| Term | Definition |
|---|
| session | meeting of Congress that begins in January each year |
| committee | group of Congressmen; meet to study bills, learn and solve problems |
| majority | more than half |
| bill | idea for new laws that is written and voted on |
| standing committee | permanent - House and Senate study group that studies the same problems year to year |
| constituents | people who elect a person to a public office |
| Speaker of the House | leader of the House of Representatives |
| President of the Senate | job of the Vice-President of USA |
| Senator | member of the Senate |
| Representative | member of the House of Representative |
| bicameral | 2 sections for Congress |
| census | population count every 10 years |
| gerrymander | oddly shaped district to help increase voting power of one group |
| seniority | most years of service |
| pro tempore | chairman of the Senate, "for the time being"; |
| conference committee | temporary; has members of both Senate and House; job to agree on details of a bill |
| floor leaders | powerful leaders in Congress that make sure that laws are the ones their party likes |
| select committee | temporary committee to work on special topics |
| joint committee | permanent committee that has members from both Senate and House |
| subcommittee | small group within a standing committee |
| party whip | Congressman who tries to make party members vote together |
| elastic clause | part of Constitution that lets Congress stretch its powers |
| authorization bill | laws that say how much money can be spent on a project |
| appropriation bill | laws that use money to pay government bills |
| ex post facto | can not be punished for a crime if committed before the law was made |
| bills of attainder | can not punish a person without a trial |
| expressed powers | duties of Congress listed and written in the Constitution |
| implied powers | duties of Congress not written down in the Constitution |
| pork -barrel projects | government projects that unfairly help a Congressman's state or district |
| franking privileges | Congressmen can send job-related mail for free |
| immunity | legal protection |
| casework | Congressman helping people from his district or state with personal problems |
| lobbyist | people paid by private groups to influence government decisions |
| impeach | to accuse a government official |
| debate | to augue by taking one side or position |
| writ of habeas corpus | requires police to explain charges in court |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace