Sammy​ ​Quiroz

Chapter​ ​12​ ​Terms

# Term Definition

1 “Millionaire’s​ ​club” A​ ​term​ ​used​ ​to​ ​describe​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States​ ​Senate​ ​because
the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​Senators​ ​have​ ​a​ ​net​ ​worth​ ​of​ ​$1​ ​million
or​ ​more.

2 Descriptive​ ​representation Being​ ​nearly​ ​identical​ ​to​ ​constituents​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of
personal​ ​and​ ​political​ ​characteristics​ ​→​ ​rarely​ ​happens

3 Substantive​ ​representation Representatives​ ​represent​ ​the​ ​interests​ ​of​ ​groups.

4 Incumbents Those​ ​already​ ​holding​ ​office.

5 Incumbency​ ​advantage The​ ​tendency​ ​for​ ​representatives​ ​who​ ​already​ ​hold​ ​an
office​ ​to​ ​win​ ​the​ ​office​ ​again​ ​when​ ​running​ ​for
reelection.​ ​Occurs​ ​because​ ​of​ ​name​ ​recognition,​ ​franking
privilege,​ ​casework,​ ​pork​ ​barrel

6 “Coattails” The​ ​alleged​ ​tendency​ ​of​ ​candidates​ ​to​ ​win​ ​more​ ​votes​ ​in
an​ ​election​ ​because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​presence​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​the
ticket.

7 Casework Activities​ ​of​ ​members​ ​of​ ​Congress​ ​that​ ​help​ ​constituents

as​ ​individuals,​ ​particularly​ ​by​ ​cutting​ ​through
bureaucratic​ ​red​ ​tape​ ​to​ ​get​ ​people​ ​what​ ​they​ ​think​ ​they
have​ ​a​ ​right​ ​to​ ​get.

8 Pork​ ​barrel Federal​ ​projects,​ ​grants,​ ​and​ ​contracts​ ​available​ ​to​ ​state
and​ ​local​ ​government,​ ​businesses,​ ​colleges,​ ​and​ ​other
institutions​ ​in​ ​a​ ​congressional​ ​district.

9 Bicameral​ ​legislature A​ ​legislature​ ​divided​ ​into​ ​two​ ​houses.​ ​The​ ​US​ ​Congress
and​ ​all​ ​state​ ​legislatures​ ​except​ ​Nebraska’s​ ​are​ ​bicameral

10 House​ ​Rules​ ​Committee The​ ​committee​ ​in​ ​the​ ​House​ ​of​ ​Representatives​ ​that
reviews​ ​most​ ​bills​ ​coming​ ​from​ ​a​ ​House​ ​committee
before​ ​they​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the​ ​full​ ​House.

11 Filibuster A​ ​strategy​ ​unique​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Senate​ ​whereby​ ​opponents​ ​of​ ​a

piece​ ​of​ ​legislation​ ​use​ ​their​ ​right​ ​to​ ​unlimited​ ​debate​ ​to
prevent​ ​the​ ​Senate​ ​from​ ​ever​ ​voting​ ​on​ ​a​ ​bill.

12 Cloture Sixty​ ​members​ ​present​ ​and​ ​voting​ ​can​ ​halt​ ​a​ ​filibuster;
this​ ​halt​ ​is​ ​called​ ​cloture.
 Sammy​ ​Quiroz

13 Speaker​ ​of​ ​the​ ​House An​ ​office​ ​mandated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Constitution.​ ​The​ ​Speaker​ ​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.

14 Majority​ ​leader The​ ​principle​ ​partisan​ ​ally​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Speaker​ ​of​ ​the​ ​House
(currently​ ​Paul​ ​Ryan),​ ​or​ ​the​ ​party’s​ ​manager​ ​in​ ​the
Senate.​ ​The​ ​majority​ ​leader​ ​is​ ​responsible​ ​for​ ​scheduling
bills,​ ​influencing​ ​committee​ ​assignments,​ ​and​ ​rounding
up​ ​votes​ ​in​ ​behalf​ ​of​ ​the​ ​party’s​ ​legislative​ ​positions.

15 Minority​ ​leader The​ ​head​ ​of​ ​the​ ​party​ ​with​ ​the​ ​fewest​ ​members​ ​in​ ​the
House​ ​who​ ​conveys​ ​the​ ​minority​ ​party's​ ​positions​ ​on
issues​ ​and​ ​courts​ ​the​ ​press.

