AP Gov Unit 2.1-2.3 Vocab

Bicameral

Two-house legislature (House + Senate).

House of Representatives

435 members

Senate

100 members (2 per state)

Speaker of the House

Leader of the House

Majority Leader (House/Senate)

Helps lead majority party

Minority Leader (House/Senate)

Leads the smaller party

Whips

Count votes and make sure party members vote together.

Vice President (Senate role)

Presides over Senate

President Pro Tempore

Leads Senate when VP is absent

Standing Committee

Permanent committee focused on one area (e.g.

Select/Special Committee

Temporary committee for investigations or special issues.

Joint Committee

Committee with members from both House and Senate.

Conference Committee

Resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Enumerated (Expressed) Powers

Powers written in the Constitution (tax

Power of the Purse

Congress controls spending and taxation.

Implied Powers

Powers not directly listed but allowed by the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Gives Congress power to make laws needed to carry out duties.

Oversight

Congress monitors the actions of the other branches.

Impeachment

Process to remove officials from office.

Confirm Appointments

Senate approves presidential choices (judges

Incumbent

Current officeholder running for reelection (big advantage).

Franking Privilege

Members of Congress send mail to voters for free.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing districts to favor one party.

Packing (Gerrymandering)

Putting one party’s voters into one district to limit their influence.

Cracking (Gerrymandering)

Splitting a party’s voters across districts to weaken them.

Safe Seat

District that always votes for one party.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Established “one person, one vote”; courts can review redistricting.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Race cannot be the main factor in districting.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Political spending = free speech; corporations/unions can spend unlimited money on ads.

Party Polarization

Growing division between parties; less compromise.

Interest Groups/Lobbyists

Groups that push policies and pressure lawmakers.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

Can donate limited money directly to candidates.

Super PAC

Can spend unlimited money on ads

Constituents

The people politicians represent.

Logrolling

Trading votes to support each other’s bills.

Pork-Barrel Spending

Funding local projects to please voters.

Filibuster

Unlimited Senate debate to block a bill.

Cloture

60 Senate votes to end a filibuster.

Discharge Petition

218 House votes to force a bill out of committee.