Chapter 5 Vocab

Question 1

Incumbent

Answer 1

The individual that currently holds the elected office

Question 2

Pork-barrel spending

Answer 2

spending that benefits a legislator’s constituency

Question 3

Constituency

Answer 3

the people residing within the geographical area represented by an elected official

Question 4

Open-seat election

Answer 4

an election in which there is no incumbent in the race

Question 5

Redistricting

Answer 5

the process of altering districts to make them as equal in population as possible, occurs every 10 year after each census and only affects the U.S. House

Question 6

Reapportionment

Answer 6

the reallocation of U.S. House seats among states after each census as a result of population changes

Question 7

Gerrymandering

Answer 7

the process by which the political party in power draws legislative districts to make it easier for its candidates to win elections

Question 8

Midterm election

Answer 8

congressional elections that occur in non-presidential election years

Question 9

Party caucus

Answer 9

members of a political party in Congress that elect its party’s leadership, set policy goals and plan strategy

Question 10

Party leaders

Answer 10

members of the U.S. House and Senate elected by their respective party caucuses to represent their caucuses (e.g. Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader, etc.)

Question 11

Standing committees

Answer 11

permanent congressional committees with responsibility for a particular public policy area

Question 12

Conference committees

Answer 12

temporary committees formed to bargain over the differences in the U.S. House and Senate versions of a bill before the bill can go to the president

Question 13

Seniority

Answer 13

a member of Congress’ consecutive years of service on a particular committee

Question 14

Bill

Answer 14

a proposed law (legislation) within Congress

Question 15

Filibuster

Answer 15

a procedural tactic in the U.S. Senate whereby a minority of legislators prevent a bill from coming to a vote by holding the floor and talking until the majority gives in and the bill is withdrawn from consideration

Question 16

Rider

Answer 16

an amendment to a bill that deals with an issue unrelated to the content of the bill

Question 17

Cloture

Answer 17

a parliamentary maneuver in the U.S. Senate that requires 60 votes to end a filibuster

Question 18

Law

Answer 18

legislation passed by the U.S. House and Senate that is signed (or not vetoed) by the president

Question 19

Veto

Answer 19

the president’s rejection of a bill, which stops it from becoming law unless Congress overrides the veto by 2/3 vote in both chambers

Question 20

Lawmaking function

Answer 20

the authority of Congress to write the laws necessary to carry out the government’s powers

Question 21

Representation function

Answer 21

the responsibility of members of Congress to represent various groups in society including their constituents and interest groups

Question 22

Logrolling

Answer 22

the trading of votes between legislators so that each gets what he or she most wants

Question 23

Oversight function

Answer 23

a supervisory power of Congress that centers on its constitutional responsibility to see that the executive branch carries out the laws faithfully and spends appropriations properly