AP Gov Unit IV: Congress

the way in which changes are added to the Constitution

Article V; the (very difficult) process of adding or deleting words to the constitution (27 times since 1788); propose by 2/3 vote of Congress or Constitutional Convention (never used); ratify by 3/4 vote of state legislators or state convention (only used once)

Changing the meaning of the Constitution without a formal amendment (ex. Supreme Court opinions, laws, custom)

the power of the senate to approve or disapprove of any of the president's appointments or treaties

A legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency

The expressed powers. • The power to raise and spend revenue • The power to borrow money issuing bonds • The power to regulate commerce with foreign nations • The power to give citizenship to an immigrant • The power to coin money • The power to punish counterfitting • The power to establish a pot office • The power to give out copyrights and patents • The power to establish a federal court system • The power to protect American ships from piracy • The power to declare war • The power to raise an army • The power to raise a navy • The power to punish the armed forces • The power to raise a militia (national guard) • The power to raise laws for Washington D.C. • The elastic clause

A formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency. Some authorizations terminate in a year; others are renewable automatically without further congressional action.

a lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts

support from both parties for policy, e.g., a bipartisan foreign policy.

Requires the president to spend all appropriated funds unless he first tells Congress what funds he wishes not to spend and Congress, within forty five days, agrees to delete the items.

A group of members of Congress sharing some interest or characteristic. Most are composed of members from both parties and from both houses.

a bill that gets many amendments added on to it from many congressmen that usually appease various interests groups and campaign contributors. Bill is not affected by the germaness rule

Prevents filibustering (16 signatures) and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5s vote of the Senate

An agency of Congress that analyzes presidential budget recommendations and estimates the cost of proposed legislation.

Separate committees in Congress for each political party to help members who are running for reelection or would-be members running for an open seat or challenging a candidate from the opposition party.

permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area

Congressional committees appointed for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation.

Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses.

a joint committee appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill

a group within a standing committee that specializes in a subcategory of its standing committee's responsibility.

power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review the operations and budgets of executive departments and independent regulatory agencies, conduct investigations through committee hearings, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy

a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent

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.

federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process

Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

Expedited procedures used to speed up the ordinary legislative process, usually through bypassing a time-consuming stage such as committee consideration.

a member of the majority will use a filibuster to stop or slow the process of getting a bill they dislike passed

The period from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 for which government appropriations are made and federal books are kept.

Members have the privilege to send letters to constituents and the postage would be payed for by the government

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

an independent nonpartisan federal agency that acts as the investigative arm of Congress making the executive branch accountable to Congress and the government accountable to citizens of the United States

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination

It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States. As such, it is one of the most powerful of the committees, and its members are seen as influential.

an institution unique to the House of Representatives that reviews all bills (except revenue, budget, and appropriations bills) coming from a House committee before they go to the full House.

The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole.

removal of a official from office due to their misconduct

evolutionary power of the legislative branch to examine both issues that warrant study and wrong doings by public officials

a close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.

the branch of government that makes the laws

An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other's bills

leader of the majority party in a legislature

committee action to amend a proposed bill.

leader of the minority party in a legislature

an order from the house rules committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor

an order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor

a vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators

The appropriation of government spending for projects that are intended primarily to benefit particular constituents, such as those in marginal seats or campaign contributors.

The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a negative or checking power over the other branches by freezing or cutting their funding.

The leader of the Senate, from the majority party, Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president.

The minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action

the second step in the legislative process, during which a bill is assigned to the appropriate standing committee by the Speaker (for House bills) or the lieutenant governor (for Senate bills)

a congressional process whereby a bill may be referred to several committees

a congressional process by which a speaker may send a bill to a second committee after the first is finished acting

Legislative opinions on a matter that do not require Presidential signature.

a resolution passed by both houses of Congress which becomes legally binding when signed by the chief executive (or passed over the executive's veto)

an expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the house and the Senate, but not the president

an expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body

Bills that deal with money must originate in the House of Representatives

a clause that is appended to a legislative bill

1. presides over the senate and votes in that body in case of a tie. 2.under the 25th amendment if something happens to the president the vice president becomes president

It is the largest of all Senate committees. The committee is responsible for all revenue bills that come out of the House. It is also tasked with developing supplemental spending bills to address issues arising in the middle of a fiscal year.

Holds confirmation hearings for the nominations for federal judges by the president.

a system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee

Member of the majority party who presides over the House of Representatives and directs the proceedings

2 years, no term limits

6 years; election of 1/3 ev. 2 years;staggered so 2/3rds always intact

If the President vetoes a bill, the Congress may override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote in both houses. The bill would then become law, the President's objections notwithstanding.

A law passed in 1973 in reaction to American fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia that requires presidents to consult with Congress whenever possible prior to using military force and to withdraw forces after 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants an extension. Presidents view the resolution as unconstitutional.

a legislator appointed by the party to enforce discipline