bicameral legislature

2-house legislature

session

period of time when legislature meets to conduct business

census

population count

re-apportionment

process of reassigning representation based on population; after every census

redistrict

set up new district lines after reapportionment is complete

gerrymander

to draw district lines to gain advantage in elections

at-large

as a whole

franking

benefits and resources for members of congress

censure

a vote of formal disapproval of a member's actions

incumbent

elected official that is already in office

constituents

people whom a member of congress represent

caucus

private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office

majority leader

the speaker's top assistant whose job is to help plan the majority party's legislative program and to steer important bills through the house

whips

assistant to the party floor leader in the legislature

bill

a proposed law

calendars

schedule that lists the order in which bills will be considered in congress

rules committee

committee that governs the way things are run

quorum

minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action

president pro tempore

the senate member, elected by the senate, who stands in as president of the senate when the vice president is not there

filibuster

a method of defeating a bill in the senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote

cloture

procedure that allows each senator to speak only 1 hour on a bill under debate

expressed powers

powers directly states in the constitution

necessary and proper clause

article 1, seciton 8 - power to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out duties

implied powers

powers that the government requires to carry out the expressed constitutional power

revenue bill

proposed law to raise money

appropriations bill

proposed law to authorize spending money

interstate commerce

trade among states

impeachment

a formal accusation fo misconduct in office against a public official

subpoena

legal order that a person appear or produce requested documents

perjury

lying under oath

contempt

willful obstruction of justice

immunity

freedom from prosecution for witnesses whose testimony ties them to illegal acts

legislative veto

the provisions congress wrote into some laws that allowed it to review and cancel actions of executive agencies

private bill

a law that applies to a particular person

public bill

a bill dealing with general matters and applying to the entire nation

simple resolution

statement adopted to cover matters affecting only one house of congress

rider

provision included in a bill on a subject other than the one covered in the bill

hearing

a session at which a committee listens to testimony from people interested in the bill

veto

rejection of a bill

pocket veto

when president kills a bill passed during the last 10 days congress is in session by simplying refusing to act on it

tax

money that people and businesses pay to support the activities of the government

closed rule

rule that forbids members of congress to offer amendments to a bill from the floor

appropriations

approval of government spending

authorization bill

bill that sets up a federal program and specifies how much money may be appropriated for the program

entitlement

a require government expenditure that continues from one year to the next

lobbyist

interest group representative

lobbying

direct contact made by a lobbyist in order to persuade government officials to support the policies their interest group favors

casework

a member of a lawmaker's personal staff who handles requests for help from constituents

pork-barrel legislation

laws passed by congress that appropriate money for local federal projects

logrolling

an agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills