American Government and Politics Today, Brief Edition, 2014-2015

196 Douglas Shulman, former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, IRS staff member Lois Lerner, and Neal Wolin of the U. ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 197 Constituent One of the persons represented by a legislator or other elected or appointed officia ...

198 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Earmarks Special provisions in legislation to set aside funds for projects ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 199 Casework Personal work for constituents by members of Congress. Ombudsperson A person who hears ...

200 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Enumerated Powers Powers specifically granted to the national government by ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 201 Rules Committee A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules ...

202 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Reconciliation A special rule that can be applied to budget bills sent from ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 203 congressional mail is now about $10 million to $15 million a year. The cost of franking has drop ...

204 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT for example, “for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be q ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 205 Reapportionment The allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after a ce ...

206 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Gerrymandering The drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the p ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 207 unfairly, because it could not be proved that a group of voters would consistently be deprived o ...

208 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Redistricting after the 2012 Census. As we have observed repeatedly, 2010 w ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 209 HoW CoNgREss is oRgANizEd The limited amount of centralized power that exists in Congress is exe ...

210 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Discharge Petition A procedure by which a bill in the House of Representati ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 211 Select Committee A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for ...

212 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Seniority System A custom followed in both chambers of Congress specifying ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 213 Speaker of the House The presiding officer in the House of Representatives. The Speaker is chose ...

214 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT Whip A member of Congress who aids the majority or minority leader of the H ...

CHAPTER NiNE • THE CoNgREss 215 Senate Majority Leader The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs t ...