16 Whip 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.

17 Standing​ ​committees Separate​ ​subject-matter​ ​committees​ ​in​ ​each​ ​house​ ​of

Congress​ ​that​ ​handle​ ​bills​ ​in​ ​different​ ​policy​ ​areas

18 Joint​ ​committees Congressional​ ​committees​ ​on​ ​a​ ​few​ ​subject-matter​ ​areas

with​ ​membership​ ​drawn​ ​from​ ​both​ ​houses.

19 Conference​ ​committees 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.

20 Select​ ​committees Congressional​ ​committees​ ​appointed​ ​for​ ​a​ ​specific

purpose,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Watergate​ ​investigation.

21 Subcommittees Specialized​ ​groups​ ​within​ ​standing​ ​committees.

22 Legislative​ ​oversight Congress’s​ ​monitoring​ ​of​ ​the​ ​bureaucracy​ ​and​ ​its

administration​ ​of​ ​policy,​ ​performed​ ​mainly​ ​through
hearings.

23 Committee​ ​chairs 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.
 Sammy​ ​Quiroz

24 Seniority​ ​system Until​ ​the​ ​1970s,​ ​the​ ​seniority​ ​system​ ​was​ ​the​ ​system​ ​in
place​ ​for​ ​deciding​ ​committee​ ​chairs.​ ​The​ ​member​ ​who
had​ ​served​ ​the​ ​longest​ ​and​ ​whose​ ​party​ ​controlled​ ​the
chamber​ ​became​ ​chair,​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​party​ ​loyalty,
mental​ ​state,​ ​or​ ​competence.

25 Congressional​ ​caucus A​ ​group​ ​of​ ​members​ ​of​ ​Congress​ ​sharing​ ​some​ ​interest
or​ ​characteristic.​ ​Many​ ​are​ ​composed​ ​of​ ​members​ ​from
both​ ​parties​ ​and​ ​from​ ​both​ ​houses.

26 Congressional​ ​Research Keeps​ ​track​ ​of​ ​the​ ​status​ ​of​ ​every​ ​major​ ​bill​ ​and
Service​ ​(CRS) produces​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​each​ ​bill​ ​introduced;​ ​does​ ​not
recommend​ ​policy​ ​but​ ​will​ ​look​ ​up​ ​facts​ ​and​ ​indicate​ ​the
arguments​ ​for​ ​and​ ​against​ ​a​ ​proposed​ ​policy

27 Government​ ​Accountability Provides​ ​legal​ ​options​ ​and​ ​settles​ ​claims​ ​against​ ​the
Office​ ​(GAO) government

28 Congressional​ ​Budget​ ​Office Advises​ ​congress​ ​on​ ​the​ ​probable​ ​consequences​ ​of​ ​its
(CBO) decisions,​ ​forecasts​ ​revenues,​ ​and​ ​is​ ​a​ ​counterweight​ ​to
the​ ​president.

29 Bill A​ ​proposed​ ​law,​ ​drafted​ ​in​ ​legal​ ​language.​ ​Anyone​ ​can

draft​ ​a​ ​bill​ ​but​ ​only​ ​a​ ​member​ ​of​ ​the​ ​House​ ​of
Representatives​ ​or​ ​the​ ​Senate​ ​can​ ​formally​ ​submit​ ​a​ ​bill
for​ ​consideration.

30 Party​ ​influence​ ​(in​ ​Congress) Members​ ​of​ ​parties​ ​are​ ​most​ ​cohesive​ ​when​ ​voting​ ​for
official​ ​leader​ ​in​ ​Congress.​ ​On​ ​other​ ​economic​ ​and
social​ ​issues,​ ​divisions​ ​within​ ​parties​ ​may​ ​cause​ ​some
party​ ​members​ ​to​ ​vote​ ​differently​ ​than​ ​others,​ ​which​ ​is
where​ ​the​ ​whips​ ​come​ ​in.

31 Delegate​ ​Model​ ​of The​ ​view​ ​that​ ​an​ ​elected​ ​representative​ ​should​ ​represent
Representation the​ ​opinions​ ​of​ ​his​ ​or​ ​her​ ​constituents.

32 Trustee​ ​Model​ ​of A​ ​model​ ​of​ ​representation​ ​in​ ​which​ ​a​ ​member​ ​of​ ​the
Representation House​ ​or​ ​Senate​ ​follows​ ​his​ ​or​ ​her​ ​own​ ​conscience​ ​when
deciding​ ​issue​ ​positions.