- Bicameral Legislature: A 2 House Legislature. Example- United States Congress has two houses 1. The Senate 2. The House of Representatives
- Candidate: a person who runs for political office
- Civil Rights Legislation: To promote equity.
- Constituents: a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent/voters
- County Council: An elected governing body of a county that has only legislative powers.
- Expressed Powers: Specific powers given to the Congress as stated in the Constitution
- Filibuster: The method of defeating a bill by which a senator talks until a majority either abandons the bill
- House of Representatives: 435 Members. Number of Representatives from each state is based on population.
- Impeach/Impeachment: The removing of a government official from office.
- Incumbent: elected official that is already in office
- Introducing a Bill in Congress: Any member of Congress can introduce a bill.
- Legislative Branch: Consists of Congress (The Senate and House of Representatives)
- Legislator: someone who makes or enacts laws
- Maryland General Assembly: A bicameral legislature which makes the laws for the state of Maryland and approves the annual state budget. Most similar to the United States Congress
- Maryland House of Delegates: Part of the Maryland General Assembly. Most similar to the House of Representatives.
- Maryland State Senate: Part of the Maryland General Assembly. Responsible for making laws in the state of Maryland
- Minority Rights: a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorties
- Ordinance: law passed by a local government
- Override: The ability of a legislative body to check the executive power.
- Passing of Bills: A bill must have a majority vote in both houses of Congress in order for it to pass.
- President of the Senate: Role filled by the Vice President in the United States and the presiding office in the senate. Only votes in order to break a tie.
- Public Opinion: the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues
- Qualifications for the House of Representatives: 1. Must be 25 years old. 2. Must have been a U.S. for 7 years. 3. Must live in the district which you wish to represent.
- Reapportionment: The process of reassigning representation based on population after every census
- Responsibility of Congress: Make laws.
- Responsibility of the House of Representatives: 1. Makes Laws 2. Deals with all Appropriation Bills (Spending Bills) 3. Elects the President if no candidates receive a majority of the Electoral College vote.
- Responsibility of the Senate: 1. Make Laws 2. Confirm Presidential Appointments.
- Revenue Bills: Bills that deal with money must originate in the House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives
- United States Census: Surveying homes to determine population figures
- United States House of Representatives: the lower legislative house of the United States Congress
- United States Senate: the upper house of the United States Congress
- United States Senator: A Member of the Senate. Responsible for making laws in the United States.