Chapter 6

Front 1

representation

Back 1

the efforts of elected officials to look out for those who elect them

Front 2

national lawmaking

Back 2

the creation of policy to address the problems and needs of the entire nation

Front 3

partisanship

Back 3

loyalty to a political cause or party

Front 4

polarization

Back 4

greater ideological differences between the parties and increased ideological consensus within the parties

Front 5

hyperpartisanship

Back 5

a commitment to party so strong it can transcend other commitments

Front 6

consituency

Back 6

the voters in a state or district

Front 7

policy representation

Back 7

congressional work to advance the issues and ideological preferences of consituents

Front 8

allocative representation

Back 8

congressional work to secure projects, services, and funds for the represented district

Front 9

pork barrel

Back 9

public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues

Front 10

casework

Back 10

legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solve their problems with government agencies and programs

Front 11

symbolic representation

Back 11

efforts of members of congress to stand for american ideals or identify with common constituency values

Front 12

bicameral legislature

Back 12

legislature with two chambers

Front 13

congressional oversight

Back 13

efforts by congress, especially through committees, to monitor agency rule making, enforcement, and implementation of congressional policies

Front 14

reapportionment

Back 14

a reallocation of congressional seats among the states every 10 years, following the census

Front 15

redistructing

Back 15

process of dividing states into legislative districts

Front 16

gerrymandering

Back 16

redistricting to benefit a particular group

Front 17

partisan gerrymandering

Back 17

process by which districts are drawn to maximize the number of house seats a political party can win

Front 18

racial gerrymandering

Back 18

redistricting to enhance or reduce the chances that a racial or ethnic group will elect members to the legislature

Front 19

incumbency advantage

Back 19

the electoral edge afforded to those already in office

Front 20

coattail effect

Back 20

the added votes received by congressional candidates of a winning presidental party

Front 21

midterm loss

Back 21

the tendency for the presidental party to lose congressional seats in off-year elections

Front 22

majority party

Back 22

the party with the most seats ina house of congress

Front 23

Speaker of the House

Back 23

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Represenatives

Front 24

seniortyy system

Back 24

the accumulation of power and authority in conjunction with the length of time spent in office

Front 25

standing committees

Back 25

permanent committees responsible for legislation in particular policy areas

Front 26

House Rules Committee

Back 26

the committee that determines how and when debate on a bill will take place

Front 27

SELECT COMMITTEE

Back 27

A COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO DEAL WITH AN ISSUE OR PROBLEM NOT SUITED TO A STANDING COMMITTEE

Front 28

JOINT COMMITTEES

Back 28

COMBINED HOUSE-SENATE COMMITTEE FORMED TO COORDINATE ACTIVITIES AND EXPEDITE LEGISLATION IN A CERTAIN AREA

Front 29

CONFERENCE COMMITTEES

Back 29

TEMPORARY COMMITTEES FORMED TO RECONCILE DIFFERENCES IN HOUSE AND SENATE VERSIONS OF A BILL

Front 30

legislative agenda

Back 30

the slate of proposals and issues that representatives think it worthwhile to consider and act on

Front 31

policy entrepreneurship

Back 31

practice of legislators becoming experts and taking leadership roles in specific policy areas

Front 32

fillbuster

Back 32

a practice of unlimited debate in the senate in order to prevent or delay a vote of a bill

Front 33

cloture

Back 33

a vote to end a senate fillbuster; requires a three-fifths majority, or sixty votes

Front 34

nuclear option

Back 34

congressional maneuvers that could be used in the US senate that would require only a majority vote for approval rather than a super-majority

Front 35

omnibus legislation

Back 35

a large bill that contains so many important elements that members can''t afford to defeat it and the president can't afford to veto it, even if the bill contains elements they dislike

Front 36

roll call votes

Back 36

publicly recorded votes on bills and amendments on the floor of the house or senate

Front 37

veto override

Back 37

reversal of a presidential veto by a 2/3 vote in both houses of congress

Front 38

pocket veto

Back 38

presidential authority to kill a bill submitted within 10 days of the end of a legislative session by not signing it