Glossary
Bicameral
A legislative body composed of two chambers or houses.
Example:
The U.S. Congress is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, designed to provide checks and balances within the legislative branch.
Bill Introduction
The first step in the legislative process, where a member of Congress formally presents a proposed law.
Example:
A new proposal to fund space exploration begins with its bill introduction by a senator or representative.
Bills of Attainder
Legislative acts that declare a person or group guilty of a crime and punish them without a trial; prohibited by the Constitution.
Example:
The Constitution prevents Congress from passing a bill of attainder, ensuring that individuals are guaranteed a judicial trial before being punished.
Borrowing
The power of Congress to borrow money on the credit of the United States.
Example:
During an economic downturn, Congress might authorize the Treasury to engage in significant borrowing to stimulate the economy through government spending.
Cloture
A procedure in the Senate that can limit or end debate on a bill or other measure, requiring a supermajority vote of 60 senators.
Example:
To overcome a filibuster on a critical piece of legislation, the Senate majority might attempt to invoke cloture.
Commerce
The power of Congress to regulate interstate and international trade.
Example:
The Supreme Court often interprets the commerce clause to determine if federal laws, such as environmental regulations, legitimately fall under Congress's power to regulate economic activity across state lines.
Committee Action
The stage in the legislative process where bills are referred to specialized committees for review, debate, amendment, and often, where most bills fail to advance.
Example:
Many proposed laws never make it past committee action because they lack sufficient support or are deemed unnecessary.
Committee Chairperson
The head of a congressional committee, typically a senior member of the majority party, who controls the committee's agenda and can significantly influence the fate of bills.
Example:
The Committee Chairperson has the power to decide which bills are considered and can effectively 'kill' legislation by refusing to bring it to a vote.
Committees
Subdivisions of Congress that specialize in specific policy areas, where most of the legislative work, such as bill review and hearings, takes place.
Example:
Before a bill on climate change reaches the full House, it will undergo extensive review and debate within relevant committees like Energy and Commerce.
Conference Committee
A temporary joint committee formed to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a bill before it can be sent to the President.
Example:
When the House and Senate passed different versions of a healthcare reform bill, a conference committee was formed to negotiate a single, compromise version.
Congressional Oversight
The power of Congress to monitor and review the actions of the executive branch and its agencies to ensure they are implementing laws as intended and operating efficiently.
Example:
Through Congressional oversight, a committee might hold hearings to investigate how a federal agency is spending its budget or responding to a national crisis.
Courts
The power of Congress to establish federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court and to make rules for their operation.
Example:
Congress used its power over courts to create specialized federal appellate courts to handle specific types of cases, like patent law.
Delegated Powers
Specific powers granted to the federal government, particularly Congress, by the U.S. Constitution.
Example:
The power to declare war is one of the delegated powers explicitly given to Congress, not the President, by the Constitution.
Earmarks
Specific provisions added to legislation that direct federal funds to a particular project, program, or institution, often in a legislator's home district.
Example:
A bill funding national parks might include an earmark for a new visitor center in a specific representative's district.
Ex Post Facto Laws
Laws that retroactively make an action illegal that was legal when committed, or increase the punishment for a crime after it was committed; prohibited by the Constitution.
Example:
If a state tried to pass a law making an action illegal that someone did last year, it would be an ex post facto law and unconstitutional.
Filibuster
A tactic used in the Senate by a minority of senators to delay or block a vote on a bill or other measure by speaking for an extended period.
Example:
A senator might launch a filibuster to prevent a controversial judicial nominee from receiving a confirmation vote.
Floor Debate and Vote
The stage where a bill is discussed and voted upon by the full membership of either the House or Senate.
Example:
After a bill clears committee, it moves to the floor debate and vote where all members can offer amendments and cast their final decision.
House Majority Leader
The leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives, responsible for pushing the party's legislative agenda.
Example:
The House Majority Leader works closely with the Speaker to strategize on upcoming votes and ensure party discipline.
House Majority Whip
A member of the majority party in the House of Representatives responsible for counting votes and ensuring party members vote in line with the party's position.
Example:
Before a major vote, the House Majority Whip will contact party members to gauge their support and persuade them to vote with the party.
House Minority Leader
The leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives, responsible for organizing opposition and articulating the party's alternative agenda.
Example:
The House Minority Leader often serves as the public face of the opposition, criticizing the majority's policies and proposing alternatives.
House Rules Committee
A powerful committee in the House of Representatives that determines the rules for debate on each bill, including time limits and whether amendments are allowed.
Example:
The House Rules Committee can effectively kill a bill by setting restrictive debate rules or preventing amendments that would make it more palatable.
House Ways and Means Committee
A powerful committee in the House of Representatives that has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-generating measures.
Example:
Any bill proposing a new federal income tax would first be debated and refined by the House Ways and Means Committee before reaching the full House floor.
House of Representatives
The lower chamber of the U.S. Congress, with representation based on state population and members serving two-year terms.
Example:
A representative in the House of Representatives might focus heavily on local issues, knowing they face re-election every two years and need to be highly responsive to their constituents.
Joint Committees
Committees composed of members from both the House and Senate, typically formed to address issues of common concern or to oversee specific functions.
Example:
A joint committee on the Library of Congress might oversee the operations and policies of the national library.
