| A | B |
|---|
| Bicameral | two chambers; Senate and House |
| Apportionment | distribution of reps among the states based on popiulation |
| Reapportionment | redistribution of reps after census determines a change in population |
| Congressional districting | districts drawn for states with more than one representative |
| Gerrymandering | drawing districts to favor one political party |
| Incumbency effect | tendency of winning reelections |
| Casework | assistance given to constituents by congressional members |
| Constituents | all residents of the state for senators, all residents of a district of a district for house members |
| Speaker of the House | leading officer in the house of reps. |
| Majority leader | elected leader of the party with the most seats in the house of representatives or senate |
| President pro tempore | serves as president of the senate in the absence of the vice president |
| Floor leaders | direct party strategy and decisions in the house of representatives and senate |
| Seniority system | chairmanship of a committee is given to the member with the longest continuos service |
| Standing committee | permanent committee |
| Select committee | selected for a specific purpose |
| Joint comittee | made up of members of both houses of congress |
| Conference committee | temporary committee to work out a compromise version of a bill that has passed in the house and the senate in different forms |
| Caucuses | locally held meetings in a state to select delegates |
| Trustee | elected representatives vote based on their own opinions |
| Franking privilege | allows members of congress to mail letters and other materials to constituents postage-free |
| Oversight | monitoring of policies of the executive branch |
| Bills | law proposed by legislature |
| Rules Committee | determines the rules of debate for bills in the house of reps. |
| Filibuster | lengthy speech designed to delay the vote on a bill |
| Cloture | prevents filibustering and ends the debate |
| Pork barrel legislation | legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary or unwise projects within state or district |
| Logrolling | exchange of political favors favors for support of a bill |
| Riders | an addition to a bill that has no relation to it |
| Amendments | a revision or change to a bill, law, or constitution |
| Lobbying | attempting to influence policymakers through a variety of methods |
| Legislative veto | to reject the actions of the president or executive agency by a vote of one or both houses of congress without the consent of the president |
