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It is legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states.
What is Pork Barrel Spending?
The institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election.
What is Incumbency Advantage?
This is a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote
What is a Discharge Petition?
It is the amount of money remaining when the government takes in more money than it spends.
What is a Budget Surplus?
A tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation.
What is a Filibuster?
This is agreement between the parties to work together in Congress to pass legislation.
What is Bipartisanship?
Formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of Congress.
What is a Veto?
The process of removing a president from office, with articles of impeachment issued by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate, with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict and remove
What is Impeachment?
It's trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation.
What is Logrolling?
The leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members.
What is the Speaker of the House?
It is a powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor.
What is the House Rule Committee?
Spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget
What is Mandatory Spending?
It is a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income. (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security...)
What is an Entitlement Program?
It is the period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees.
A right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress
What is Executive Privilege?
Informal tool used by the president to persuade members of Congress to support his initiatives.
What is Bargaining and Persuasion?
This is the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data.
What is Apportionment?
It's an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns.
What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?
A delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill.
What is a Hold?
It is the difference when a government takes in less money than it spends. It increases our national debt. (Our government has been operating with one of these since 2001.)
What is a Budget Deficit?
The idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituents' wishes
What is the Delegate role?
Powers expressly granted in the Constitution.
What are Formal or Expressed Powers?
An agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability in the American system as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification.
What is an Executive Agreement?
Tactic through which presidents reach out directly to the American people with the hope that the people will, in turn, put pressure upon their representatives for a president's policy goals.
What is Going Public?
It's the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters.
What is Gerrymandering?
They are a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline.
What is a Whip?
It's an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill.
What is a Unanimous Consent Agreement?
Spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president.
What is Discretionary Spending?
The idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgment.
What is the Trustee Role?
It is an informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill into law within 10 days, during a time while Congress has adjourned at the end of a session.
What is a Pocket Veto?
Law passed over President Nixon's veto that restricts the president's power to maintain troops in combat for more than 60 days without Congressional authorization.
What is the War Powers Resolution?
Policy directives issued by the president that do not require congressional approval.
What is an Executive Order?
It is the drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party.
What is Partisan Gerrymandering?
This is the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats.
What is the Senate Majority Leader?
This is a procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action, provided three-fifths of senators agree to it.
What is Cloture?
This is the executive branch office that assists the president in setting national spending priorities.
What is the Office of management and Budget (OMB)?
Representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions.
What is the Politico Role?
The presidential authority to forgive an individual and set aside punishment for a (federal) crime.
What is a (Presidential) Pardon?
Written comment issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president's interpretation of the law itself
What is a Signing Statement?
Presidential appeals made to the public to pressure other branches of government to support his policies.
What is the Bully Pulpit?