| A | B |
|---|
| term | 2-year period of time during which Congress meets |
| session | Period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business |
| adjourn | Suspend, as in a session of Congress |
| special session | An extraordinary session of a legislative body, called to deal with an emergency situation |
| apportion | Distribute, as in seats in a legislative body |
| reapportion | Redistribute, as in seats in a legislative body |
| off-year election | Congressional election that occurs between presidential election years |
| single-member district | Electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each electoral office |
| at-large election | When an officeholder is elected by the entire state |
| gerrymander | The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group |
| continuous body | Governing unit whose seats are never all up for election at the same time; e.g. the US Congress |
| constituency | The people and interests that an elected official represents |
| trustee | Lawmaker who votes based on his or her conscience and judgment, not the views of his or her constituents |
| partisan | Lawmaker who owes his/her first allegiance to his/her political party and votes according to the party line |
| politico | Lawmaker who attempts to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles |
| oversight function | Review by legislative committees of the policies and programs of the executive branch |
| franking privileges | Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free |
