Terms and concepts; Congress

Power of the purse simply means that Congress has the sole authority to raise and spend money, which gives it quite a bit of power over the President. Moreover, taxing bills must originate in the House of Representatives.

Oversight is the power of Congress to monitor the executive branch.

Hearings generally refers to committee sessions during which members and staff listen to information and opinions related to matters of government or pending legislation.

Investigations are hearings on scandals and other government wrongdoings. Can be very politically motivated.

Apportionment is the allocation of 435 seats among the 50 states every ten years based on census data.

Malapportionment is unequal voter representation: rep to pop ratio.

Redistricting is the process each state undertakes after apportionment -- redrawing district boundary lines.

Gerrymandering is redrawing district boundary lines to give some group a political advantage.

Splintering and packing are methods of gerrymandering.

An open seat is a seat in Congress for which there is no incumbent running for re-election.

A safe seat is a seat in Congress that is considered safe for the incumbent against challengers, like Dave Camp’s seat in Michigan's 4th district.

A resolution is a statement (of various kinds for various purposes) by Congress that requires a vote but that does require a president’s signature because it is not a matter of law. E.g., Dennis Kucinich's resolution to impeach vice president Cheney.

Casework refers to the work of a Congressman for particular constituents who ask for help, such as a person who is not receiving their government benefits (social security) on time, etc.

Pork-barreling refers to the phenomenon of representatives spending government money on projects for their home districts. These are usually tacked on bills as riders, having nothing to do with the main purpose of the bill.