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AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS CONGRESS AND PRESIDENCY VOCAB

Terms in this set (120)

"Advice and consent"
Role of the U.S. senate in relation to presidential appointments and foreign policy agreements
Ad hoc model
Model of office organization in the White House where subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president
Amendment
A formal addition or change to a bill under consideration
Appropriations bill
Any piece of legislation involving the funding of a particular program or government agency
Bicameral legislature
A law making body made up of two parts
Bill
A formally proposed law in the House or Senate
Bully pulpit
A position of authority or public visibility that makes one's views known or rallies support
Cabinet
A board to advise the President composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch
Caucus
Meeting or organization of particular members of a political party in the House or Senate
Censure
An option for punishment after findings of wrong doing of members of the U.S. Government(embarrassing)
Chief executive
Formal constitutional role of the president as head and chief administrator of the executive branch
Chief of staff
The highest ranking employee of the White House Office inside the Executive Office of the President
Circular model
A method of organizing the president's staff in which several assistants report directly to the president
Clemency
General term for the president's power to grant forgiveness for a crime in whole or in part
Closed rule
A rule set by the Rules Committee before a bill comes to the House that states no additional amendments may be offered
Cloture
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Commander in chief
Express role of the president to be head of the armed forces
Committee chair
The head of a committee appointed by the Speaker of the House
Committee of the whole
A device in which the House is considered a congressional committee but only requires 100 members be present
Concurrent resolution
A resolution adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislation that does not have the force of law
Conference committee
A joint committee, which consisted of members of both chambers to resolve disagreements on a bill
Confirmation process
Process in the Senate by which presidential appointments are approved or rejected
Congress
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives
Delegate model of representation
A model in which the representative sees her or his role as carrying out the will of the people who elected them
Discharge petition
A device by which any member of the House after a committee has had a bill for 30 days may petition to bring it to the floor
Double tracking
A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster, the bill is temporarily shelved
Earmarks
A legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on certain projects
Executive agreement
Agreement made by the president and another foreign head of state that does not require a formal treaty
Executive office of the president
Those who work directly for the president
Executive order
Directive issued by the president to an organization in the executive branch
Executive privilege
The right of the president to withhold certain information from Congress
Express powers
Specific powers granted to the president by the Constitution
Filibuster
An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely
Fourth branch of government
Term sometimes made in reference to the mass media
Franking privilege
The right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense
Germane amendments
Changes to bills on the floor of the House that must relate directly to the bill
Gridlock
Refers to the difficulty of passing laws due to a split or evenly divided Congress
Hold
An informal practice by which a Senator informs their floor leader that they don't want a bill to reach the floor
Hopper
A box in which a bill to be considered by the legislation is dropped
House Appropriations Committee
Powerful house standing committee that oversees the allocation of funds to the government agencies
House managers
Members of the House Judiciary Committee who oversees the prosecution for an impeachment trial in the Senate
House of Representatives
Half of the legislative branch of the U.S. government(based on population)
House resolution
A formal motion or bill adopted by the House of Representatives
House Rules Committe
A special standing committee that has the authority to establish rules for expediting legislative action
House Ways and Means Committee
Considered to be the most powerful standing committee, makes recommendations on all bills that would raise revenue
Impeachment
A process that is used to charge,try and remove public officials for misconduct
Impeachment
Power reserved to the House for drawing up charges against political figures
Implied powers
Powers not specifically given to the president by the Constitution
Inherent powers
Specific powers needed to carry out the express duties of the president
Iron triangle
A close relationship between government agency, congressional committee and interest group
Joint committee
A temporary committee of both representatives and senators
Lame duck
When an elected official is approaching the end of their tenure
Line of succession
Refers to the order in which the president is succeeded in office if he were to no longer be able to discharge their duties
Line item veto
When the chief executive can veto only certain provisions of a bill before it becomes a law
Logrolling
A legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for their support
Majority leader
The legislative leader elected by party members holding a majority of seats in the House or Senate
Marginal seat
A seat in the House that is not considered to be safe for the incumbent in the next election
Minority leader
A legislative leader elected by the party members holding a minority of seats in House or Senate
Motion to Recommit
A formal motion in the House to send a bill back to committee
Multiple referral
A congressional process in which a bill may be referred to several committees that consider it simultaneously
National security adviser
Serves as chief adviser to the president on issues of national security
National Security Council
