AP US Government and Politics Chapter 11 Study Guide Vocabulary

Key vocabulary terms, institutional structures, representation models, and procedures for AP US Government and Politics Chapter 11 on the legislative branch.

Agenda Setting

Deciding what issues are to be discussed or considered.

Casework

Service provided to individual constituents, such as assisting a person who needs help accessing government benefits.

Cloture

A Senate procedure that ends debate on a bill, usually requiring $60$ votes and canceling out filibustering.

Congressional Caucus

Interest groups consisting of members of Congress with similar ideology, demographic, geography, or interests.

Constituent

A person who lives in the district or state represented by an elected official.

Direct Primary

An election in which voters choose a political party's candidate for the general election.

Discharge Petition

A petition signed by $218$ House members to force a bill out of committee and bring it to the House floor for consideration.

Earmarks

Funding directed toward a specific project or location, often within a law or spending bill, used to help senators or representatives in their respective states or districts.

Filibuster

A Senate tactic used to delay or block a vote by continuing debate.

Franking

A privilege that allows members of Congress to send official mail to constituents without paying regular postage.

Germaneness

The requirement that an amendment relate directly to the subject of the bill.

Gerrymandering

The drawing of legislative boundaries to help ensure a political advantage for one party over another.

Holds

Informal requests by senators to delay Senate action on a bill or nomination.

Legislative Oversight

The process of Congress monitoring and investigating how the executive branch carries out laws.

Logrolling

An arrangement where legislators agree to support each other's bills to help them pass.

Marginal Seat

A congressional seat that could be won by either party because of a competitive election.

Open Seat

A congressional seat in which the incumbent is not running for reelection.

Ombudsperson

A person who helps individuals resolve complaints or problems with an organization or government agency, often connected to casework.

Party Polarization

A political condition in which many votes are split firmly along party lines.

Pork Barrel

Federal money allocated for projects within a specific congressional district or state.

Safe Seat

A seat in a district where one political party is significantly more likely to win.

Seniority System

A system in which length of service can influence which members receive leadership positions or committee chairmanships.

Unanimous Consent Agreement

An agreement in the Senate that allows business to proceed under specific rules, provided no senator objects.

Instructed Delegate

A model of representation in which an elected representative votes strictly based on what their constituents want.

Trustee

A model of representation in which an elected representative uses personal judgment and experience to vote.

Organizational View

A view of representation where members of Congress vote along party lines.

Politico

A representative who acts as both a trustee and an instructed delegate.

Hybrid View

An approach to representation combining different models by considering constituents, personal beliefs, party goals, and the circumstances of each issue.

Reapportionment

The process of redistributing the $435$ seats in the House of Representatives based on state population changes recorded after the national census every $10$ years.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing district boundaries within a state after reapportionment to account for population changes.

Standing Committees

Permanent committees that handle specific policy areas, such as agriculture or foreign affairs.

Select Committees

Congressional committees created to investigate particular, specific issues.

Joint Committees

Congressional committees that include members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Conference Committees

Committees that work out differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill to produce a single compromise version.

Subcommittees

Smaller divisions within a congressional committee that work on narrower, specialized topics.