Cloture

- only in Senate
- Senate legislative procedure used to end a filibuster, allowing voting time

Concurrent Resolution

- passed by both house and senate
- generally used to make or amend rules that apply to both houses
- used to express the sentiments of both of the houses.
- not submitted to the President for approval
- ex. setting time for Congress' adjournment
- does not have force of law

Conference Committee

- in both chambers
- temporary joint committee to reconcile differences in legislation that passed in both chambers.
- goal is to make one version of the bill that both House and Senate agrees upon.

delegate

- Congress member who votes based on how they think the people in their home state or district would want them to vote
- truly represents their people

discharge petition

- both chambers
- device by which any member of HOR or Senate, after bill held for 30 days, may ask to be brought to the floor again so it doesn't die

filibuster

- only in Senate
- Senate legislative tactic to delay voting time on a bill or nomination by prolonging debate
- "talking a bill to death"

gerrymandering def & types

- state' way to gain political advantage from redistricting
1. Partisan gerrymandering - redistricting to get advantage to certain party
2. Racial gerrymandering - redistricting to get advantage for certain race

hold

- only in Senate
- tactic where a senator tells Senate leadership he or she doesn't want a bill or a nomination to be brought to the floor/consideration.
- prevents bill from coming to floor until hold removed

Hopper

- only in HoR
- box attached to the side of the Clerk's desk in HoR where a proposed legislative bills are dropped and officially introduced in future

House Rules Committee

- reviews most bills before it goes to the two houses. Determines time for debate, the date, etc.
- huge influence on the outcome of bills

House Ways and Means Committee

Chief tax-writing committee of the House

how are Representatives elected

direct voting by district voters

how are senators elected

direct voting by state voters

Joint Committee

- most are permanant
- members from both chambers discuss
- primarily tasked with addressing specific issues or conducting investigations rather than proposing legislation.
- used for conducting investigations and overseeing specific areas of legislation rather than creating new laws.
- requires President's signature

Joint Resolution

- in both chambers
= bill
- generally used for continuing or emergency appropriations.
- used for proposing amendments to the Constitution

legislative powers of Congress

- power to tax
- to borrow money
- to regulate interstate commerce
- raise a militia
- establish post offices

length of term for representative

2 years

length of term of senator

6 years

logrolling

- in both chambers
- practice where legislators exchange support for legislation that need more individual support

Majority Leader of Senate

3rd in Senate hierarchy
- controls policy agenda

Majority Leader of the House

- 2nd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- responsible to managing annual legislative agenda, scheduling legislation for consideration, etc.

Majority Whip of House

3rd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- organizes membership for votes
- monitors legislation for majority party
- secures legislation votes
- responsible for keeping tabs on how members of the caucus will vote on upcoming issues (meetings of members of a political party or faction to discuss and decide on policies, strategies, and candidate selections)

Majority Whip of Senate

4th in Senate hierarchy
- counts and rounds votes
- assists majority leader

markup

happens in both houses
- changes made to a bill in committees

Minority Leader of Senate

3rd in Senate hierarchy
- negotiates w/ majority party
- directs minority activities
- leads floor debate for minority party

Minority Leader of the House

- 2nd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- floor leader of the other political party
- speaks on behalf of party, policies, protects minority rights, etc.
- "spokesperson for minority party"

Minority Whip of Senate

4th in Senate hierarchy
- assists minority leader
- gathers votes

Minority Whip of the House

3rd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- assists minority leader
- gathers votes for minority party
- monitors legislation for minority party
- responsible for keeping tabs on how members of the caucus will vote on upcoming issues (meetings of members of a political party or faction to discuss and decide on policies, strategies, and candidate selections)

Modified rules

rule from HRC that allows more amendments but w/ more limits, like a time limit on debate

nonlegislative powers of Congress

- propose constitutional amendments
- choose president if no majority/verify votes
- impeachment power
- investigate powers
- oversight
- confirm appointments
- declare war
- ratify treaties

