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AP gov unit 2
for vocab quiz
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bicameral Legislature | a law making body made up of two chambers or houses |
| Quorum | the minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress |
| Franking Privilege | the ability of congressional members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by using their signature for postage. |
| Majority Leader | the legislative leader elected by party members holding most seats in the House or the Senate. |
| Minority Leader | The legislative leader elected by party members holding the minority of seats in the House or the Senate |
| Whip | A senator or representative who assists the party leader by staying informed about the voting decisions of other members. |
| Party Polarization | A strong division in the views of Republicans and Democrats on the legislative agenda. |
| Congressional Caucus | A group of congressional members that meet to pursue a common legislative agenda. |
| Standing Committees | Permanently established legislative committees that review and consider bills in both the House and Senate. |
| Select Commitiees | Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and usually for an investigative purpose. |
| Joint Committees | A committee made up of members from both the House and the Senate |
| Conference Committees | A joint committee appointed to iron out the differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill. |
| Discharge Petition | A device used to force a bill that has been stuck in committee for over thirty days, out onto the floor. |
| Unanimous Consent | a request or agreement setting the terms for the consideration or debate of a specified bill or other measure. |
| Political/Policy Agenda | Issues that people believe require governmental action. |
| Logrolling | Practice of legislators trading mutual support for their legislative proposals. |
| Divided Government | Occurs when different parties control the White House and Congress. |
| Unified Government | Occurs when the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress. |
| Hold | A stalling approach by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor; tactic used to stop a bill from reaching the floor. |
| Earmarks | “Hidden” congressional provisions that designate money for specific projects or programs. |
| Pork Barrel Legislation | Legislation that provides benefits to constituents in a particular district or state in the hope of winning their votes in return. For example: providing funding to build a bridge in a particular city. |
| Trustee | Descriptive of elected representatives who use their best judgment when making legislative voting decisions. |
| Delegate | Descriptive of elected representatives who base their legislative voting decisions on the desires and opinions of their constituents. |
| Politico | Descriptive of elected representatives who balance their constituents’ opinions with their best judgment when making legislative voting decisions. |
| Cloture Rule | A process used by the Senate to end or limit debate/filibusters. |
| Filibuster | An attempt to stall or defeat a bill in the Senate by talking for an extended period of time. |
| Gerrymandering | The practice of drawing districts in unusual shapes for the political advantage of one political party or group. |
| Reapportionment | The practice of redistributing House seats every ten years according to census data. |
| Malapportionment | The practice of distributing House seats into unequal districts, which diminishes certain district’s representative voice. |
| Redistricting | The redrawing of legislative district lines after the census has been taken, to accommodate population shifts and ensure equal representation. |
| Constituency | The individuals who live in the area an elected official is representing. |