Congress Vocabulary

Lawmaker who attempts to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles

One-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party; strongly supports a particular person or cause.

A legislative body that achieves stability by staggering the terms of its members

The power of the President to refuse to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevent its enactment into law

The Senate tradition of unlimited debates; an action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill.

A body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.

A panel composed of members from both the House & Senate, who reconcile different versions of the same bill.

The two-year period of time during which Congress meets

Presidential custom of submitting names of prospective appointee for approval to senate from states where appointee work

The political leader of the House of Representatives. The presiding officer and party leader of the majority party.

When lawmakers convene outside the regular session to complete unfinished tasks, address special topics, or emergencies

The redistribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based on changes in population; after every census

the process of dividing the 435 memberships, or seats, in the House of Representatives among the 50 states. ...

A legislative bill that provides benefits to specified individuals (including corporate bodies).

the killing of legislation by the president through a failure to act within 10 days of the adjournment of Congress

The annual series of meetings of a Congress where they conduct business. Each Congress generally has two of them.

A Process that manipulates the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class.

A legislative bill involving the general interests of the people at large or of the whole community