Chapter 13: Section 1

Question 1

Partisan Polarization

Answer 1

A vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators.

Question 2

Bicameral Legislature

Answer 2

A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts.

Question 3

Filibuster

Answer 3

An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill.

Question 4

Marginal Districts

Answer 4

Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically by less than 55 percent of the vote.

Question 5

Safe Districts

Answer 5

Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more.

Question 6

Conservative Coalition

Answer 6

An alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats.

Question 7

Majority Leader

Answer 7

The legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or the Senate.

Question 8

Minority Leader

Answer 8

The legislative leader elected by party holding a minority of seats in the House or the Senate.

Question 8

Whip

Answer 8

A senator or representative who helps he party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking.

Question 9

Speaker

Answer 9

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his or her party in the House.

Question 10

Party Vote

Answer 10

There are two measures of such voting. By the stricter measure, a party vote occurs when 90 percent or more of the Democrats in either house or Congress vote together against 90 percent or more of the Republicans. A looser measure counts as a party vote any case where at least 50 percent of the Democrats vote together against at least 50 percent of the Republicans.

Question 11

Caucus

Answer 11

An association of congressional members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest.

Question 12

Standing Committees

Answer 12

Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area.

Question 13

Select Committees

Answer 13

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.

Question 14

Joint Committees

Answer 14

Committees on which both senators and representatives serve.

Question 15

Conference Committee

Answer 15

Joint committees appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill.

Question 16

Simple Resolution

Answer 16

An expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body.

Question 17

Concurrent Resolution

Answer 17

An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president.

Question 18

Joint Resolution

Answer 18

A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president.

Question 19

Discharge Petition

Answer 19

A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for 30 days, may petition to have it brought to the floor.