Terms : Hide Images
| Princible of a two-house legislature. | ||
| The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution. | ||
| The presiding officer in the House of Representatives, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party. | ||
| the Speaker's top assistant who helps plan the majority party's legislative program and steers important bills through the House | ||
| the legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition | ||
| Party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature | ||
| a meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the republicans | ||
| rule that forbids members of congress to offer amendments to a bill from the floor | ||
| an order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor | ||
| reassigning reps based on population; making sure equal | ||
| the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives | ||
| the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent | ||
| An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted. | ||
| currently holding an office | ||
| Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president | ||
| A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination | ||
| a legislator who gives long speeches in an effort to delay or obstruct legislation that he (or she) opposes | ||
| a procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate | ||
| a system in which the president submits the name of a candidate for judicial appointment to the senators from the candidate's state before formally submitting it for full senate approval | ||
| A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area | ||
| A congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct and investigation | ||
| A legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee. | ||
| committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form. | ||
| a person appointed or elected to represent others | ||
| An official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator | ||
| Those citizens who follow public affairs carefully. | ||
| act of exchanging favors for mutual gain | ||
| Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration. | ||
| provision attached to a bill -- to which it may or may not be related -- in order to secure its passage | ||
| a bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within ten days before Congress adjourns | ||
| An action taken by Congress to reverse a presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in each chamber. |
