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We The People Chapter 12
Flash cards for the 12th chapter of "We The People" textbook, Rev. 9
70
Political Studies
Undergraduate 1
10/30/2014

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Term
Agency representation
Definition
the type of representation in which representatives are held accountable to their constituency if they fail to represent that constituency properly. This is incentive for good representation when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those of his or her constituency.
Term
Any bill dealing with revenue raising must start in which body of Congress?
Definition
The House of Representatives
Term
Appropriations
Definition
the amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend. Important oversight tool.
Term
Bicameral
Definition
characterized as having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses; opposite of unicameral.
Term
Bill
Definition
a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate.
Term
Bill of Attainer
Definition
Laws that decree a person guilty of crime without trial, forbidden to congress by Article 1 Section 9
Term
Blue Dog Democrats
Definition
Voted across party lines over civil rights issues in the 1950s
Term
Closed Rule
Definition
A provision added to a bill in committee that limits the introduction of new amendments.
Term
Cloture
Definition
a rule allowing a majority of two-thirds or three-fifths of the members of a legislative body to set a time limit on debate over a given bill. In the U.S. Senate, 60 senators (three-fifths) must agree in order to impose such a limit.
Term
Conference
Definition
a gathering of House Republicans every two years to elect their House leaders. Democrats call their gathering the caucus.
Term
Conference committees
Definition
joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation.
Term
Constituency
Definition
the residents in the area from which an official is elected.
Term
Cooperative Federalism
Definition
National, state, and local governments interact cooperatively and collectively to solve common problems. Practiced in America 1930s-1970s
Term
Describe the First Article of the Constitution
Definition
o Establishes the legislative branch (House and Senate)
o Enumerates powers assigned to Congress
o Necessary & Proper (elastic) clause (see also 10th amendment)
o Separation of Powers
o Limitations of Powers (sec. 9)
Term
Dual Federalism
Definition
Government where power is shared between Federal and state/local bodies. Practiced in America until the 1930s
Term
Edmund Burke
Definition
Trustee model of representation - constituents should trust their reps to make decisions unilaterally without reprisal
Term
Ex-post-facto laws
Definition
Retroactive laws. Forbiddent by Article 1 Section 9
Term
Executive Agreement
Definition
Allows the President to circumvent Senate approval of treaties by acting like a treaty without technically being one
Term
Factors leading to high incumbency rates
Definition
o Name Recognition
o Franking
o Greater ease of raising PAC funds
o Take Credit, Place Blame
o Electoral Darwinism
- Strong incumbent = weak challenger(s)
- Weak incumbent = strong challenger(s)
o Pork Barrel Politics
o Servicing District
Term
Filibuster
Definition
a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down. Once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster.
Term
Gerrymandering
Definition
the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party.
Term
House and Senate versions of a bill must be _______ before it can become law.
Definition
Identical. If the wording is not the same, the bill goes to a conference committee.
Term
How are House Representatives chosen?
Definition
Elected by voters of the congressional district
Term
How are Senators chosen?
Definition
Originally selected by state legislators until 1913.
Term
How can a presidential veto be overturned?
Definition
2/3 vote in both the House and Senate. Very difficult.
Term
How many members in the House of Representatives?
Definition
435, based on population divided by districts
Term
How many members in the Senate?
Definition
100, two per state
Term
Impeachment
Definition
the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed 'Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.'
Term
Impeachment
Definition
The President and other high ranking officials may be removed from office by being impeached in the House and convicted in the Senate. Grounds include treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Term
Incumbency
Definition
holding a political office for which one is running.
Term
Joint committees
Definition
legislative committees formed of members of both the House and Senate.
Term
Lineberry's Iceberg Theory
Definition
Congressmen vote as delegates for the 20% most salient issues, as trustees for the remaining 80% of issues.
Term
Logrolling
Definition
a legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading.
Term
Majority leader
Definition
the elected leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. In the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker of the House.
Term
Miller v. Johnson
Definition
1995 - Outlawed racial gerrymandering
Term
Minority leader
Definition
the elected leader of the minority party in the House or Senate.
Term
Morris Fiorina
Definition
Legislature in a divided government has the same output as a unity government.
Term
Open Rule
Definition
A bill in committee can be given a provision that permits floor debate and the addition of new amendments to the bill
Term
Oversight
Definition
the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies.
Term
Party unity vote
Definition
a roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 per-cent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party.
Term
Patronage
Definition
the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters.
Term
Pocket veto
Definition
a veto that occurs when the president does not sign a passed bill within 10 days of receiving it, and Congress has adjourned.
Term
Poison Pill
Definition
Amendment added to a bill in order to kill it.
Term
Pork barrel legislation (or pork)
Definition
appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created to help local representatives win re-election in their home districts.
Term
President Pro Tempore
Definition
aka President Pro Tem, second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate.
Term
Presidential Appointments
Definition
Senate approves with a simple majority
Term
Private bill
Definition
a proposal in Congress to provide a specific person with some kind of relief, such as a special exemption from immigration quotas.
Term
Reapportionment
Definition
Redistribution of representation in a legislative body.
Term
Redistricting
Definition
the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives. This happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges to existing districts.
Term
Richard Neustadt
Definition
"The strongest power the president has is the power to persuade"
Term
Roll-call vote
Definition
a vote in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically.
Term
Rules Committee
Definition
Decides whether amendments can be added to a bill. Amendments don't' have to be related to the bill. Determines length of debate and nature of amendments that may be offered to the legislation.
Term
Select committees
Definition
(usually) temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate particular issues or to address issues not within the jurisdiction of existing committees.
Term
Seniority
Definition
the ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service on a committee in Congress.
Term
Shaw v. Reno
Definition
1993 - Districts must be contiguous
Term
Sociological representation
Definition
a type of representation in which representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. It is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one could represent the other's views.
Term
Speaker of the House
Definition
the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is the most important party and House leader and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' positions within the House.
Term
Speaker of the House
Definition
o Majority Party
o Third in line for the presidency
Term
Standing committee
Definition
a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or agriculture.
Term
Term limits
Definition
legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official can serve.
Term
Treaties
Definition
Senate approves with a 2/3 majority
Term
Unitary Government
Definition
The opposite of Federalism. Power is held by one central authority.
Term
Veto
Definition
the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress. A presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.
Term
Vice President
Definition
o President of the Senate
o Votes to break ties
Term
Westbury v. Sanders
Definition
1964 - Districts must be drawn by population
Term
What is the length of term for Representatives in the house?
Definition
2 years, every seat is up for re-election every two years.
Term
What is the length of term for Senators?
Definition
6 years, one third of seats are open for re-election every two years.
Term
Which body of Congress has a Rules Committee?
Definition
The House of Representatives.
Term
Whips
Definition
party members in the House or Senate who are responsible for coordinating the party's legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes.
Term
Writ of Habeas Corpus
Definition
A person must be brought to court and shown the reason for their detention. Protected by Article 1 Section 9
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