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Delegate
a representative who votes according to the preference of his or her constituency
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Advice and consent
presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
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Inherent powers
powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the constitution
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Cloture
a ruling allowing a majority of 2/3 or 3/5 of the members of a legislative body to set a time limit on debate over a given bill
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Incumbent
holding a political office for which one is running
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Redistricting
the process of redrawing districts and redistributing legislative representatives
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Bureaucracy
The complex structure of offices, tasks, rules and principles of organization that are employed by all large scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personnel.
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Apportionment
the process occurring after every decennial census (10 years), that allocates congressional seats among the fifty states
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Filibuster
a tactic used by members of the senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majoritybacks down. Senate has unlimited time to speak on the floor, takes a 3/5 vote of the senate to end a filibuster.
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Oversight
the effort by congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies
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Trustee
a representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency
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Logrolling
a legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading
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Gerrymandering
manipulating of electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group
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