Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is reapportionment?
What is reapportionment?
The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census.
What does redistricting refer to?
What does redistricting refer to?
The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census.
What is gerrymandering?
What is gerrymandering?
The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent.
What is a safe seat?
What is a safe seat?
Who are incumbents?
Who are incumbents?
What does bicameralism refer to?
What does bicameralism refer to?
What are enumerated powers?
What are enumerated powers?
Who is the Speaker?
Who is the Speaker?
What is the role of the majority leader?
What is the role of the majority leader?
What does the minority leader do?
What does the minority leader do?
What is a whip in Congress?
What is a whip in Congress?
What is a party caucus?
What is a party caucus?
What is a closed rule in Congress?
What is a closed rule in Congress?
What is an open rule in Congress?
What is an open rule in Congress?
What is the president pro tempore?
What is the president pro tempore?
What is a hold in the Senate?
What is a hold in the Senate?
What is a filibuster?
What is a filibuster?
What is cloture?
What is cloture?
What is senatorial courtesy?
What is senatorial courtesy?
What is a standing committee?
What is a standing committee?
What is a special or select committee?
What is a special or select committee?
What is a joint committee?
What is a joint committee?
What is the seniority rule?
What is the seniority rule?
What is a conference committee?
What is a conference committee?
What is a delegate in Congress?
What is a delegate in Congress?
What is a trustee in Congress?
What is a trustee in Congress?
What is the attentive public?
What is the attentive public?
What is logrolling?
What is logrolling?
What is a discharge petition?
What is a discharge petition?
What is a rider?
What is a rider?
What is a pocket veto?
What is a pocket veto?
What does override mean in Congress?
What does override mean in Congress?
What is centralization in congressional power?
What is centralization in congressional power?
What is decentralization in congressional power?
What is decentralization in congressional power?
What is a rules committee?
What is a rules committee?
What is the 17th Amendment about?
What is the 17th Amendment about?
What does adjournment refer to in Congress?
What does adjournment refer to in Congress?
Terms are two years long, divided into year-long ________.
Terms are two years long, divided into year-long ________.
What are recesses in Congress?
What are recesses in Congress?
Where must revenue bills originate?
Where must revenue bills originate?
What is the line of succession?
What is the line of succession?
What is the majority party?
What is the majority party?
What does parliamentary procedure refer to?
What does parliamentary procedure refer to?
What does US Term Limits vs. Thornton represent?
What does US Term Limits vs. Thornton represent?
What is the President of the Senate?
What is the President of the Senate?
What is a docket?
What is a docket?
What is a pork barrel project?
What is a pork barrel project?
What does the 27th Amendment prevent?
What does the 27th Amendment prevent?
What are honoraria?
What are honoraria?
What is the franking privilege?
What is the franking privilege?
What is legislative immunity?
What is legislative immunity?
What is a census?
What is a census?
What is packing in gerrymandering?
What is packing in gerrymandering?
What does cracking refer to in gerrymandering?
What does cracking refer to in gerrymandering?
What was the outcome of Baker vs. Carr?
What was the outcome of Baker vs. Carr?
What is malapportionment?
What is malapportionment?
What is racial gerrymandering?
What is racial gerrymandering?
What was the ruling of Shaw vs. Reno?
What was the ruling of Shaw vs. Reno?
What does Miller vs. Johnson state?
What does Miller vs. Johnson state?
What are institutional powers?
What are institutional powers?
What does censure mean in Congress?
What does censure mean in Congress?
What are ex post facto laws?
What are ex post facto laws?
What are bills of attainder?
What are bills of attainder?
What is habeas corpus?
What is habeas corpus?
What role does the media play in monitoring Congress?
What role does the media play in monitoring Congress?
What is authorization in legislative terms?
What is authorization in legislative terms?
What is appropriation in legislative terms?
What is appropriation in legislative terms?
What does 'reported out' mean in legislative terms?
What does 'reported out' mean in legislative terms?
What does mark up mean in legislative terms?
What does mark up mean in legislative terms?
What are earmarks?
What are earmarks?
