Ap gov unit 2 vocab

Bicameral

A legislature with two chambers (House & Senate).

Expressed (Enumerated) Powers

Powers specifically listed in the Constitution.

Implied powers

Powers not written but reasonably suggested.

Necessary and proper clause

Allows Congress to pass laws needed to carry out its powers

Constituency

The people a representative serves.

Party whip

Ensures party members vote with the party.

Majority leader

Leader of the majority party in a chamber.

Minority leader

Leader of the minority party in a chamber.

Speaker of the house

Presiding officer of the House of Representatives.

President pro- tempore

Presiding officer of the Senate (usually senior majority member).

Confirmation

Senate approval of presidential appointments.

Delegate

A representative with limited or no voting power.

Trustee

A representative who votes based on personal judgment.

Politico

Balances trustee and delegate roles.

Census

Population count every 10 years

Reapportionment

Redistributing house seats among states

Redistricting

Redrawing district boundaries within states

State legislators

Lawmaking bodies of the states

Gerrymandering

Drawing districts to favor a political party

Malapportionment

Unequal population sizes in districts

Majority-minority districts

Districts drawn to increase minority representation

Safe districts

Districts dominated by one party

One man, one vote

Districts must have equal populations

Standing committee

Permanent committee with specific focus

Sub committees

Smaller group within a committee

Markup

Committee process of revising a bill

Committee chair

Leader of a congressional committee

Pigeonhole

To ignore or kill a bill in a committee

riders

Unrelated provisions added to a bill

Pork-barrel legislation

Spending to benefit a lawmakers district

Logrolling

Trading votes between lawmakers

Filibuster

Delaying a vote by prolonged debate

Cloture

Vote to end a filibuster

house rule committee

Controls debate rules in the house

Committee of the whole

Speeds up debate in the house

Closed rule

Limits amendments to a bill

Open rule

Allows amendments to a bill

Discharge position

Forces a bill out of committee

Conference committee

Resolves house-senate bill differences

Veto

President rejects a bill

Unanimous consent

Senate agreement to speed procedures

Ratification

Formal approval

Pocket veto

Bill dies if president takes no action

Joint resolution

Legislative measure requiring approval of both chambers

Divided government

Presidency and congress controlled by different parties

partisan

Strongly loyal to one political party

Lame-duck appointments

Appointments made at end of term.

Descriptive representation

Representatives resemble their constituents.

Substantive representation

Representatives act in constituents’ interests.

U.S. Constitution, Article I

Establishes Congress and its powers.

14th & 15th Amendments

Equal protection and voting rights.

Baker v. Carr

Federal courts can hear redistricting cases.

Shaw v. Reno

Racial gerrymandering can be unconstitutional.