| A | B |
|---|
| Senate | the upper house of Congress, consisting of two representatives from each state |
| House of Representatives | the lower house of Congress with representatives from each state, depending on population |
| census | a population count taken by a government official |
| constituent | a person represented by a government official |
| gerrymander | an oddly shaped election district designed to increase the voting strength of a specific group |
| majority party | in Congress, the political party whose members control each chamber |
| minority party | in Congress, the political party that does not control either chamber |
| expressed power | power of U.S. Congress that is specifically listed in the Constitution |
| implied power | power of U.S. Congress that is not specifically listed in the Consttution |
| elastic clause | clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make laws 'necessary and proper' to carry out it expressed powers |
| regulate | manage or control |
| nonlegislative power | duty and responsibility Congress holds besides lawmaking |
| acquit | to find a defendant not guilty |
| oversight | the power to oversee the actions of another branch or agency of government |
| writ of habeas corpus | a court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person |
| ex post facto law | a law that allows a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed |
| bill of attainder | a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a fair trial or hearing in court |
| immunity | legal protection |
| franking privilege | the right of congresspeople to send job-related mail without paying postage |
| lobbyist | representative of an interest group who contacts government officials to influence policy |
| draft | to write a rough version |
| casework | the work that a lawmaker does to help constituents solve a problem with a federal agency |
| pork-barrel project | government project that primarily benefits a congressperson's home district or state |
| join resolution | a resolution that is passed by both houses of Congress |
| special-interest group | an organization of people with some common interest that tries to influence government decisions |
| rider | a completely unrelated amendment added to a bill in the Senate |
| filibuster | a tactic of defeating a bill in the Senate by talking or using other procedures until the bill's sponsor withdraws it |
| cloture | a procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill and end or prevent a filibuster |
| voice vote | a voting method in which those in favor vote 'aye' and those against say 'no' |
| standing vote | in Congress, when members stand to be counted for a vote on a bill |
| roll-call vote | a voting method in which members voice their votes in turn |
| pocket veto | president's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days |
