chapter 11 Flashcards
house of representatives
lower chamber of congress. has 435 representatives based on state population. representatives are elected every 2 years and have 2 year terms. they must be 25 years old, be a us citizen for 7 years, and reside in the state they are representing
senate
higher chamber of congress. has 100 senators with 2 for each state. elected every 2 years and have 6 year terms. they must be 30 years old, be a us citizen for 9 years, and reside in the state they are representing
pork barrel
the use of government funds for projects designed to please voters or legislators and win votes.
incumbent
individuals who already hold office. in elections, they usually win as they have more advantages
filibuster
a strategy unique to the senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation use their rights to unlimited debate to prevent the senate from ever voting on a bill. 60 members can vote to halt a filibuster
congressional committee
an organization in congress that handles a specific duty
reapportionment
the redistribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based on changes in population
gerrymandering
the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent
cloture
a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote
veto
the constitutional power of the president to send a bill back to congress with reasons for rejecting it. a 2/3rds vote in each house can override a veto
president pro tempore
a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president.
speaker of the house
an office mandated by the constitution. the speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed the presidency should that office become vacant
