Ch. 10 Congress Flashcards
Bicameralism
The system of having two chambers within one legislation body, like the house and senate in the U.S. congress
Pork barrel
Legislative appropriations that benefit specific constituents, created with the aim of helping local representatives win rejection
Descriptive representation
When a member of Congress shares the characteristics (such as gender, race, religion, or ethnicity) of his or her constituents.
Substantive representation
When a member of Congress represents constituents’ interests and policy concerns
Trustee
A member of Congress who represents constituents interests while also taking into account national, collective, and moral concerns that sometimes cause the member to vote against the preference of a majority of constituents
Delegate
A member of Congress who loyally represents constituents direct interests
Politico
A member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that constituents care about(such as immigration reform) and as a trustee on more complex or less salient issues
Casework
Assistance provided by members of Congress to their constituents in solving problems with the federal bureaucracy or addressing other specific concerns
Electoral connection
The idea that congressional behavior is centrally motivated by members desire for reelection
Incumbency advantage
The relative infrequency with which members of Congress are defeated in their attempts for reelection
Redistricting
Redrawing the geographic boundaries of legislative districts. This happens every 10 years to ensure that districts remain roughly equal in population
Apportionment
The process of assigning the 435 seats in the house to states based on increases or decreases in state population
Gerrymandering
Attempting to use the process of redrawing district boundaries to benefit a political party, protest incumbents, or change proportion of minority voters in a district.
Gridlock
An inability to enact legislation because of partisan conflict within congress or between congress and the president
Log rolling
A form of reciprocity in which members of Congress support bills that they otherwise might not vote for in exchange for other members votes on bills that are very important to them
Earmarks
Federally funded local projects attached to bills passed through congress
Seniority
The informal congressional born of choosing the members who has served the longest on a particular committee to be the committee chair
