Best Seat in the House
Not A Popularity Contest
Just Another Day at the Office
It's All About the Money
Rules, Rules, Rules
100
Those already holding office. In congressional elections, ________ usually win.
What are incumbents?
100
An office mandated by the constitution. The ________ is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.
Who is the Speaker of the House?
100
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
What is casework?
100
The mighty list of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges, and institutions available in a congressional district.
What is Pork Barrel?
100
An Institution unique to the House of Representatives that reviews all bills (except revenue, budgets, and appropriations bills) coming from a House Committee before they go to the full House.
What is the House Rules Committee?
200
A legislature divided into two houses. The US congress and every American state legislature except Nebraska's are ________.
What is a bicameral legislature?
200
The person responsible for scheduling bills, influencing committee assignments, and rounding up votes in behalf of the party's legislative positions.
Who is the majority leader?
200
A strategy unique to the Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death, based on the tradition of unlimited debate. Today, 60 members present and voting can halt a ________.
What is a filibuster?
200
Separate subject-matter committees in each house of Congress that handle bills in different policy areas
What are standing committees?
200
Party leaders who work with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.
Who are whips?
300
The principal partisan ally of the Speaker of the House or the party's manager in the Senate
Who is the majority leader?
300
The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.
Who is the minority leader?
300
Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses
What are joint committees?
300
Congressional committees formed when the senate and the house pass a particular bill in different forms. Party leadership appoints members from each house to iron out the differences and bring back a single bill.
What are conference committees?
300
Congressional committees appointed for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation.
What are select committees?
400
The most important influencers of the congressional agenda. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house.
What are committee chairs?
400
A simple rule for picking committee chairs, in effect until the late 1970s. The member who had served on the committee the longest and whose party controlled congress became chair, regardless of party loyalty, mental state, or competence.
What is the seniority system?
400
A group of members of congress sharing some interest or characteristic. Most are composed of members from both parties and from both houses.
What is a caucus?
400
A philosophy where representatives use their best judgment to make policy in the interest of the people.
What is trustee philosophy?
400
Congress's monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly thought hearings.
What is Legislative Oversight?
500
A group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends
What is a coalition?
500
A philosophy where representatives make policy mirroring the preferences of their constituents
What is an Instructed Delegate Philosophy?
500
A proposed law, drafted in precise, legal language. Anyone can draft a ____, but only a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate can formally submit a ____ for consideration.
What is a bill?
500
Federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes. They come up with strings attached such as nondiscrimination provisions.
What are categorical grants?
500
Members of congress are ______. They adopt both trustee and instructed delegate roles as they strive to be both representatives and policymakers.
What are politicos?
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