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Pork barrel

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

Logrolling

Practice of exchanging political favors, especially in legislative contexts, where lawmakers agree to vote for each other's proposed legislation.

Partisanship

Strong commitment to a political party, which can influence decision-making and policy agendas.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one party over another.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing district boundaries, often occurring after a census to reflect population changes.

Reapportionment

The process of redistributing seats in the House of Representatives based on population changes determined by the census.

Baker v. Carr

Landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that federal courts could intervene in state redistricting cases, establishing the principle of 'one person, one vote.'

One person, one vote

Constitutional principle that ensures equal voting power among citizens, stating that each vote holds the same weight.

Shaw v. Reno

Supreme Court case that ruled against racial gerrymandering and emphasized that race cannot be the predominant factor in districting.

Divided government

A situation in which the presidency is held by one party and one or both houses of Congress are held by another.

Lame duck

An elected official or group continuing to hold office during the period between the election and the inauguration of a successor.

Trustee representative

A model of representation where an elected official makes decisions based on their own judgment rather than the specific preferences of their constituents.

Delegate representative

A model of representation where an elected official acts directly in accordance with the wishes of their constituents.

Politico representative

A model that combines elements of both the trustee and delegate models, where representatives act as delegates on issues that constituents care about and as trustees on other issues.

Policy agenda

A set of issues that policymakers consider important and prioritize for discussion and action.

Veto

The power of one branch of government to reject legislation proposed by another branch.

Pocket veto

A special type of veto occurring when the president does not sign a bill into law within ten days while Congress is adjourned, effectively preventing the bill from becoming law.

Line item veto

The power of an executive to nullify or cancel specific provisions of a bill without rejecting the entire legislative package.

Commander in chief

The role of the president as the head of the armed forces.

Executive agreement

An international agreement made by the president without ratification from the Senate, typically dealing with routine matters.

Treaty

A formal agreement between countries that requires ratification by the Senate.