Politics - Chapter 12
About this set
Created by:
nschettini91 on December 11, 2011
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
26 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Bicameral | Containing tow chamber, as does a legislature such as the US Congress |
| Speaker | The presiding officer of the House of Rep; normally the Speaker is the leader of the majority party |
| Majority Leader | Title used for the Speaker's chief lieutenant in the House and for the most important officer in the Senate. Chosen by the majority party membership, majority leaders are responsible for the day-to-day work necessary to build political coalitions and enact laws |
| Minority Leader | Leader of the minority party who coordinates the minority's attempts to improve or defeat majority legislation |
| Whips | Members of Congress who serve as informational channels linking the leadership and the rank and file, communication the leadership's views and intentions to the members and vice versa |
| Party Caucus | All democratic members of the House or Senate. Members in caucus elect the party leaders, ratify the choice of committee leaders, and debate party positions on issues |
| Party Conference | What republicans call their party caucus |
| President Pro Tempore | The president of the senate, who presides in the absence of the vice president |
| Unanimous Consent Agreement | an agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions according to which the senate will consider a bill; these agreements are individually negotiated by the leadership for each bill |
| Filibuster | an attempt to defeat a bill in the senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the senate from taking action on the bill |
| Cloture | senate motion to end a debate that requires a 3/5 vote (60) |
| Standing Committee | committee with fixed membership and jurisdiction, continuing from congress to congress |
| select committee | temporary committee created to deal with a specific issue or problem |
| seniority | practice by which the majority party member with the longest continuous service on a committee because the chair |
| caucus | voluntary group within congress, formed by members to pursue shared interests; a caucus can cross party, committee, and even chamber lines |
| Sponsor | Rep or senator who introduces a bill or resolution |
| multiple referrals | process occurring when party leaders give more than one committee responsibility for considering a bill |
| markup | process in which a committee or subcommittee considers and revises a bill that has been introduced |
| suspension of the rules | fast track procedure for considering bills and resolutions in the house; debate is limited to 40 minutes, no amendments are in order, and a two-thirds majority is required for passage |
| rule | the terms and conditions under which a bill or resolution will be considered on the floor of the house - in particular, how long debate will last, how time will be allocated, and the number and type of amendments that will be in order |
| conference committee | a temporary committee consisting of members of both chambers of the legislature that seeks to reach a compromise on two versions of the same bill each chamber passed |
| authorization process | term applied to the entire process of providing statutory authority for a government program or activity |
| appropriations process | process of providing funding for governmental activities and programs that have been authorized |
| trustee | role a representative plays when acting in accordance with his or her own best judgement to decide what is best for the country |
| delegate | role a representative plays when following the wishes of those who have elected him or her regardless of what he or she believes good public policy ought to be |
| earmarks | in a budget, designation of funds for a specific use |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.