Chapter 10 (The National Legislature) Flashcards
Bicameral
a legislature made up of two houses
Reasons why Constitution establishes bicameral legislature
for historical, practical, and theoretical reasons
Term
a term of Congress last for two years
Session
a session of Congress is that period during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business
Convene
to begin a new session of Congress
Adjourn
suspend, as in a session of Congress
Recess
a time when both houses of Congress temporarily suspend business
Prorogue
adjourn, as in a legislative session
Special Session
an extraordinary session of a legislative body, called to deal with an emergency situation
Apportion
distribute, as in seats in a legislative body
Reapportion
to redistribute the seats in the House of Representatives every ten years, after each census
Reapportionment Act of 1929
the “permanent” size of the House is 435 members
Off-year elections
those Congressional elections that occur in nonpresidential years
Single-member district
electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office
At-large election
election of an officeholder by the voters of an entire governmental unit (e.g., a State or country) rather than by the voters of a district or subdivision