Congress

• Each state is allocated a certain number of electors, based on its representation in Congress, and the candidate who receives a majority of electoral votes (270 out of 538) wins the presidency.
• enumerated power - power granted to Congress by the Constitution to make laws
• Gridlock - A situation in US politics where the president and congress are equally powerful, constantly preventing each other from acting, resulting in difficulty in passing legislation.
• filibuster - a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches
• two-party system - a system where there are two main political parties
• Incumbent - the person who currently holds an office
• gerrymandering - The practice of manipulating electoral boundaries so as to favour one party over another.
• the key role of Congress is to produce legislations and create, ammend, delay and even reject legislations
• In 2020, Congress rejected funding Trump for his mexican wall plans
• Power of the purse - Congress has the right to raise taxes and spend the money raised for the national government
• power of the purse prevent the president from spending without the consent of the elected representives
• Appropriations laws - a proposed law from Congress that authorises spending of government, and therefore taxpayers' money
• The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022 passed with only hours to spare before the government shutdown
• AUFM ask congress to give authorisation for the president to use his military and fund it without formally declaring war
• Power of the pardon - The president has the constitutional right to 'grant reprieves and pardons' allowing them to excuse someone for a fedral crime
• In his final days in office, Trump pardoned 70 people and commuted the sentences of 73
• bicameral - a legislative made up of two chambers
• incumbent - the person who currently hold a political office, usually referring to the president, a senator or a member of the house of representatives
• tyranny - oppressive or cruel rule. For the Founding Fathers, this was their experience of British rule
• commerce clause


  The clause of the US Constitution that allows Congress regulatory power over trade between states. It has been used to grant Congress broad powers over state governments
• Subpoena


  the ability of Congress to order someone to attend a hearing and compel them to give evidence