Unit 2 Study Guide

Constituents

The residents of a congressional district or state that an elected official represents.

Reapportionment

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

Redistricting

The process of redrawing district lines to reflect population changes and ensure equal representation.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party over another.

Safe Seat

A legislative seat that is considered secure for a particular party, with little chance of being won by the opposing party.

Incumbent

An official currently holding office.

Earmarks

Funds allocated by Congress for specific projects within a state or congressional district.

Bicameralism

The practice of having two legislative chambers, such as the House and Senate in the U.S.

Enumerated Powers

The specific powers granted to Congress by the Constitution.

Speaker

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives.

Party Caucus

A meeting of members of a political party in the legislature.

Majority Leader

The head of the majority party in either chamber of Congress.

Minority Leader

The head of the minority party in either chamber of Congress.

Whip

A party member responsible for ensuring party discipline and voter turnout.

Closed Rule

A procedural rule that prohibits amendments to a bill during debate.

Open Rule

A procedural rule that allows for amendments to be made to a bill during debate.

President pro tempore

A senior member of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President.

Hold

A procedural practice in the Senate to delay a bill or nomination.

Filibuster

A tactic for delaying or blocking legislation by prolonged speech or debate.

Cloture

A procedure used to end a filibuster in the Senate, requiring a supermajority vote.

Standing Committee

A permanent committee in Congress that considers bills on specific subjects.

Select Committee

A temporary committee created for a specific purpose.

Joint Committee

A committee with members from both the House and Senate.

Seniority Rule

The practice of granting preferential treatment to the members of Congress who have served the longest.

Conference Committee

A committee formed to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill.

Delegate

A member of Congress who votes according to the preferences of their constituents.

Trustee

A member of Congress who acts according to their own judgment and conscience.

Log rolling

The practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics, by reciprocal voting.

Pork barrel spending

The allocation of government funds for localized projects intended to please constituents.

Discharge Petition

A means by which a member of Congress can bring a bill out of committee for a vote.

Rider

An addition to a bill that is not related to the bill's main subject.

Pocket Veto

The president's indirect veto of a bill by holding it unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with.

Override

The process by which Congress can reverse a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Malapportionment

The uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts.

Baker vs Carr

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of one-person, one-vote, ruling that redistricting issues were justiciable.

Shaw vs Reno

A Supreme Court case that ruled that redistricting based on race must meet strict scrutiny standards.

Politico

A member of Congress who acts as a delegate on some issues and as a trustee on others.

Bipartisanship

The agreement or cooperation between two political parties that usually oppose each other's policies.

Gridlock

The inability of the government to act due to a conflict between political parties.

Lame Duck Period

The time after an election when a sitting politician's successor has already been elected but before the successor takes office.