Select Committees

Definition

Temporary legislative committees set up for a specific purpose or investigation that are not intended to be permanent.

Analogy

A select committee is like a pop-up shop at your local mall. It's there for a specific reason (like selling holiday-themed items), but it isn't meant to stay forever.

Related terms

Investigative Committee: These are typically select committees formed specifically to investigate certain issues or events, much like how an audit team might be brought in to look into financial discrepancies in a company.

Ad Hoc Committee: This is another type of temporary committee, usually set up for special purposes or tasks – similar to how an event planning team might be assembled just for organizing one particular event.

House Ethics Committee: This is an example of standing committee that sometimes acts as select committee when it investigates allegations against members – think of it as the HR department investigating complaints within an organization.