Congress Part 1 Vocabulary

Delegates

People with authority to represent others at a conference or convention

Trustees

Lawmakers who vote based on their conscience and judgement, not the views of their constituents.

Partisans

Lawmakers who owe their first allegiance to their political party and vote according to the party line.

Politicos

Lawmakers who attempt to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate and partisan roles.

Bills

A proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration.

Floor Consideration

The process by which proposed laws are considered and acted upon by the full membership of the House or Senate

Oversight function

Review by legislative committees of the policies and programs of the executive branch

Term

two-year period of time during which Congress meets

session

Period of time each year during which Congress assembles and conducts business.

Convene

to begin a new session of Congress

Adjourn

Suspend, as in a session of Congress

Recess

A time when both houses of Congress temporarily suspend business

Prorogue

adjourn, as in a legislative session

Special Session

 An extraordinary session of a legislative body, called to deal with an emergency situation

Apportioned

Distributed, as in seats in a legislative body

Re-apportioned

Redistribute, as in seats in a legislative body

Single Member District

Electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office

At-large

Election of an officeholder by the voters of an entire governmental unit (e.g. State or country), rather than by the voters of a district or subdivision

Gerrymandering

 The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group

Off-Year Election

Congressional election that occurs between presidential election years

Incumbent

The current office holder

Continuous body

Governing unit (e.g. The United States Senate) whose seats are never all up for election at the same time

Constituencies

The people and interests that an elected official represents