What does pigeonhole mean in legislative terms?
What does pigeonhole mean in legislative terms?
What is a line-item veto?
What is a line-item veto?
What was the ruling in Clinton v. NY?
What was the ruling in Clinton v. NY?
What is the seniority system?
What is the seniority system?
What is the Ways and Means committee?
What is the Ways and Means committee?
Study Notes
Congressional Processes and Structure
- Reapportionment: Redistribution of congressional seats post-census; state legislatures manage state legislative district reapportionment.
- Redistricting: Adjusting legislative district lines to reflect population changes, ensuring balanced representation.
- Gerrymandering: Manipulation of district boundaries to favor a political party or incumbent.
- Safe Seat: Office predicted to be won by one party, ensuring high success for that party's candidates.
Leadership in Congress
- Incumbents: Current officeholders in elected positions.
- Bicameralism: A legislative system with two houses.
- Speaker of the House: The presiding leader of the House, chosen by the majority party.
- Majority Leader: Elected by the majority party, aids in strategy and party cohesion.
- Minority Leader: Leader of the minority party, acts as chief spokesperson.
- Whip: Connects party leadership with regular members; helps manage party discipline.
Legislative Procedures and Committees
- Party Caucus: A meeting for party members to select leaders and set policy; Republicans refer to this as a conference.
- Closed Rule: Restricts amendments during bill consideration in the House.
- Open Rule: Allows for amendments during the consideration of bills in the House.
- President Pro Tempore: Chair of the Senate in the absence of the Vice President.
- Hold: A practice where senators can delay a bill’s consideration.
- Filibuster: Strategy in the Senate to delay or block legislative action by speaking indefinitely.
- Cloture: The process to end debate and proceed to a vote, particularly to end filibusters.
- Standing Committee: A permanent committee that focuses on specific policy areas.
- Special or Select Committee: Formed for specific purposes, such as investigations.
Legislative Strategies and Voting
- Logrolling: The practice of exchanging votes among legislators for mutual benefit.
- Discharge Petition: Allows majority of the House to bring a bill out of committee for floor consideration.
- Rider: An unrelated provision added to a bill to ensure passage.
- Pocket Veto: A president's indirect veto of a bill by not signing it within ten days while Congress is adjourned.
- Override: Congress can reverse a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
Congressional Powers and Amendments
- Centralization vs. Decentralization: Centralization favors quick decision-making, while decentralization emphasizes individual member voices and extended debates.
- 17th Amendment: Mandates the direct election of senators.
- Revenue Bills: Must originate in the House.
- US Term Limits v. Thornton: Supreme Court ruling that state-imposed term limits on Congress are unconstitutional.
Legislative Immunities and Privileges
- Franking Privilege: Allows Congress members to send mail free of charge for official business.
- Legislative Immunity: Protects Congress members from arrest while in session.
- Censure: Official reprimand of a sitting member of Congress.
Voting and Election Principles
- Packing and Cracking: Techniques in gerrymandering; packing concentrates opposition votes, while cracking disperses them.
- Baker v. Carr: Established "one man, one vote" principle, addressing district representation fairness.
Current Legislative Context
- Census: Mandatory decennial count of the population, affecting congressional representation.
- Pork Barrel: Government funds allocated for local projects, often seen as inefficient but politically advantageous.
- Authorization vs. Appropriation: Authorization allows a program to exist, while appropriation provides the funding.
Judicial Influences on Legislation
- Clinton v. New York: Confirmed line-item veto as unconstitutional, preserving legislative integrity.
Additional Key Terms
- Earmarks: Specific expenditures added to legislation by committee members.
- Pigeonhole: To set a bill aside indefinitely in committee.
- Majority Party: The party with the most seats in either house, controlling the legislative agenda.
Understanding these key concepts will enhance comprehension of the legislative process and the structure of Congress.
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Description
This quiz focuses on key terms from Chapter 11 of AP Government, including reapportionment, redistricting, and gerrymandering. Each term is defined to help students grasp essential concepts related to congressional representation. Use these flashcards to reinforce your understanding before exams.
