Terms starting with "M"

Motion to Recommit A motion to recommit is a House motion, made just before final passage of a bill or joint resolution, to send it back to committee — usually the committee that reported it. House rules guarantee the minority party the opportunity to offer it: priority in recognition goes to an opponent of the measure, and the Rules Committee may not report a special rule that precludes it. With amendatory instructions, the motion could historically propose a last-chance amendment; the House does not often adopt recommittal motions, and a straight motion to recommit usually kills consideration of the measure for the time being. Motion to Table A motion to table is a non-debatable parliamentary motion in the House and Senate by which a simple majority can negatively and permanently dispose of a pending question — typically an amendment or another motion — without further debate. Agreement to the motion kills the matter; it does not set the item aside for later consideration. It is a quick way for a chamber to refuse a proposal. Minority Whip The minority whip is the second-ranking leader of the minority party in a chamber of Congress, after the minority leader. The whip job is vote management: counting where members stand before key votes, communicating the party position, urging attendance, and reporting to the leadership whether the votes exist to pass or block a measure. The office runs through a network of deputy and assistant whips; the term comes from British parliamentary tradition. Each party in each chamber elects a whip, whether in the majority or the minority. Mootness Mootness is the justiciability requirement that a case still present a live dispute worth deciding: if events have resolved the matter or made the requested relief meaningless, the case is moot and a federal court must dismiss it. Together with standing and ripeness, it enforces the Article III limit to actual "Cases" and "Controversies" — courts decide real disputes, not questions that have already answered themselves. Exceptions exist where a wrong is capable of repetition yet evades review, and a defendant who voluntarily stops the challenged conduct can be challenged to keep it from resuming. Mootness Doctrine Mootness Doctrine is a court and legal-process term used to describe cases, court authority, legal procedure, judicial review, opinions, or public legal records. Motion A motion is a formal, written request a party makes to a court asking for a ruling, order, or judgment on a specific point — to dismiss the case, suppress evidence, compel discovery, or enter summary judgment. Motions can be made at most stages of a proceeding after the complaint is filed, and are usually decided by a judge on the written papers, sometimes after oral argument. The same word is used in legislatures for a formal proposal of chamber action (a motion to table, a motion to recommit), decided by vote rather than by a judge. Motion to Proceed to Consider A motion to proceed to consider is the Senate motion that brings a measure or matter before the chamber so the Senate can begin considering it. Because Senate rules provide no general mechanism to force this step, the motion is often itself the target of a filibuster, and by custom it is virtually always offered by the majority leader. It is agreed to by majority vote, but some motions to proceed are privileged or governed by statutory expedited procedures that make them non-debatable. Memorial A legislative memorial is a formal statement or petition, often adopted by a state legislature or another public body, asking Congress or another authority to take action or expressing a position. Its form and procedural treatment vary by jurisdiction. Merit System The merit system is the principle that government jobs should be filled and advanced on the basis of ability — examination, qualification, and performance — rather than political loyalty or personal connection. Federal law states the merit system principles directly (5 U.S.C. § 2301): recruitment "on the basis of merit" after fair and open competition, and fair treatment without regard to political affiliation. It replaced the spoils system, under which government jobs were handed out as election rewards. Merits Docket The merits docket is the set of cases a court decides after full process — at the Supreme Court, the 50–80 cases per year that receive plenary review: full briefing, oral argument, and a signed opinion explaining the decision. It is contrasted with the Court non-merits orders (often called the "shadow docket"): thousands of yearly orders on emergency applications and petitions that are decided with limited briefing and often without explanation — stays, injunctions, and certiorari denials. Midterm Election A midterm election is a federal general election held halfway through a president’s four-year term. Voters elect all House seats and the regularly scheduled portion of Senate seats, along with state and local offices that appear on the ballot. Minority Leader A minority leader is the principal party leader for the party holding fewer seats in a legislative chamber. The role includes coordinating party strategy, communicating policy positions, and organizing members, with powers shaped by the chamber’s rules and practices.