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Legislative Branch Vocab
8/22/12
26
Civics
12th Grade
08/23/2012

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Term
Elected terms of Congress
Definition
Senate, 6 years, for House of Representatives, 2 years.
Term
NC 5th Congressional District member
Definition
Virginia Foxx
Term
US Senator (NC)
Definition
Kay Hagen
Term
US Senator (NC)
Definition
Richard burr
Term
Congressional sessions - Regular session
Definition
when the House and Senate are in normal operation during the course of the year.
Term
Congressional sessions- Closed Sessions
Definition
only legislators are present to discuss the weightiest of matters, including impeachment of the president, national security concerns and other sensitive information.
Term
Congressional sessions- Joint sessions
Definition
with both houses present
Term
Congressional sessions- Lame Duck Sessions
Definition
occur after the November elections and before the January inauguration, when some representatives are set to leave office, whether by choice or after failing to win re-election.
Term
Congressional sessions- Special sessions
Definition
Congress may be called in extraordinary circumstances. For example, a special session of Congress was called on March 20, 2005, to intervene in the case of Terri Schiavo, a woman in a persistent vegetative state whose family and husband were at odds over whether to disconnect her feeding tube.
Term
Members of Congress (#)
Definition
There are 535 members of Congress: 100 Senators and 435 Representatives
Term
Census
Definition
a survey designed by the government to establish demographic information, particularly regarding population.
Term
Constituents
Definition
having power to frame or alter a political constitution orfundamental law, as distinguished
from lawmaking power:
Term
Gerrymandering
Definition
To manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.
Term
Majority Party
Definition
The political party whose members occupy at least one more than half of the total membership of the body.
Term
Minority Party
Definition
The party with the second-largest number of members in a legislative chamber.
Term
Majority Party Leader
Definition
Senate – Harry Reid
House of Representatives - Eric Cantor
Term
Minority Party Leader
Definition
Senate - Mitch McConnell
House of Representatives - Steny Hoyer
Term
Speaker of the House
Definition
John Boehner
Term
President Pro Tempore
Definition
a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer.
Term
Standing Committee
Definition
standing committees are permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules.
Term
Select Committee
Definition
A small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose
Term
Joint Committee
Definition
Group formed with members from both chambers, representing both.
Term
Writ of Habeas Corpus
Definition
A legal paper issued by the court ordering a person to produce the body of another person. It is sometimes used in disputed custody cases where one parent refuses to turn over the child
Term
Ex post facto laws
Definition
one that is made retroactive to punish an act that wasn't illegal at the time it was committed. For example, if I didn't wear my seatbelt and wearing one wasn't a law, but it became a law the next day, I couldn't get in trouble for it because the "crime" was committed before it was against the law
Term
Impeachment
Definition
a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office
Term
Elastic Clause
Definition
a statement in the U.S. Constitution granting Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers (Article I, Section 8 ).
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