ap gov the congress

one of the persons represented by a legislator or other elected appointed official

the division of a legislature into two seperate assemblies

the process of establishing the legal rules that govern society

an arrangement in which two or more members of congress agree in advance to support each other's bills

the function of members of congress as elected officials representing the views of their constituents

a legislator who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interests of the entire society

a legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him or her and who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal beliefs

personal work for constituents by members of Congress

a person who hears and investigates compaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies

the process by which Congress follows up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended.

determining which public policy questions will be debated or considered

power specifically granted to the national government by the constitution. the first 17 clauses of article I, section 8, speicify most of the enumerated powers of congress

a standing committee of the house of representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house

the use of the senates tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill

allocation of seats in the house of representatives to each state after each census

redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state

question that may be raised and reviewed in court

procedure by which a bill in the house may be forced out of a committee that has refused to report it for consideration by the house. the petition must be signed by an absolute majority of representatives and is used only on rare occassions.

permanent committee in the house or senate that considers bills within a certain subject area

temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose

legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of congress

legislative committee composed of members from both chambers

special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers in different forms

district that returns a legislator with 55 percent of the vote or more

alliance of republicans and southern democrats that can form in the house or the senate to oppose liberal legislation and support conservative legislation

budget prepared and submitted byt the president to congress

12 month period that is used for bookkeeping, or accounting, purposes. usually, the fiscal year does not coincide with the calender year. For example, the federal government's fiscal year runs from 10/1 to 9/30

annual process in which the office of management aqnd budget requires federal agencies to review their programs, activites, and goals and submit their requests for funding for the next fiscal year

process in which the office of management and budget, after recieving formal federal agency requests for funding for the nextFY, reviers the requests, makes changes, and submits its recommendations to the president

fomal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency. some authorizations terminate in a year; others are rewable automatically without further congressional action

the passage by congress of a spending bill specifying the amount of authorized funds that actually will be allocated for an agencys use

resolution passed by congress in may that sets overall revenue and spending goals for the following FY

passed by congress in september that sets "binding" limits on taxes and spending for the following FY

temporary funding law tha tcongress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the new FY on october 1