| A | B |
|---|
| appropriation | approval of gov't spending |
| bicameral | two-house legislative body |
| bill | a proposed law |
| constituent | person whom a member of Congress represents |
| entitlement | required gov't spending from one year to the nex |
| filibuster | Senate method of defeating a bill by continuing debate |
| gerrymander | to draw a district's boundaries to gain an election advantage |
| incumbent | elected official already in office |
| mandate | formal order given by a higher authority |
| quorum | number of members who must be present for Congress to vote |
| reapportionment | reassigning representation based on population |
| rider | provision added to a bill on a subject other that the one covered in the bill |
| seniority system | gives leadership positions to the longest serving member of the majority party |
| whip | assistant to the party leader |
| veto | rejection of a bill |
| President Pro Tempore | Daniel Inouye |
| Senate Majority Leader | Harry Reid |
| Senate Minority Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Speaker of the House | Nancy Pelosi |
| House Majority Leader | Steny Hoyer |
| House Minority Leader | John Boehner |
| Senate Majority Whip | Dick Durbin |
| Senate Minority Whip | Jon Kyl |
| House Majority Whip | James Clyburn |
| House Minority Whip | Eric Cantor |
| constituent | person in a legislative district |
| Falls Church Congressional district | district 8 |
| number of districts in VA | 11 districts |
| recess | when congress is not in session |
| interest group | people with similar viewpoints who work together for that cause |
| bill | a proposed law |
| census | taken every 10 years to determine the population |
| censure | formal disapproval of a Congressman |
| expulsion | removing a Congressman from office |
| immunity | benefit of congress, can't get in trouble |
| President Pro-Tempore | in charge of day-to-day business in the Senate |
| Speaker of the House | leader of the house of Reps |
| party whips | assistants in the house and senate, keep track of how members vote |
| majority leader | leader of the majority party |
| minority leader | leader of the minority party |
| President of the Senate | VP of the US , head of the Senate |
| lobbyists | persuade govt officials to support goals of interest groups |
| General Assembly | the VA legislative branch |
| delegate | a member of the General Assembly |
| gerrymandering | drawing political boundaries based on an areas political beliefs |
| session | when Congress meets |
| standing committee | committees that exists all the time (agriculture, energy) |
| select committee | committees for temporary issues |
| conference committee | members of the house and senate that work out the details of a bill |
| expressed powers | stated specifcally in the Consitution |
| implied powers | not stated in the Constitution, they are suggested by the "elastic clause" |
| impeach | process of formally accusing the president or Supreme Court justice of a wrongdoing |
| pocket veto | an indirect veto by the President |
| cloture | ending a debate in Congress |
| pigeonhole | when a bill is set aside in a committee and never looked at |
| voice vote | voting by saying "yea" or "nea" |
| roll call vote | each person announces his vote |
| precedent | an act that may be used as an example |
| Virginia's Senators | Mark Warner & Jim Webb |
| Falls Church's Representative | Jim Moran |
