Chap 7 Vocab Flashcards
Reapportionment
Assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislature reapportion state legislative districts
Constituents
Residents of a congressional district or state
Redistricting
Redrawing of congressional/other legislative district lines following the census to accommodate population shifts to keep districts equal
Gerrymandering
Drawing of a legislative district that benifit a party, group or incumbent
Safe seat
Elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other.
Incumbent
Current holder of elected office
Earmarks
Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of congress for their constituents
Bicameralism
Principle of two house legislature
Enumerated powers
The powers explicitly given to congress in the Constitution
Speaker
Presiding officer In the House of Representatives formally elected by the house but selected by the majority party.
Party caucus
A meeting of the members of a party in legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy
Majority leader
The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders and tries to keep members of the party in line
Minority leader
The legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition
Whip
Party leader who is liaison between leadership and the rank and file in the legislature
Closed rule
Procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments
Open rule
Procedural rule in the house of reps that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill
President pro tempore
Officer of state selected by majority party to act as chair in VP’s absence
Filibuster
Procedural practice in the senate where some senator refuses to relinquish the floor and delays precedings and prevents vote in controversial issue
Cloture
A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters in senate
Standing Committee
Permanent ccomitee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area
Special or select committee
Congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation
Joint committees
A committee composed of members of both te House of Representatives and the senate; such vomited oversee the library of congress and conduct investigations
Seniority rule
Legislative practice that assign the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on TEH ccomitee
Conference committee
Ccomitee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form