| Term | Definition |
|---|
| filibuster | An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely |
| marginal district | Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, usually less than 55% of the vote |
| safe district | Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more |
| conservative coalition | An alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats |
| majority leader | The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or Senate |
| minority leader | The legislative leader elected by party members holding the minority of seats in the House or Senate |
| whip | Senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking about |
| party polarization | A vote in which a majority of Democrats and Republicans oppose one another |
| caucus | An association of Congress members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest |
| standing committee | Permanently established legislative committee that are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area |
| select committee | Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose |
| joint committee | Committees on which both senators and representatives serve |
| conference committee | A joint committee appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill |
| public bill | A legislative bill that deals with matters of general concern |
| private bill | A legislative bill that deals with only specific, private, personal, or local matters |
| simple resolution | An expression of opinion without the force of law either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body |
| concurrent resolution | An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and Senate but not the President |
| joint resolution | A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the President |
| multiple referral | A congressional process whereby a bill may be referred to several committees |
| sequential referral | A congressional process by which a Speaker may send a bill to a second committee after the first is finished acting |
| discharge petition | A device by which any member of the House after a committee has had the bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor |
| closed rule | An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended from the floor |
| open rule | An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended form the floor |
| restrictive rule | An order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made into a bill on the floor |
| quorum | The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress |
| quorum call | A roll call in either house of Congress to see whether the minimum number of representatives required to conduct business is present |
| cloture rule | A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate |
| double-tracking | A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business |
| voice vote | A congressional voting procedure in which members shout "yea" in approval or "nay" in disapproval, permitting memebrs to vote quickly or anonymously on bills |
| division vote | A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted |
| teller vote | A congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers, the "yes" first and the "nays" second |
| roll-call vote | A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay " to their name |
| pork-barrel legislation | Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constitutents in several districts or states in the hope of wining their votes in return |
| franking privilege | The ability of members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature for postage |
| bicameral legislature | A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts |
| Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 | banned soft money donations to national parties |
| representational view | When members of Congress vote to please their constituents in order to secure re-election |
| organizational view | When members of Congress vote based on cues from colleagues and party members |
| attitudinal view | When members of Congress vote based on their ideologies |
| Parliament | Members of this representative body are selected by the party |
| Senate | The members of this representative body were originally selected by state legislatures |
| middle-aged, white, Protestant, lawyer | This is the demographic for a typical member of Congress |
| Speaker of the House | leader of majority party, decides who to recognize to speak on the floor, assigns bills to committees |
| Intra-party caucuses | Caucuses in which members share a similar ideology |
| Personal interest caucuses | Caucuses in which members share an interest in an issue |
| Constituency caucuses | Caucuses established to represent groups, regions, or both |
| one | The maximum number of committees that can be chaired by one senator |
| House of Representatives | Where all revenue bills must start |
| seniority | The way a committee chairperson is typically chosen |
| 60 | The amount of votes it takes to end a filibuster |
| Committee of the Whole | Members of the House who happen to be on the floor when a bill is discussed |
| Rule 22 | Provides that debate in the Senate could be cut off if two-thirds of the Senators present and voting agreed to a cloture motion |
| decentralization | Congressional decision-making in the 20th century has tended toward this movement |
| 435 | The number of representatives in the House of Representatives |
| Staff members | Assigned to a senator or representative to service requests from constituents; answering mail, sending out newsletters, or meeting with voters |
| Congressional Research Service | Staff agency looks up facts and indicate the arguments for and against proposed policy. Keeps track of the status of major bills before Congress. |
| General Accounting Office | Staff agency which investigates agencies and policies and makes recommendations on the various aspects of government |
| Office of Technology Assessment | Staff agency established to study and evaluate policies and programs with a significant use of or impact on technology |
| Congressional Budget Office | Staff agency advises Congress on the economic effects of different spending programs and provides information on the costs of the proposed policies |
| Amendment 17 | Allowed Senators to be popularly elected |
| Committee of Ways and Means | the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives |
| logrolling | The exchange of political favors for support of a bill |
| rider | A nongermane amendment to an important bill. It is added so the measure will "ride" to passage through the Congress. When a bill has lots of riders, it is called a Christmas tree bill. |
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