| A | B |
|---|
| Baker v Carr (1962) | case that established the principle of one man, one vote |
| Cloture | the process in which it takes 60 senators to cut off a filibuster and is aimed at protecting minority interests. |
| Conference committee | a committee consisting of senators and representatives that meets to resolve differences in legislation |
| Congressional oversight | power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review executive departments and agencies, conduct investigations, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy. |
| Distributive policy | results in the government giving benefits directly to people, groups, farmers, and businesses. |
| Gerrymandering | state legislatures, based on political affiliation, create congressional districts, many of which are oddly shaped and favor the political party in power in the state making the changes |
| Gridlock | describes people's perception that Congress and the president are in a state of disagreement that results in little legislation passing. |
| Imperial Congress | describes a Congress that succeeds in establishing itself as dominant in legislative and foreign policy. |
| Incumbents | those elected officials who are running for new terms of office. |
| Logrolling | a tactic used in Congress that is best illustrated by one legislator saying to another, "I'll vote for your legislation, if you vote for mine." |
| Pork barrel legislation | the practice of legislators obtaining funds through legislation that favors their home districts. |
| President pro tempore | temporary presiding officer of the Senate |
| Reapportionment | the process in which a state legislature redraws congressional districts based on population increases or declines |
| Reapportionment Act of l929 | act that provides for a permanent size of the House and for the number of seats, based on the census, each state should have. |
| Redistributive policy | policy that results in the government taking money from one segment of the society through taxes and giving it back to groups in need. |
| Regulatory policy | policy that results in government control over individuals and businesses. Examples of regulatory policy include protection of the environment and consumer protection |
| Select committees | specially created congressional committees that conduct special investigations. |
| Speaker of the House | the representative from the majority party in the House of Representatives who presides over House meetings, recognizes speakers, refers bills to committees, answers procedural questions, and declares the outcome of votes. |
| Standing committees | permanent committees that deal with proposed bills and also act in an oversight function. |
| Whips | are responsible for keeping party members in line and having an accurate count of who will be voting for or against a particular bill. |
