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Chapters 9 & 10
Congress and Presidency
44
Political Studies
Undergraduate 1
03/10/2009

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Term
Congress
Definition
A national legislature composed of elected representatives who do not choose the chief executive
Term
Parliament
Definition
A national legislator composed of elected representatives who choose the chief executive
Term
The Powers of Congress
Definition
-to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises
-to borrow money
-to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states
-to establish rules for naturalization (becoming a citizen) and bankruptcy
-to coin money, set its value, and punish counterfeiting
-to fix the standard of weights and measures
-to establish a post office and post roads
-to issue patents and copyrights to inventors and authors
-to create courts inferior to (below) the supreme court
-to define and punish piracies, felonies on the high seas, and crimes against the law of nations
-to declare war
-to raise and support an army and navy and make rules for their governance
-to provide for a militia
-to exercise exclusive legislative powers over the seat of government and over places purchased to be federal facilities
-to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers bested by this constitution in the government of the United State
Term
Franking Privilege
Definition
The ability of member of Congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature for postage
Term
Bicameral legislator
Definition
A lawmaking body made up two chambers or parts. The U.S. Congress is a bicameral legislature composed of a Senate and a House of Representative
Term
Runoff primary
Definition
A second primary election held in some states when no candidate receives majority of the votes in the first primary: the runoff is between the two candidates with the most votes. Runoff primaries are common in the South
Term
Majority Leader
Definition
The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House of Representatives or Senate
Term
Minority Leader
Definition
The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate
Term
Whip
Definition
A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking, rounds up members when important votes are to be take, and attempts to keep a nose count on how the voting on controversial issues is likely to go
Term
Speaker
Definition
the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his party in the House
Term
Party Vote
Definition
When 90% or more of the Democrats in either house of Congress vote against 90% percent or more of the Republicans. A looser measure counts as a port vote any case where at least 50% of the Democrats vote together against at least 50% percent of the Republicans
Term
Caucus
Definition
AN association of members of Congress created to advocate a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest
Term
Standing Committees
Definition
Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within certain subject areas. Examples are the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee
Term
Select Committees
Definition
Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose
Term
Joint Committees
Definition
Committees on which both representatives and senators serve
Term
Conference Committees
Definition
a joint committee made to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same piece of legislation before final passage
Term
Simple resolution
Definition
AN expression of opinion either in the House of Representatives or the Senate to settle housekeeping or procedural matters in either body
Term
Concurrent resolution
Definition
An expression of congressional opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and Senate but not of the president.
Term
Joint Resolution
Definition
A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president. Joint resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment need not be signed by the President.
Term
Discharge petition
Definition
A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had a bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor. If a majority of the members agree, the bill is discharged from the committee. The discharge petitions designed to prevent a committee from killing a bill by holding it for too long
Term
Restrictive rule
Definition
An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives the permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made to a bill on the legislative floor
Term
closed rule
Definition
An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that sets a time limit on debate and forbids a particular bill form being amended on the legislative floor
Term
Open Rule
Definition
An order from the House Rules Committee in the House of Representatives that permits a bill to be amended on the legislative floor
Term
Fillbuster
Definition
An attempt a defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on it.
Term
Riders
Definition
Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will "ride" to passage through the Congress
Term
Cloture Resolution
Definition
A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate.
Term
Doubling Tracking
Definition
Setting aside a bill against which one or more senators are filibustering so the other legislation can be voted on
Term
Voice vote
Definition
A congressional voting procedure in which members shout "aye" in approval or "no" in disapproval
Term
Division vote
Definition
A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted
Term
Roll-Call
Definition
A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names. (Electric Voting)
Term
Veto
Definition
Literally, "I forbid" it refers to the power of a president to disapprove a bill
Term
Circular Structure
Definition
A method of organizing a president's staff in which several presidential assistants report directly to the president
Term
Pyramid Structure
Definition
A method of organizing a president's staff in which most presidential assistants report through a hierarchy to the president's chief of staff
Term
Cluster Structure
Definition
A system for organizing the White House in which a group of subordinates and committees all report to the president directly
Term
Cabinet
Definition
By custom, the cabinet includes the heads of the fifteen major executive departments
Term
Executive Privilege
Definition
A presidential claim that he may withhold certain information from Congress
Term
Veto Message
Definition
One of two ways for a president to disapprove a bill sent to him by Congress.
Term
Pocket Veto
Definition
If the president does not sign the bill within ten days of his receiving it and COngress has adjourned within that time, the bill does not become law
Term
Line-item veto
Definition
The power of an executive to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others. He does not have this power
Term
Trial Balloon
Definition
Information provided to the media by an anonymous public official as a way of testing the public reaction to a possible policy or appointment
Term
Budget Resolution
Definition
A proposal submitted by the House and Senate budget committees to their respective chambers recommending a total budget ceiling and a ceiling for each of several spending areas (such as health or defense) for the current fiscal year.
Term
Continuing resolution
Definition
A congressional enactment that provides funds to continue government operations in the absence of an agreed-upon budget
Term
Budget deficit
Definition
A situation in which the government spends more money than it takes in from taxes and fees
Term
Budget Surplus
Definition
A situation in which the government takes in ore money than it spends
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