All terms in this list:

Bicameral: A legislature made up of two houses.

Term: Lasts for two years, and each of those two-year terms is numbered consecutively.

Session: Period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business.

Convene: (Begins) a few days or even a few weeks after the third of January.

Adjourn: Suspends until its next session, each regular session as it sees fit.

Recess: Temporary suspended business.

Prorogue: (End, discontinue) a session, but only when the two houses cannot agree on a date for adjournment.

Special Session: A meeting to deal with some emergency situation.

Apportion: Total number of seats in the House of Representatives shall be among the states on the basis of their respective populations.

Reapportion: Redistribute the seats in the House every ten years, after each census.

Off-year Elections: Those congressional elections that occur in nonpresidential years-- that is, between presidential elections

Single-Member District: The voters in each district elect one of the State's representatives from among a field of candidates.

At-Large: Elected from the State as a whole.

Gerrymandered: Those districts have been drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the State's legislature.

Incumbent: The person who currently holds the office, almost always helps.

Continuous Body: All of its seats are never up for election at the same time.

Constituencies: The people and interests the senators represent-- are designed to have much the same effect.

Delegates: The agents of the people who elected them.

Trustees: Each question they face must be decided on its merits.

Partisans: Believe that owe their first allegiance to their political party.

Politicos: Attempt to combine the basic elements of the delegate.

Bills: Referred to the various committees in each chamber.

Floor Consideration: Be considered and acted upon by the full membership of the House or Senate.

Oversight Function: The process by which Congress, through its committees, checks to see that the executive branch agencies are carrying out the policies that Congress has set by law.

Franking Privilege: A well-known benefit that allows them to mail letters and other materials.