Chapter 6: Congress

A legislature divided into two houses; the U.S. Congress and the state legislatures are bicameral except Nebraska, which is unicameral

The process of allotting congressional seats to each state following the decennial census according to their proportion of the population

The redrawing of congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state.

A proposed law

The power delegated to the House of Representatives in the Constitution to charge the president, vice president, or other "civil offices," including federal judges, with "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." This is the first step in the constituation process of removing such government officials from office

The political party in each house of Congress with the most members

The political party in each house of Congress with the second most members

The only officer of the House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution; elected at the beginning of each new Congress by the entire Housel traditionally a member of the majority party

A formal gathering of all party members

The elected leader of the party controlling the most seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate; is second in authority to the Speaker of the House and in the Senate is regarded as its most powerful member

The elected leader of the party with the second highest number of elected representatives in the House of Representatives or the Senate

Key member who keeps close contact with all members of his or her party and takes nose counts on key notes, prepares summaries of bills, and in general acts as communications link within a party

The official chair of the Senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party

Committee to which proposed bills are referred: continue from one Congress to the next

Committees that includes members from both houses of Congress to conducts investigations or special studies