Powers of Congress
Legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states
Pork Barrel Spending
A body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator.
Constituency
A district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district.
Majority-Minority District
The leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members.
Speaker of the House
The person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats.
Senate Majority Leader
Trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation.
Logrolling
The process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data.
Apportionment
The uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts.
Malapportionment
An organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns.
Political Action Committee (PAC)
Leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee's agenda.
Committee Chair
Efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals.
Oversight
States' redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census.
Redistricting
Being already in office as opposed to running for the first time.
Incumbency
The person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives.
House Majority Leader
The intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters.
Gerrymandering
Institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election.
Incumbency Advantage
A member of Congress, chosen by his/her party members, whose job is to ensure party and unity discipline.
Whip
Drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party.
Partisan Gerrymandering
The head of the party with the second-highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party's members.
Minority Leader