Budris AP Gov Unit 2: CONGRESS SET 2

Coalitions

alliances in Congress forged in an effort to get bills passed into law.

Party Caucus

an association of Congress members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest

Party Polarization (Partisanship)

when votes in Congress cleanly divide along party lines.

Pork Barrel Legislation

legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return

Rider

added to a piece of legislation that is not germane to the bill's purpose.

Revenue

money that is brought in to the federal government, usually through taxes.

Christmas Tree Bill

bill with a lot of riders

Logrolling

trading votes between legislators in order to get bills passed.

Gerrymandering

process done by state lawmakers, in which state lawmakers draw irregular House Congressional districts in order to influence elections for their party's benefit.

Redistricting

when the lines of Congressional House districts need to be redrawn, as a result of a change in the apportionment of House seats for a particular state.

Baker v. Carr

SCOTUS case that states the Federal government can take over state redistricting, if the state's redistricting plan fails to guarantee the principle of "one man, one vote".

Shaw v. Reno

SCOTUS case that states that Gerrymandering cannot be done to ensure minority representation in Congress without a compelling explanation.

Marginal Districts

political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically by less than 55% of the vote

Safe Districts

districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55% or more

Franking Privilege

the right of Congressional incumbents to use the US postal service for free, seen as a key advantage for reelection.

Seniority

the accumulation of years of experience in Congress, which usually translates to influential committee assignments.

Trustee Model

representation philosophy where members use their own judgement to make decisions.

Delegate Model

representation philosophy where members want to get reelected, and therefore they vote to please their constituents

Politico Model

representation philosophy where members vote based on dealmaking with other legislators.

Lame Duck Presidents

Presidents nearing the end of their terms--they generally have little influence over members of Congress.