Flashcards
Congress
Cards in this deck (25)
- 1BicameralA legislature consisting of two parts, or houses
- 2Bills of Attainderprohibits a person being found guilty of a crime without a trial
- 3ClotureA procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill
- 4ConstituentsThe residents of a congressional district or state.
- 5Elastic ClauseArticle I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.
- 6Ex Post Facto LawsA law which punishes people for a crime that was not a crime when it was committed. Congress cannot pass these laws.
- 7Expressed Powerspowers directly stated in the constitution
- 8FilibusterA procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.
- 9Franking PrivilegeBenefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free
- 10Gerrymanderchange voting district lines in order to favor a political party; N. CF. Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander
- 11House of Representatives435 members
- 12ImpeachTo accuse government officials of misconduct in office
- 13Implied PowersPowers not specifically mentioned in the constitution
- 14Joint CommitteeA committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.
- 15Party Whips"Cheerleaders"; provide communication b/t general party members (rank & File) and the Party Leaders.
- 16Pocket VetoA veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.
- 17Pork BarrellProjects Appropriations of funds by congressional legislators for projects in their districts
- 18President Pro TemporeOfficer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president
- 19Select CommitteeA temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.
- 20Seniority Systema system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee
- 21Speaker of the HouseAn office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.
- 22Standing CommitteeA permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area
- 23US Represenative QualifactionsArticle I, Section 2 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for representatives. Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent.
- 24US Senator QualifactionsUS Senator Qualifactions The Constitution sets three qualifications for service in the U.S. Senate: age (at least thirty years of age); U.S. citizenship (at least nine years); and residency in the state a senator represents at time of election
- 25VetoChief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature