| A | B |
|---|
| Bill of Attainder | An act of legislature finding a person guilty of treason or felony without a trial; against the US Constitution |
| Census | An official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals |
| Citizens United v. FEC (2010) | A landmark court case in which the court ruled that campaign donations are protected under the 1st Amendment (free speech). Corporations or any other organizations can donate unlimited amount of money to a campaign as long as the corporation/organization is not directly linked to the campaign |
| Cloture | A procedure for ending a debate on the Senate floor. |
| Congress | --Includes both the Senate and the House of Representatives; lawmaking body |
| Constituents | People represented by members of a lawmaking body. |
| Elastic Clause | Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, known as the “necessary and proper” clause that allows Congress to extend its delegated powers. |
| Enumerated powers | Expressed or listed powers. Examples include: collect taxes, pay debts, and borrow money; regulate commerce (trade) between the states, and declare war. |
| Ex Post Facto Laws | A law that makes illegal an act that was legal when committed, increases the penalties for an infraction after it has been committed, or changes the rules of evidence to make conviction easier |
| Franking Privilege | The right of Congress members to post mail to constituents without having to pay postage. A copy of the member’s signature replaces the stamp on the envelope |
| Gerrymandering | The process of drawing congressional district lines to favor a political party. |
| Gibbons v. Ogden ( 1824) | A landmark court case which determined that the US federal government had the right to regulate interstate commerce due to the “necessary and proper” clause. |
| Filibuster | A method of delaying action on a bill in the Senate by making long speeches. |
| The House of Representatives | Half the lawmaking body of the U.S. Congress. The number of representatives from each state depends on the population (435 total). Representatives must be at least 25, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state they represent. |
| Impeach | To bring an accusation against any official (done in the House of Representatives) |
| Implied Powers | Powers not specifically granted to Congress by the US Constitution that are suggested to be necessary to carry out the powers delegated to Congress under the Constitution. |
| Joint Committee | Committees including membership from both houses of Congress. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation. Chairmanship usually alternates between the House and Senate members from Congress to Congress |
| Lobbyist | A person paid to represent an interest group’s viewpoint. |
| Majority Party | A political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government (i.e. voting control) |
| McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) | The Supreme Court held that Congress has implied powers derived from those listed in Article I, Section 8. The “Necessary and Proper” Clause gave Congress the power to establish a national bank. |
| Minority Party | The political party in each house of Congress with the second most members |
| Necessary and Proper clause | It allows the Government of the United States to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution." In other words, Congress is not limited to the powers actually expressed or enumerated in the Constitution, but also has implied powers to make laws necessary to ensure that their expressed powers can be carried out. |
| Pocket Veto | A means by which the president can reject a bill when Congress is not in session by not signing the bill. |
| Pork Barrel | The use of government funds for projects designed to please voters or legislators and win votes. |
| “President Pro Tempore” | --2nd highest ranking individual in the Senate; leads if Vice-president is not available. Since 1890, this position goes to the most senior senator of the majority party. |
| Rider | An additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill. Riders are usually created as a tactic to pass a controversial provision that would not pass as its own bill. |
| The Senate | Half the lawmaking body of the U.S. Congress. 2 senators from each state; must be at least 30 years old; an US citizen for 9 years; represent the interest of their entire state. The Senate approves presidential appointments, like ambassadors, judges, and cabinet members. |
| Speaker of the House | --The leader of the House of Representatives. Very political leadership position; elected by the majority party’s peers. Currently, the position is held by Nancy Pelosi (D) of California |
| Writ of Habeas Corpus | Literally meaning to “produce the body” – is an order issued by a court of law to a prison warden or law enforcement agency holding an individual in custody to deliver that prisoner to the court so a judge can decide whether or not that prisoner had been lawfully imprisoned |
| Veto | To reject; constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body. |
| Special Interest Groups | A group of people or an organization seeking or receiving special advantages, typically through political lobbying. |
| Standing Committee | A permanent committee that meets regularly specializing in certain subject areas. There are currently 16 standing committees. |
