Chapter 11 Terms

Question 1

Redrawing of congressional district lines to reflect population shifts

Answer 1

Reapportionment

Question 2

Most powerful position of leadership in the House of Representatives

Answer 2

Speaker of the House

Question 3

Amendment that called for the direct election of Senators

Answer 3

Seventeenth Amendment

Question 4

Most powerful position of leadership in the Senate

Answer 4

Majority leader

Question 5

Permanent committee is generally more powerful than other types of committees

Answer 5

Standing committees

Question 6

Redrawing of district lines to benefit one political party at the expense of another

Answer 6

Gerrymandering

Question 7

Type of committee created for a specific purpose, generally to investigate a specific problem or issue

Answer 7

Select committees

Question 9

Type of committee that has members from both houses and serves primarily as an advisory board to other committees

Answer 9

Joint committee

Question 10

Type of committee that is temporary; has members from both houses; and works out a compromise agreement on a bill that has emerged from both houses in different forms

Answer 10

Conference committee

Question 11

Legislative branch divided into two houses

Answer 11

Bicameral

Question 12

Small meeting of a political party’s top leaders to select party nominees

Answer 12

Caucus

Question 13

Official government count of United States citizens taken every 10 years

Answer 13

Census

Question 14

Non-voting members of Congress who represent various US territories and District of Columbia

Answer 14

Delegates

Question 15

Privilege enabling members of Congress to send official mail free of charge

Answer 15

Franking privileges

Question 16

Tactic used in the Senate to prevent or delay a bill’s passage; usually consists of one or more senators giving extended speeches

Answer 16

Filibuster

Question 17

In the House and Senate the assistant minority leader chosen by the party with the second most seats in that body of Congress

Answer 17

Minority whip

Question 18

Leader chosen by the party with the second most members in the House or the Senate

Answer 18

Minority leader

Question 19

Honorary position given to the most senior member of the Senate’s majority party

Answer 19

President pro tempore

Question 20

Legislative district from only one representative is chosen

Answer 20

Single-member districts

Question 21

Automatic veto of a bill if the president leaves it unsigned for ten days during a congressional adjournment

Answer 21

Pocket veto

Question 22

Unnecessary trips made by members of Congress at the taxpayer’s expense

Answer 22

Junkets

Question 23

Geographical area in a state represented by a House member

Answer 23

Congressional district

Question 24

A motion made by sixteen or more senators to stop a debate on a piece of legislation

Answer 24

Cloture

Question 25

Heads of congressional committees

Answer 25

Chairs

Question 26

An elected official who represents an entire state rather than a particular district

Answer 26

At large

Question 27

Limit to the amount of time someone in office can serve that office

Answer 27

Term limits

Question 28

In the House and Senate, the assistant majority leader chosen by the party with the most seats in that body of Congress

Answer 28

Majority whip

Question 30

When different members of different parties join together to support or defeat a particular piece of legislation

Answer 30

Coalition