Incumbency Effect The incumbency effect is when the voters prefer the incumbent because he has experience in the job and knows what he is doing better than how the other understands.

Speaker of the House The SotH, though less powerful than they were in the past, still have much influence over what is heard when on the House floor because they can pick and choose the people who sit on the committee that decides that. They are chosen by the majority party from it’s senior leaders, with the current SotH being Republican John Boehner.

President Pro Tempore Though not the leader of the Senate, the PPT is the “second in command” to the Vice President who is the leader of the Senate. They are chosen by the Senate and are usually the longest serving senator in the majority party. The PPT at this current time is Democrat Daniel Inouye.

Standing Committee A standing committee is a permanent panels established by both Senate and House rules, usually put in place for a specific cause, usually to make recommendations on revenue bills.

Select Committee A select committee is a committee with a small amount of people which has been organized for a specific purpose, but unlike standing committees, these are not permanent.