Chapter 9

Question 1

Undocumented young people brought to the US as children; Pushed Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for he more than 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country.

Answer 1

Dreamers

Question 2

The residents in the area from which an official is elected.

Answer 2

Constituency

Question 3

Having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses.

Answer 3

Bicameral

Question 4

A type of representation in which representatives have the same racial, gender ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds s their constituents. It is base on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one can correctly represent the other’s views.

Answer 4

Sociological Representative

Question 5

A type of representation in which a representative is held accountable to a constituency if he or she fails to represent that constituency properly; This is incentive for good representation when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those of his or her constituency.

Answer 5

Agency Representative

Question 6

Holding the political office for which one is running.

Answer 6

Incumbency

Question 7

Taking care of the problems and requests of individual voters.

Answer 7

Constituency Service

Question 8

The tendency for incumbent candidates to win a higher percentage of he vote when seeking future terms in office.

Answer 8

Sophomore Surge

Question 9

Legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official can serve.

Answer 9

Term Limits

Question 10

The process, occurring after every decennial census that allocates congressional seats among the 50 states.

Answer 10

Apportionment

Question 11

The process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives; this happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges to existing districts.

Answer 11

Redistricting

Question 12

The apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party.

Answer 12

Gerrymandering

Question 13

The resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters.

Answer 13

Patronage

Question 14

Appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created so that local representatives can win re-election in their home town.

Answer 14

Pork Barrel Legislation

Question 15

A common form of pork barreling; a practice through which members of Congress insert into bills language that provides special benefits for their own constituents.

Answer 15

Earmark

Question 16

A proposal in Congress to provide a specific person with some kind of relief, such as a special exemption from immigration quotas.

Answer 16

Private Bill

Question 17

A gathering of House Republicans every two years to elect their house leaders; Democrats call their gathering the caucus.

Answer 17

Conference

Question 18

The chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives; the Speaker is the most important party and House leader, and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of pieces of legislation, and members’ positions within the House.

Answer 18

Speaker of the House

Question 19

The elected leader of the House of Representatives or in the Senate; In the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker of the House.

Answer 19

Majority Leader

Question 20

The elected leader of the minority party in the House or Senate

Answer 20

Minority Leader

Question 21

A party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party’s legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes.

Answer 21

Whips

Question 22

A permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or agriculture.

Answer 22

Standing Committees

Question 23

(Usually) temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate a particular issue or address an issue not within jurisdiction of existing committees.

Answer 23

Select Committees

Question 24

Legislative committees formed of members of both House and Senate

Answer 24

Joint Committees

Question 25

Joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

Answer 25

Conference Committees

Question 26

The ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service on a committee in Congress

Answer 26

Seniority

Question 27

A proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate

Answer 27

Bill

Question 28

A tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down; once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster

Answer 28

Filibuster

Question 29

A rule or process in a legislative body aimed at ending debate on a given bill; in the U.S. Senate, 60 senators (three-fifths) must agree in order to impose a time limit and end debate

Answer 29

Cloture

Question 30

The president’s constitutional power to prevent a bill from becoming a law; a presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress

Answer 30

Veto

Question 31

A presidential veto that is automatically triggered if the president does not act on a given piece of legislation passed during the final 10 days of a legislative session

Answer 31

Pocket Veto

Question 32

A roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50% of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50% of the members of the other party

Answer 32

Party Unity Vote

Question 33

A vote in which each legislature’s yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically

Answer 33

Roll-Call Votes

Question 34

A legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading

Answer 34

Logrolling

Question 35

The effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

Answer 35

Oversight

Question 36

The amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend

Answer 36

Appropriations