Omnibus legislation

- in both chambers
- proposed law that covers diverse/unrelated topics

Open rules

rule from HRC that permits amendment from floor of House

partisan

members in Congress who feels they must always vote along party lines, thus supporting their political party
- loyal party member
- reluctant to compromise with political opponents

Pocket veto

President or any other govt official's way of killing a bill by not taking any action in time.
- doesn't involve vetoing
- retaining the bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with during the legislative session.

politico

role played by elected representatives who act as trustees or as delegates, depending on the issue
- tries to keep everyone happy

pork-barrel

in both chambers
- legislation or spending intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes

powers specifically for HOR

impeachment power
- elect president if no one received majority of electoral votes during presidential elections (majority)
- sole power to introduce revenue bills

powers specifically for Senate

- power to confirm presidential nominees
- power to approve/advise treaties (2/3)/appointments (1/2)
- power to trial all impeachments

President of Senate

1st in Senate hierarchy
- Also Vice President
- breaks ties in Senate
- formally presides over the receiving and counting of electoral ballots cast in presidential elections.

President pro tempore

2nd in Senate hierarchy
- facilitates what is happening in Senate (conducts business around)

Process of bill becoming a law

1. bill placed in hopper, assigned a #
2. Standing Committee revises/votes on whether or not it should continue.
3. if approved, goes to Rules Committee- assigns rules to a bill
4. Goes to House Floor, representatives discuss and vote on the bill
5. Goes to Senate
6. presiding officer recognizes Senator to introduce bill, it is assigned a number
7. Standing Committee - bill is revised and voted on whether or not it should continue
8. if approved, goes to Senate Floor.
9. if approved, goes to Conference Committee, leaders from both houses meet to iron out differences
10. Conference report - final bill is required both houses to agree (majority).
11. presidential approval - either vetoed, signed, or pocket vetoed

- if senate introduces a bill, it goes through steps 6-8 first and then House steps

qualifications of a representative

- 25 years old
- 7 years as a US Citizen
- reside in state when getting elected

qualifications of a senator

- 30 years old
- 9 years as a US Citizen
- reside in state when getting elected

reapportionment def + process

process used to determine representation in the HOR
1. census (fed govt lvl, counting every people in US every decade)
2. apportionment (fed govt lvl, assigning the number of representatives to states, determined by pop. number.)
3. redistricting (state govt lvl. states redraws state lines)

Rules Committee

House Rules Committee

Select/Special Committee

- either in House or Senate
- temporary committee to address issues like health crises.
- can suggest new laws and recommend changes
- temporary committee established to investigate a specific issue or perform a particular function that falls outside the scope of standing committees

Shaw v. Reno outcome & impact

- N. Carolina assigned districts based on race, so residents accused them of trying to get more black representatives.
- Q: did the claim that NC did racial gerrymandering raise constitutional issue for 14th amendment Equal Protection Clause
- decision: the shape of congressional districts were bizarre enough to suggest racial gerrymandering
- impact: racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

Simple Resolution

- passed by one house
- matters concerning the operation of either House or Senate
- Collective opinion on a policy issue or event. Issued from one chamber of Congress
- It is used to initiate action involving only that house, such as establishing a committee or altering the houses' rules.
- does not have force of law
Ex. Condolences on the death of a member of the chamber, advice from the chamber on how to deal with a foreign policy issue.

Speaker of the House

- only in HoR
- who determines amendments chosen for consideration
- keeps order during debate
- most powerful in Congress
- 2nd to succeed President after Vice President

Standing Committee

permanent committee in either house

trustee

- member of Congress who acts according to their own beliefs regardless of party beliefs

unanimous consent agreement

- only in Senate
- formal process where all board members approve decision without debate (usually for minor issues, quick decision)

veto override

in both chambers
- legislature passes a bill despite President's rejection, 2/3 both houses.

ways of gerrymandering & def

1. Packing
- state legislative moves/concentrates one type of voters into 1 district, reducing their influence on other districts.
2. Cracking
- separating voters of 1 type into many districts, preventing them from getting enough power in a district to elect a preferred candidate