noun, plural subsidies. 1. a direct pecuniary aid furnished by a government to a private industrial undertaking, a charity organization, or the like. 2. a sum paid, often in accordance with a treaty, by one government to another to secure some service in return. 3. a grant or contribution of money.
Brady Postma, No expertise, just good arguments. The Speaker of the House is clearly the most powerful position in the US House of Representatives. The Senate Majority Leader is, in most senses, the most powerful person in the US Senate.
The entire House can theoretically be replaced each election. Representatives are chosen by the people in a direct election. The Constitution mandates that the House choose a Speaker for itself. The Speaker presides over the proceedings of the House and is the highest position in the House leadership. Other leadership positions are the Majority and Minority Leaders, and the Majority and Minority Whips. The Minority Leader would generally be the Speaker if his party were the majority. The whips act as an interface between the leadership and the rank-and-file members. The current leadership of the House (112th Congress, as of January 5, 2011): 1  Speaker: John Boehner (R-OH) 2  Majority Leader: Eric Cantor (R-VA) 3  Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) 4  Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) 5  Majority Whip: Steny Hoyer (D-MD)