| A | B |
|---|
| Apportionment | A process determining a number of representatives to which each state is entitled. |
| Bill | Proposed law |
| Calendar | A schedule that lists the order in which the bills will be considered in Congress. |
| Census | Population count. |
| Cloture | A procedure that allows each Senator to speak for only one hour on a bill under debate. |
| Conference Committee | Temporary joint committee set up when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the same bill. |
| Constituent | A person a member of Congress represents. |
| Filibuster | A method of defeating a bill in the legislature by the use of lengthy speeches. |
| Gerrymandering | Drawing a districts boundaries to gain an advantage in elections. |
| Incumbent | A government official already in office. |
| Joint Committee | One made up of members by both the House and Senate that acts as a study group with responsibility for reporting its findings back to the House and Senate. |
| Majority Leader | The member of a political party that holds the majority of seats in a legislative body. |
| Pro Tempore | A Latin term meaning "for the time being" |
| Quorum | The minimum number of members who must be present to permit the legislative body to take official action. |
| Redistrict | To set up new district lines after a census. |
| Seniority System | One that gives leadership of a committee to the member with the longest service. |
| Select Committee | A temporary committee that studies one specific issue and reports its findings to the Senate or the House. |
| Standing Committee | A permanent group in Congress that oversees bills. |
| Whip | An assistant to the party floor leader in the legislature. |
| Subcommittee | One of six or eight groups within a standing committee that specialize in a subcategory of that committee's responsibility. |
| Speaker of the House | Most powerful leader of the House. Selected by the majority party. |
| Minority Leader | The member of a political party that holds the minority of seats in a legislative body. |