Legislative Process
The multi-step procedure by which a bill is introduced, debated, amended, and ultimately passed into law or rejected.
Example:
The legislative process is intentionally slow, requiring a bill to pass through committees, floor debates, and potentially a conference committee before reaching the President's desk.
Logrolling
A practice in which legislators agree to trade votes on different bills, supporting each other's projects or initiatives.
Example:
A senator from an agricultural state might engage in logrolling with a senator from an urban state, agreeing to vote for a farm subsidy bill in exchange for support on a public transit bill.
Military
The power of Congress to raise and support armies, provide and maintain a navy, and make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces.
Example:
Congress's power over the military includes deciding how many troops to deploy and allocating funds for new defense technologies.
Militia
The power of Congress to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions.
Example:
In times of national emergency, Congress can authorize the President to call upon state militia (now primarily the National Guard) to assist federal efforts.
Naturalization
The power of Congress to establish uniform rules by which foreign-born individuals can become citizens.
Example:
The process by which immigrants become U.S. citizens is governed by the naturalization laws passed by Congress.
Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)
A clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution granting Congress the power to pass all laws 'necessary and proper' for carrying into execution the enumerated powers.
Example:
Congress used the Necessary and Proper Clause to create the Federal Reserve System, arguing it was essential for carrying out its delegated powers related to currency and borrowing.
Override a Veto
The power of Congress to pass a bill into law despite a presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.
Example:
After the President vetoed the defense spending bill, Congress successfully voted to override a veto, making the bill law without presidential approval.
Pocket Veto
An indirect veto of a legislative bill by the President by retaining the bill unsigned until Congress adjourns, typically within ten days of receiving it.
Example:
If Congress sends a bill to the President just before going on recess and the President takes no action, it can become a pocket veto and the bill dies.
Pork Barrel Legislation
Legislation that provides tangible benefits, jobs, or money to a legislator's district or state, often to gain political support.
Example:
Funding for a new bridge in a specific congressional district, even if not nationally critical, might be considered pork barrel legislation designed to please local constituents.
Post Office
The power of Congress to establish post offices and post roads.
Example:
The creation of the United States Postal Service falls under Congress's constitutional power to establish a Post Office.
Power of the Purse
Congress's constitutional power to control government spending and taxation, allowing it to influence policy and limit executive power.
Example:
When the President proposes a new agency, Congress can use its Power of the Purse to either fund or defund it, thereby controlling its creation or operation.
President Pro Tempore
A high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President.
Example:
When the Vice President is traveling, the President Pro Tempore steps in to oversee Senate proceedings.
President of the Senate (Vice President)
The Vice President of the United States, who serves as the presiding officer of the Senate but only votes in the case of a tie.
Example:
During a closely divided vote on a judicial nomination, the President of the Senate might cast the tie-breaking vote.
Presidential Action
The final stage of the legislative process where the President signs a bill into law, vetoes it, or allows it to become law without a signature.
Example:
After a bill passes both chambers of Congress, it awaits Presidential action, which determines its ultimate fate.
Select Committees
Temporary committees established for a limited time and purpose, often to conduct investigations or address specific issues.
Example:
Congress might form a select committee to investigate a major national disaster or a specific ethical breach.
Senate
The upper chamber of the U.S. Congress, with equal representation for each state (two senators per state) and members serving six-year terms.
Example:
A Senate committee might spend months deliberating a complex international treaty, reflecting the chamber's longer terms and focus on broader, long-term policy.
Senate Majority Leader
The leader of the majority party in the Senate, who holds significant power in setting the legislative agenda and scheduling votes.
Example:
The Senate Majority Leader decides which bills will be brought to the floor for a vote and can influence the pace of legislation.
Senate Majority Whip
A member of the majority party in the Senate who assists the majority leader in rallying votes and ensuring party discipline.
Example:
The Senate Majority Whip works to ensure that senators are present for key votes and understand the party's stance on legislation.
Senate Minority Leader
The leader of the minority party in the Senate, responsible for organizing opposition and articulating the party's alternative agenda.
Example:
The Senate Minority Leader often leads efforts to block legislation from the majority party or to force compromises.
Senate Minority Whip
A member of the minority party in the Senate who assists the minority leader in organizing opposition and rallying votes.
Example:
The Senate Minority Whip helps coordinate the minority party's strategy on upcoming votes and ensures their members are unified.
Speaker of the House
The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, chosen by the majority party, who controls the legislative agenda and assigns bills to committees.
Example:
The Speaker of the House plays a crucial role in shaping the legislative priorities of the majority party and influencing which bills come to a vote.
Standing Committees
Permanent legislative committees in the House and Senate that specialize in particular policy areas and have full legislative functions.
Example:
The House Appropriations Committee is a standing committee responsible for allocating federal funds to various government agencies.
Subcommittees
Smaller, specialized units within standing committees that conduct detailed investigations and hearings on specific topics.
Example:
A subcommittee on cybersecurity might hold hearings to gather expert testimony on new threats to national infrastructure.
Taxation
The power of Congress to levy and collect taxes to fund government operations.
Example:
Congress exercised its power of taxation when it passed legislation to fund infrastructure projects through a new federal gas tax.
Veto
The power of the President to reject a bill passed by Congress, preventing it from becoming law unless overridden.
Example:
The President might issue a veto on a bill they believe is fiscally irresponsible or infringes on executive power.