Key Terms Keeping the Republic: Congress

Flashcards to review key vocabulary terms related to congressional processes and representation.

representation

The activity of making citizens' voices, opinions, and perspectives present in the public policy making process.

national lawmaking

The process by which national laws are created and enacted.

partisanship

Strong allegiance to one’s own political party, often leading to reluctance to compromise with members of the opposing party.

constituency

The body of voters who elect a representative.

policy representation

The representation of constituents' interests in policy-making.

allocative representation

The allocation of government resources to specific districts to benefit constituents.

pork barrel

Government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district.

casework

The assistance provided by congressional members to constituents in their dealings with government agencies.

symbolic representation

Representing constituents through actions and statements that convey a connection to their values and identity.

hyperpartisanship

An extreme form of partisanship that leads to a lack of cooperation across party lines.

party polarization

The increasing ideological distance and political divide between the two major political parties.

bicameral legislature

A legislative body composed of two chambers or houses.

congressional oversight

The review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation.

advice and consent

The Senate's authority to approve or reject the president's appointments and treaties.

reapportionment

The process of redistributing seats in the House of Representatives after every decennial census.

redistricting

The redrawing of the boundaries of congressional districts.

gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party.

partisan gerrymandering

The practice of drawing district lines in a way that gives one political party an advantage.

racial gerrymandering

The intentional manipulation of district boundaries to dilute or concentrate the voting power of racial or ethnic groups.

strategic politicians

Politicians who make decisions based on the strategic calculations of future voter behavior.

incumbency advantage

The electoral edge afforded to those already in office.

coattail effect

The influence that a strong candidate has on the election of other candidates of the same party, often seen in presidential elections.

midterm loss

The tendency for the party of the sitting president to lose seats in Congress during midterm elections.

majority party

The political party that holds more than half of the seats in the legislature.

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, elected by the majority party.

seniority system

A system in Congress that gives priority to members based on their length of service.

standing committees

Permanent committees that explore and make recommendations on specific issues.

House Rules Committee

A committee in the House of Representatives that establishes rules for debate and amendments.

select committee

A temporary committee formed to investigate specific issues.

joint committees

Committees composed of members from both the House and the Senate.

conference committees

Temporary committees that resolve differences in House and Senate versions of a bill.

legislative agenda

The set of policy goals that a political party or agenda seeks to achieve.

policy entrepreneurship

The practice of public officials promoting certain policies and actions to achieve desired objectives.

filibuster

A procedural tactic in the Senate to delay or block a vote on a bill.

cloture

A procedure used to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.

nuclear option

A controversial Senate procedure to change rules regarding filibusters for certain nominations.

omnibus legislation

A single document that encompasses multiple issues or measures.

roll call votes

Votes in which each legislator's vote is recorded.

veto override

The power of Congress to override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses.

pocket veto

A method by which the president can effectively kill a bill passed by Congress by not signing it within ten days.