| A | B |
|---|
| line item veto | briefly allowed pres to veto part of a law (used to cut "pork") |
| divided government | pres and congress are controlled by different parties. slows down legislative process |
| pocket veto | pres doesn;t sign a bill and congress is not in session after 10 days it dies |
| gridlock | nothing getting done in Congress, due to divided government |
| authorization legislation | congressional laws that set the overall budgets for agencies |
| appropriation legislation | releases funds for specific expenditures |
| riders | amendments added on to a bill. can be used to help it pass or prevent it from passing. |
| log-rolling | congressmen trading votes on "pet" projects |
| pork barrell legislation | bills designed to only benefit a certain district or state. Often wasteful but helps serve constituents |
| open rule | allows for ulimited debate time and amendments (non germane) to be added to a bill. All bills in Senate are under open rule |
| closed rule | strict time limit for debate and limit on number of amendments (can be used in House) |
| filibuster | talking to try to delay action on a bill (used in Senate). |
| cloture | can be invoked with 6/10 vote in senate to end debate on a bill |
| standing committee | permanent established important committees in Congress. All bills must go through one. (ex. Appropriation, Ways and Means, Judiciary) |
| select committee | committee apointed for a limited time or purpose |
| conference committee | used to work out differences between house and senate versions of a bill |
| Rules Committee | determines what rule a bill will be debated on in the house. Thus has a huge influence on policy. |
| Ways and Means Committee | deals with all taxation bills |
| steering committee | used by dems in Senate to determine who serves on what committee |
| speaker of the house | always from the majority party, determines whaht committee bills are placed in, influences who serves on what committee. Strongest leadership position in House |
| majority leader | leads majority party in either House or Senate (Senate Majority Leader is strongest position in Senate) |
| Minority leader | leads minority party in either house or senate |
| whips | assist majority/minority leader in getting members to vote together |
| indicator of strong party leadership | how often party members vote together on bills |
| Vice President | serves as presiding officer of senate, breaks any tie votes |
| Pres Pro Tempore | most senior member of majority party in the Senate, presides in absence of VP. Mainly ceremonial position |
| malapportionment | making districts of unequal size |
| gerrymandering | drwing oddly shaped district lines to favor or hurt a particular group. |
| Party Polarization | When parties are far aart from each other and there is little compromise or bi-partisanship |
| Baker v Carr | established that malapportionment as unconstitutional |
| Clinton v City of NY | established that the line item veto was unconstitutional |
