Chapter 11 Terms

Question 1

pork barrell

Answer 1

jobs and policies targeted to benefit specific constituencies, with the aim of helping local reps win re-election

Question 2

descriptive representation

Answer 2

when a member of Congress shares the characteristics (such as gender, race, ethnicity, or religion) of his or her constituents

Question 3

substantive representation

Answer 3

when a member of Congress represents constituents’ interests and policy concerns

Question 4

trustee

Answer 4

A member of Congress who represents constituents’ interests while also taking into account national, collective moral concerns that sometimes cause the member to vote against the wishes of the majority of constituents

Question 5

delegate

Answer 5

A member of Congress who loyally represents constituents’ best interests

Question 6

politico

Answer 6

A member who acts as a delegate on issues his constituents care about, and as a trustee on more-complex or less salient issues

Question 7

casework

Answer 7

helping constituents to solve bureaucratic problems or specific concerns related to government. Great way to look great.

Question 8

electoral connection

Answer 8

The idea that congressional behavior is guided by members’ desire for re-election

Question 9

redistricting

Answer 9

redrawing geographic boundaries of legislative districts. Happens every ten years to ensure districts remain equal population

Question 10

logrolling

Answer 10

a form of reciprocity in which a member votes for a bill they might not otherwise support in order for votes on stuff they care about

Question 11

earmarks

Answer 11

federally funded local projects attached to bills passing through congress

Question 12

señority

Answer 12

the informal congressional norm of choosing the member who has served the longest on a committee to be the committee chair
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Question 13

whip system

Answer 13

an organization of house leaders to work to disseminate information and promote party unity in voting on legislation

Question 14

speaker vs maj leader

Answer 14

speaker: leader of House
maj: leader of Party

Question 15

roll call vote

Answer 15

a recorded vote on legislation, members may vote yes, no, abstain, or present

Question 16

party vote

Answer 16

a vote in which the majority of one party opposes the position of the majority of the other party

Question 17

party unity

Answer 17

the extent to which members of congress in the same party vote together on party votes

Question 18

standing committees

Answer 18

Committees that are a permanent part of the house or senate structure, holding more importance and authority than other committees.

Question 19

select committees

Answer 19

Committees in the house or senate created to address a specific issue for one or two terms

Question 20

joint committee

Answer 20

members of both chambers, rarely with legislative authority. can make recommendations and appraisals

Question 21

conference committees

Answer 21

both chambers, to resolve differences in passed legislation

Question 22

distributive theory

Answer 22

the idea that members of Congress will join committees that best serve the interests of their districts and that committee members will support each others’ legislation

Question 23

informational theory

Answer 23

the idea that having committees in Congress made up of experts in specific policy areas helps to insure eel-informed policy decisions.

Question 24

markups

Answer 24

one of the steps through which a bill becomes a law in which the final wording of a bill is determined

Question 25

veto

Answer 25

yo know what this is

Question 26

pocket Veto

Answer 26

president leaving bill on desk when congress has left session- kills it

Question 27

omnibus legislation

Answer 27

large bills that often cover several topics and may contain extraneous/ pork barrel projects

Question 28

cloture

Answer 28

A procedure through which the senate can limit debate (cutting off a filibuster) if 60 senators agree

Question 29

filibuster

Answer 29

a tactic used by senators to block bills by continuing to hold the flood under senate’s rules of unlimited debate, until bills supporters back down

Question 30

hold

Answer 30

an objection to considering a measure on the senate floor

Question 31

closed rules

Answer 31

no amendments allowed

Question 32

open rules

Answer 32

allow any germane amendments

Question 33

modified rules

Answer 33

some specific amendments but not others