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the assigning by congress of congressional seats after each census. state legislatures reapportion state legislative districts |
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the redrawing of congressional and othere legislative districts lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population |
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the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent |
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the current holders of elected office |
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the powers explicitly given to congress in the consitution |
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the presiding officer in the house of representatives, formally elected by the house but actually selected by the majority party |
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the legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other pary leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in a line |
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the legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for opposition |
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party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature |
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a meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy |
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a procedural rule in the house of representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments |
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a procedural rule in the house of representatives that permits floor amendments whithin the overall time allocated to the bill |
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officer of the senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president |
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procedural practice in the senate wherby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination |
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a procedural practice in the senate whereby a senator refuses to relinguish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial |
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a precedure for terminating debate, especially fillibuster, in the senate |
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presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work |
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permanent committee est. in a legislature, usually focusing on a party area |
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Special or Select Committee |
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congressional commitee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation |
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a committee composed of members of both the house of representatives and that senate |
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legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee |
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committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form |
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an official who is expected to represent views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of the legislator |
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an official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator |
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those citizens who follow public affairs carefully |
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mutual aid and vote trading among legislators |
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petition that, if signed by a majority of the members of the house of representatives, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration |
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provision attached to a bill-to which it may or may not be related-in order to secure its passage |
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a veto exercised by the president after congress has adjourned; if the president takes no action for ten days, the bill does not become law and is not returned to congress for a possible override |
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action taken by congress to reverse a presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in each chamber |
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