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| A legislature divided into 2 houses. |
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| The process of allotting congressional seats to each state following the decennial census according to their proportion of the population. |
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| The redrawing of congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state. |
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| The power delegated to the House of Representatives in the Constitution to charge the president, vice president, or other "civil officers," including federal judges, with "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors:. This is the first step in the constitution process of removing such government officials from office. |
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| The political party in each house of Congress with the most members. |
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| The political party in each house of Congress with the second most members. |
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| The only officer of the House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution; elected at the beginning of each new Congress by the entire House; traditionally a member of the majority party. |
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| The elected leader of the party controlling the most seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate; is second in authority to the Speaker of the House and in the Senate is regarded as its most powerful member. |
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| The elected leader of the party with the second highest number of elected representatives in the House of Representatives or the Senate. |
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| Key representative who keeps close contact with all members and takes nose counts on key votes, prepares summaries of bills, and in general acts as a communication link within the party. |
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| The official chair of the Senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party. |
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| Committee to which proposed bills are referred. |
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| Includes member from both houses of Congress; conducts investigations or special studies. |
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| Joint committee created to iron out differences between Senate and House versions of a specific piece of legislation. |
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| select (or special) committee |
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| Temporary committee appointed for specific purpose, such as conducting a special investigation or study. |
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| Petition that gives a majority of the House of Representatives that authority to bring an issue to the floor in the face of committee inaction. |
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| Role played by elected representatives who listen to constituents' opinions and then use their best judgment to make final decisions. |
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| Role played by elected representatives who vote the way their constituents would want them to, regardless of their own opinions. |
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| Role play by elected representatives who act as trustees or as delegates, depending on the issue. |
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| The political condition in which different political parties control the White House and Congress. |
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| A tactic by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor. This stops the bill from coming to the floor until the hold is removed. |
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| A formal way of halting action on a bill by means of long speeches or unlimited debate in the Senate. |
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| Mechanism requiring sixty senators to vote to cut off debate. |
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| Formal constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of the legislative body, thus preventing their becoming law without further congressional activity. |
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| If Congress adjourns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of Congress, without the president's signature, the bill is considered vetoed. |
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| Congressional review of the activities of an agency, department, or office. |
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Term
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Definition
standing committee
joint committee
conference committee
select (or special) committee |
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Term
| The president's 4 options regarding bills |
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Definition
1. Sign the bill, at which point it becomes a law
2. Veto the bill (Congress may override the president's veto with a 2/3 vote in each chamber)
3. Wait the full ten days, at the end of which the bill becomes a law if Congress is still in session
4. If the Congress adjourns before the ten days are up, the president can choose not to sign the bill, and it is considered pocket vetoed |
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Term
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Definition
Introduced in House/Senate
Referred to House/Senate Committee
Referred to Subcommittee
Reported by Full Committee
Rules Committee Action (House)
Full House/Senate Debates and Votes on Passage
Conference Committee
House/Senate Approval
President
Signs (Becomes law), Vetoes (No law unless override), Waits 10 days (Becomes law), Waits 10 days, Congress adjourns (Pocket Veto-no law) |
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