Key Concepts in U.S. Government and Politics Part 3
This deck covers 20 essential terms and concepts in U.S. government and politics, focusing on the legislative branch, political parties, and budgeting processes.
congressional caucuses
association of congressional members who advocate a political ideology, regional, ethnic, or economic interest
Key Terms
congressional caucuses
association of congressional members who advocate a political ideology, regional, ethnic, or economic interest
seniority system
simple rule for picking committee chairs, lasted until 1970s, member who had served on the committee the longest and whose party controlled Congres...
trustee
legislator who uses his or her best judgement to make policy in the interests of the people
cloture motions
prevents filibustering and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5 vote of Senate
Ways and Means Committee
charged with reviewing and making recommendations for the gov. budgets; imposes taxes
divided government
one party controls the executive, and the other party controls one or both houses of Congress
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
congressional caucuses | association of congressional members who advocate a political ideology, regional, ethnic, or economic interest |
seniority system | simple rule for picking committee chairs, lasted until 1970s, member who had served on the committee the longest and whose party controlled Congress became chair, regardless or party loyalty, mental state, or competence |
trustee | legislator who uses his or her best judgement to make policy in the interests of the people |
cloture motions | prevents filibustering and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5 vote of Senate |
Ways and Means Committee | charged with reviewing and making recommendations for the gov. budgets; imposes taxes |
divided government | one party controls the executive, and the other party controls one or both houses of Congress |
Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, replaced Aid to Dependent Children, ended welfare programs |
Medicaid | federal and state funded program that provides healthcare for the needy |
party coalitions | groups and interests that support a political party |
legislative oversight | Congress' monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings |
advise and consent power | allows Senate to constrain President's powers of appointment and treaty making |
budget making process | creates US federal budget, controlled by Congressional Budget Office |
pork barrel spending | gov. spending for localized projects to bring $$ to a representative district; legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary or unwise projects within a state or district, to enhance a members chance of reelection |
open primary | elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests |
blanket primary | elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties; voters can then select some Democrats and Republicans if they choose |
casework | activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals; cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get |
President Pro Tempore | high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the Vice President |
Senate is less formal than House | only 100 Senators, easier to make decisions on bills, easier to organize, need to pass bills to go through legislation process |
House is more formal than Senate | 435 reps--> harder to organize, has more formal rules in order to control more people, bills can only be discussed for a certain period of time, only popular bills will be discussed |
reciprocity (logrolling) in Congress | exchange of political favors for support of a bill |