

Question 42

concurrent resolution

Answer 42

statement of position on an issue used by the House and Senate acting jointly; does not have force of law, does not require Presidential signiture

Question 43

resolution

Answer 43

a measure relating to the business of either house, or expressing an opinion; doesn't have force of law, doesn't require president signiture

Question 44

rider

Answer 44

unpopular provision added to an important bill certain to pass so it will ride through the legislative process

Question 45

pigeonholed

Answer 45

expression describing how most bills introduced in congress are put away, never to be acting upon

Question 46

discharge petition

Answer 46

procedure enabling members to force a pigeonholed bill onto the floor for consideration

Question 47

quorum

Answer 47

least number of members who must be present for a legislative body to conduct business

Question 48

engross

Answer 48

print a bill in its final form

Question 49

filibuster

Answer 49

various tactics (usually long speeches) aimed at defeating a bill in a legislative body by preventing a final vote

Question 50

cloture

Answer 50

procedure that may be used to limit or end floor debate in legislative body

Question 51

veto

Answer 51

chief executive power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

Question 52

pocket veto

Answer 52

type of veto a chief executive may use after a legislative body has adjourned, when chief executive does not sign or reject a bill within the allotted time period