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The residents of a congressional district or state.
Ex. All citizens in Michigan would be considered constituents of the Governor. |
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The process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census.
Ex. many states, led by the majority party, have drawn districts in such a way that opponents to the majority party are sequestered in just a few districts, leading to district maps that are skewed towards one party. |
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The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.
Ex. In 2010, some states lost congressional seats and others gained them. For example, Texas gained four districts and New York lost two. |
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The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent.
Ex. North Carolina's 12th Congressional District, the state legislature purposely drew the district this way to ensure that the district had a majority of minority voters (in this case, it was a majority of African-American voters). |
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An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted.
Ex. Reagan had a safe seat in his second term landslide |
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The current holder of an elected office.
Ex. in the 2004 election, the incumbent candidate for president seeking re-election was George W. Bush. |
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| The principle of a two-house legislature. |
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| The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution. |
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| The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, chosen by and from the majority party in the House. |
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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. Called a conference by the Republicans. |
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| The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line. |
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| The legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition. |
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| Party leaders who work with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party. |
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