Across
- 1. Power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review the operations and budgets of executive departments and independent regulatory agencies, conduct investigations through committee hearings, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy
- 2. A joint committee appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill. Members are appointed by the party leadership and are drawn from the house and Senate committees that originally considered the bill
- 5. A congressional process by which a Speaker may send a bill to a second committee after the first is finished acting.
- 8. an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party
- 10. the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government
- 11. Powers specifically qiven to Congress in the Constitution; including the power to collect taxes, coin money, requlate foreign and interstate commerce, and declare war.
- 12. The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a negative or checking power over the other branches by freezing or cutting their
- 13. The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census
- 16. A seat in the House of Representatives that is not considered to be safe for the incumbent in the next election (swing seat)
- 17. Committees on which both senators and representatives serve. Similar to Select Committees, and often focus public attention on a major issue.
- 20. The drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.
- 21. A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking.
- 24. An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president.
- 32. Considers legislation dealing with civil liberties, constitutional amendments, federal courts and judges, immigration, civil and criminal laws
- 33. Those delegated powers of the National Government that are spelled out, expressly, in the Constitution
- 34. The legislative leader elected by party members holding majority of the seats in the House or Senate.
- 35. 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.
- 37. Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area.
- 38. A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for 30 days, may petition to have it brought to the floor.
- 39. A committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government.
Down
- 1. Advises Congress on the probable consequences of its decisions, forecasts revenues, and is a counter weight to the president's Office of Management and Budget.
- 3. An expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body.
- 4. An association of Congress members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest.
- 6. a session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it qoes to the floor
- 7. A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of the bill or nomination.
- 9. formal changes to a bill that do not have any direct relation to the subject of the bill itself.The Senate permits such amendments.
- 14. Legislators should follow their own judgment (that is, act like a trustee) until the public becomes vocal about a particular matter, at which point they should follow the dictates of constituents
- 15. A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts.
- 18. Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose. Usually formed to conduct an investigation into a current matter of great public concern.
- 19. The minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress
- 22. the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives
- 23. The view that an elected represent should represent the opinions of his or her
- 25. When a bill has lots of riders.
- 26. An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill.
- 27. The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House or Senate.
- 28. Powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions, not explicitly stated
- 29. A congressional process whereby a bill may be referred to several important committees.
- 30. to set a congressional bill aside in committee without considering it
- 31. A formal express of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and the president.
- 36. relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting