genesis lozano chp 6 Flashcards
bicameral legislature
a two-house legislature
The British parliament is a bicameral legislature.
apportionment
the process of allotting congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population, following the decennial census
Seats in the house of representatives are apportioned based on the population of each state
bill
a proposed law
Congress decided to pass the bill.
impeachment
the power delegated to the house of representatives in the constitution to charge the president, Vice President, or other “civil officers,” including federal judges, with “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” This is the first step in the constitutional process of removing government officials from office
Trump was nearly faced with impeachment.
Edmund burke
conservative British political philosopher of the eighteenth century who articulated the view that elected representatives should act as “trustees” and use their pwn best judgement when voting
Edmund Burke died on July 9, 1797.
trustee
role played by an elected representative who listens to constituents opinions and then uses his or her best judgement to make a final decision
Trustees make sure that the valuables of someone aren’t misused.
delegate
role played by a representative who votes the way his or her constituents would want, regardless of personal opinions; may refer to an elected representative to congress or a representative to the party convention
A delegate has to be a member of the association.
politico
an elected representative who acts as a trustee or as a delegate, depending on the issue
incumbency
already holding an office
With the advantage of incumbency, it becomes more significant as polarization rises.
redistricting
the process of redrawing congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state
The legislator was forced to redistrict after not getting the solution that was wanted.
gerrymandering
the drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome without regard to the shape of the district
By limiting the redesign of districts, state officials hope to prevent efforts to gerrymander.
majority party
the political party in each house of congress with the most members
The majority party controls 161 seats in the national assembly.
minority party
the political party in each house of congress with the second most members
People in the minority party tend to be retirements.
party caucus (for conference)
a formal gathering of all party members
speaker of the house
the only officer of the house or representatives specifically mentioned in the constitution; the chamber’s most powerful position; traditionally a member of the majority party
The speaker of the house is an important part of congress.
majority leader
the head of the party controlling the most seats in the house of representatives or the senate; is second in authority to the speaker of the house and in the senate is regarded as its most powerful member
Since democrats currently hold the majority of seats in the house of representatives, they have two majority leaders.
minority leader
the head of the party with the second highest number of elected representatives in the house of representatives or the senate
The minority leaders are currently republicans.
whip
party leader who keeps close contact with all members of his or her party, takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills and acts as a communications link within a party
president pro tempore
the official chair of the senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party
The current president pro tempore is Orrin G. Hatch.