Question: constituents
Answer: residents of a congressional district or state
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Question: reapportionment
Answer: The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislatures reapportion state legislative districts.
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Question: redistricting
Answer: The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.
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Question: safe seat
Answer: An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted

--> a safe seat is almost certainly won by the incumbent
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Question: incumbent
Answer: current holder of elected office
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Question: earmarks
Answer: special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents

(reminds me of pork barrel legislation)
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Question: bicameralism
Answer: principle of a two-house legislature
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Question: enumerated powers
Answer: powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution
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Question: Speaker of the House
Answer: presiding officer in the House, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party
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Question: party caucus
Answer: Democrats: A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy.

Republicans: Called a CONFERENCE
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Question: majority leader
Answer: legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep the members of the party in line
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Question: minority leader
Answer: legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition
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Question: whip
Answer: party leader who is the middleman between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature
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Question: closed rule
Answer: procedural rule in the House that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments

basically limited amendments
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Question: open rule
Answer: procedural rule in the House that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill
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Question: president pro tempore
Answer: officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president
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Question: hold
Answer: procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination
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Question: filibuster
Answer: procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue
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Question: cloture
Answer: procedure for terminating debate, esp. filibusters, in the Senate
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Question: standing committee
Answer: a permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area (rather than a specific purpose)
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Question: special or select committee
Answer: a congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation (temporary)
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Question: joint committee
Answer: a committee composed of members of both the House and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations
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Question: seniority rule
Answer: legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee
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Question: conference committee
Answer: a committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form
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Question: delegate
Answer: an official who is expected to represent the views of his/her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of the legislator
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Question: trustee
Answer: an official who is expected to vote independently based on his/her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator
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Question: logrolling
Answer: mutual aid and vote trading among legislators
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Question: attentive public
Answer: citizens who follow public affairs closely
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Question: discharge petition
Answer: a petition that, if signed by the majority of the members of the House, will pry a bill from committee and move it on to the floor for consideration
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Question: rider
Answer: a provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage
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Question: pocket veto
Answer: a veto exercised by the president after Congress has adjourned; if the president takes no action for 10 days, the bill does not become law and is not returned to Congress for a possible override
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Question: override
Answer: an action taken by Congress to reverse a presidential veto, requiring a 2/3 majority in each chamber
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Question: constituents Answer: residents of a congressional district or state ================================================== Question: reapportionment Answer: The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislatures reapportion state legislative districts. ================================================== Question: redistricting Answer: The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population. ================================================== Question: safe seat Answer: An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted --> a safe seat is almost certainly won by the incumbent ================================================== Question: incumbent Answer: current holder of elected office ================================================== Question: earmarks Answer: special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents (reminds me of pork barrel legislation) ================================================== Question: bicameralism Answer: principle of a two-house legislature ================================================== Question: enumerated powers Answer: powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution ================================================== Question: Speaker of the House Answer: presiding officer in the House, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party ================================================== Question: party caucus Answer: Democrats: A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Republicans: Called a CONFERENCE ================================================== Question: majority leader Answer: legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep the members of the party in line ================================================== Question: minority leader Answer: legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition ================================================== Question: whip Answer: party leader who is the middleman between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature ================================================== Question: closed rule Answer: procedural rule in the House that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments basically limited amendments ================================================== Question: open rule Answer: procedural rule in the House that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill ================================================== Question: president pro tempore Answer: officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president ================================================== Question: hold Answer: procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination ================================================== Question: filibuster Answer: procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue ================================================== Question: cloture Answer: procedure for terminating debate, esp. filibusters, in the Senate ================================================== Question: standing committee Answer: a permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area (rather than a specific purpose) ================================================== Question: special or select committee Answer: a congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation (temporary) ================================================== Question: joint committee Answer: a committee composed of members of both the House and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations ================================================== Question: seniority rule Answer: legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee ================================================== Question: conference committee Answer: a committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form ================================================== Question: delegate Answer: an official who is expected to represent the views of his/her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of the legislator ================================================== Question: trustee Answer: an official who is expected to vote independently based on his/her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator ================================================== Question: logrolling Answer: mutual aid and vote trading among legislators ================================================== Question: attentive public Answer: citizens who follow public affairs closely ================================================== Question: discharge petition Answer: a petition that, if signed by the majority of the members of the House, will pry a bill from committee and move it on to the floor for consideration ================================================== Question: rider Answer: a provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage ================================================== Question: pocket veto Answer: a veto exercised by the president after Congress has adjourned; if the president takes no action for 10 days, the bill does not become law and is not returned to Congress for a possible override ================================================== Question: override Answer: an action taken by Congress to reverse a presidential veto, requiring a 2/3 majority in each chamber ==================================================