Quiz 3 Terms for POLS

a procedure by which a bill in the House of Representatives can be forced (discharged) out of a committee that has refused to report it for consideration by the House. The petition must be signed by an absolute majority (218) of representatives and is used only on rare occasions.

special provisions in legislation to set aside funds for projects that have not passed an impartial evaluation by agencies of the executive branch. Also known as pork.

a power specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution.

the use of the Senate’s tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill.

the drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the purpose of obtaining partisan or factional advantage. A district Is said to be gerrymandered when its shape is manipulated by the dominant party to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party.

an arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other’s bills.

the temporary presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president.

the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after each census.

the redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state.

a permanent committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area.

a law passed in 1973 spelling out the conditions under which the president can commit troops without congressional approval.

a written declaration that the president may make when signing a bill into law. Usually, such statements point out sections of the law that the president deems unconstitutional.

a special veto exercised by the chief executive after a legislative body has adjourned. Bills not signed by the chief executive die after a specified period of time. If Congress wishes to reconsider such a bill, it must be reintroduced in the following session of Congress.