The principle forum used by the president to consider issues within the realm of national security
Non-germane amendments
Formal changes to a bill that do not have any direct relation to the subject of the bill itself
Office of Economic Advisers
Agency within the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on economic policy
Office of Management and Budget
A cabinet level office and the largest office in the Executive Office that assists the president with the federal budget
Open rule
An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor
Override
When the House and Senate votes to pass a bill over a president's veto
Oversight
Review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implantation by Congress
Pardon
Express power of the president to forgive individuals of federal crimes resulting in the release from prison or punishment
Party caucus
A closed meeting of the members of one party in a legislative chamber to coordinate policy
Party polarization
A vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators
Patronage
When the president or member of Congress appoints a political ally to a position of power
Pigeonholding
A method of killing a bill by a committee chair by simply refusing to assign a hearing or debate a bill
Pocket veto
Occurs when the president does not sign a bill into law within 10 days of arriving on his desk and if Congress has adjourned
Policy agenda
A set of policies or issues or underlying motives to be addressed by a political party, group, or individual
Politico Model of Representation
A model in which the representatives sees their role as making the best determination as to whether to vote in the best interests of their districts
Pork barrel spending
A derogatory term for earmarks used to cast politicians who advocate or secure earmarks as wasteful spenders
POTUS
Acronym for President Of The United States
President of the Senate
Official constitutional role of the Vice President of the US
President pro-tempore
A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in absence of the normal presiding officer
Presidential coattails
When a popular president can help members of her or his party to win an election or pass legislation
Presidential Succession Act of 1947
Law that set the line of presidential succession if neither the president nor VP could no longer serve
Press secretary
Senior adviser to the president who provides advice on dealing with the media and formulating the president's message to the country
Private bill
A legislative bill that deals with specific, private, personal, or local matter
Public bill
A legislative bill that deals with matters of general concern
Pyramid structure
A structure in which the president's subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command
Quorum call
Procedure used to summon absent members of a legislative body if a quorum is not present
Quorum
The minimum number of members required to be in attendance for Congress to conduct official business
Ranking member
Most senior member of a committee from the minority party
Recess appointment
When the president appointments a judge, ambassador, or cabinet member while Congress is out of session
Reprieve
Constitutionally provided power of the president to postpone a person's punishment for a federal crime
Resolution
A formal motion that may or may not have legal binding adopted by the House or Senate
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
Revenue bill
A bill concerning the raising or spending of money
Rider
An additional provision annexed to a bill under the consideration of a legislature, having little to do with the subject matter of the bill
Roll call vote
A congressional voting procedure where members answer yea or nay to their names
Safe seat
Districts in which incumbents win by a margin of 55% or more
Select committee
A committee of the legislative body that is formed to examine and report on a specific bill or issue
Senate
Half of the legislative branch of the US government(equal per state-2)
17th Amendment
Allows for the direct election of senators by the people of their respective state
Seniority
Precedence of position, especially over others of the same rank by having a longer span of service
Sequential referral
A congressional process by which a speaker may send a bill to a second committee
Signing statement
An addition issued by the President that accompanies the signing of a law
Simple resolution
A legislative proposal that does not require action from the president that is used by a single house to take action affecting its procedure
Speaker of the House
The presiding office of the House that runs the proceedings of debate and voting
Standing committee
Committee that has continued to exist and is not related to the accomplishment of a specific task
Subcommittee
A subdivision of the House or Senate committee that considers specified matters and reports back to the full committee
Term limits
Legal limits of how many total terms of office can be held by one individual
Trustee Model of Representation
A model where the representative is trusted to make the right decision on behalf of the people
25th Amendment
Defines that the VP becomes president in the event of the death or incapacitation of the President
22nd Amendment
Limits the number of full terms a president can serve(2)
US Ambassador to the UN
Presidentially appointed and approved by the senate who represents the US to the UN
Veto message
An official order that stops something from occurring that would otherwise happen
Veto
The power of one branch of the government to refuse approval of measures proposed by another
Voice vote
A voting method used by the legislative in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally by aye or no
War Powers Act of 1973
Federal law passed after Vietnam War attempting to limit presidential war making powers by requiring more consultation
War making powers
Refers to the power of the president to use the military to engage in acts of war
West wing
Location of the offices including the oval office in the White House
Whip
An official in a political party whose job is to make sure that other members go to a particular debate and that they vote the correct way
White House Counsel
Appointee of the president to provide advice on all legal issues concerning the president, White House, and policy
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