AP®︎ U.S. Government & Politics: Topic 2.3 Flashcards
Master key terms and definitions for Topic 2.3 of AP U.S. Government & Politics – Congressional Behavior to help you prep for quizzes and the AP exam.
Electoral Connection
The reelection incentive that encourages members of Congress to remain attentive and responsive to their constituents
The reelection incentive that encourages members of Congress to remain attentive and responsive to their constituents
The body of people represented by an elected official; House members represent districts, while senators represent states
Assistance that members of Congress provide to constituents dealing with federal agencies and programs
Representation in which a legislator votes according to personal knowledge and judgment rather than treating constituent opinion as binding
Representation in which a legislator acts as an agent of constituents and votes according to their preferences
Representation that combines the trustee and delegate approaches according to the issue and political circumstances
Attachment to and action on behalf of a political party
Voting by members of Congress according to their political party affiliation
Movement of political attitudes and parties toward opposing ideological extremes, increasing the distance and reducing the overlap between them
A situation in which Congress cannot act on legislation because it lacks sufficient consensus
Government in which the same political party controls the presidency and both chambers of Congress
Government in which one party controls the presidency and the other party controls at least one chamber of Congress
A president whose successor has been chosen or who cannot or will not remain in office; the president retains full constitutional authority but often has reduced political leverage
The redistribution after each census of the 435 House seats among the states according to population
The redrawing of electoral district boundaries within a state, generally after reapportionment
Drawing electoral district boundaries to advantage a political party, racial group, incumbent, or other interest
A gerrymandering method that concentrates opposing voters in a few districts, reducing their influence elsewhere
A gerrymandering method that divides opposing voters among districts so they remain a minority in each
Held that Equal Protection challenges to legislative malapportionment may be heard by federal courts, enabling later enforcement of “one person, one vote.”
Held that districts drawn predominantly by race are subject to strict scrutiny: they must serve a compelling interest and be narrowly tailored
