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| The district making up the area from which an official is elected. |
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| A representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency. |
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| A representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency. |
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| Holding a political office for which one is running. |
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| The type of representation according to which representatives are held accountable to their constituents if they fail to represent them properly. That is, constituents have the power to hire and fire their representatives. |
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| A legislative assembly composed of two chambers, or houses. |
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| An effort by members of Congress to gain the trust and support of constituents by providing personal service. One important type of casework consists of helping constituents obtain favorable treatment from the federal bureaucracy. |
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| The resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters. |
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| The appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that often are not needed but are created so that local represntatives can carry their home district in the next election. |
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| Party Caucus/ Party Conference |
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| A nor mally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates or leaders, plan stratedgy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters. |
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| The chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected at the beginning of Congress on a straight party vote. He or she is the most important party and House leader. |
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| The elected leader of the pary holding a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate. in the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker. |
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| The elected leader of the party holding less than a majority of the seats in the House or Senate. |
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| A permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject area; the basic unit of deliberation in the House and Senate. |
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| The right and power to decide if a change in policy will be considered. |
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| The capacity to bring a proposal before the full legislature. |
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| The authority to follow up on the fate of a proposal once it has been approved by the full chamber. |
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| A joint committee created to work out a compromise for House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation. |
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| The effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies. |
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| The priority or status ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service on a congressional committee. |
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| The difference between what a principal would like an agent to do and the agent's performance. |
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| The agencies responsible for providing Congress with independent expertise, administration, and oversight capability. |
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| An association of members of Congress based on party, interest, or social characteristics such as gender or race. |
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| The provision by the House Rules Committee that prohibits the introduction of amendments during debate. |
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| The provision by the House Rules COmmittee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a bill. |
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| 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 rewuires a cloture vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster. |
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| A rule allowing a super-majority of the memebers of a legislative body to set a time limit on debate over a given bill. |
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| The president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress within ten days of their passage while Congress is in session. A presidential veto may be overriden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress. |
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| A veto that is effected when Congress adjourns during the time a president has to approve a bill and the president takes no action on it. |
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| The tendency of Congress to spread the benefits of a policy over a wide range of members' dsitricts. |
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| 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. Party votes are less common today than they were in the 19th century. |
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| Votes in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded. |
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| A communications network in each house of Congress. Whips poll the membership to learn their intentions on specific legislative issues and assist the majority and minority leaders in various tasks. |
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| A legislative practice wherein reciprocal agreements are made between legislators, usuallt in voting for or against a bill. In contrast to bargaining, logrolling unites parties that have nothing in common but their desire to exchange support. |
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| An agreement between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate's "advice and consent." |
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| The charging of a government official (president or otherwise) with "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors" and bringing him or her before Congress to determine guilt. |
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