Exam 3: The Legislative Process Flashcards

1
Q

What is a law

A

a written rule, by congress, that citizens must follow

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2
Q

what is a bill

A

a PROPOSE law

1st its a bill, then its a law

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3
Q

What are some examples of laws?

A
  1. speeding
  2. you have to pay taxes
  3. the establishment of a national park
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4
Q

How was the legislative process constitutionally designed?

A

in a way where BOTH the HOUSE and the SENATE must approve a bill before it becomes a law

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5
Q

Whats the very first step in the legislative process?

A

DRAFTING THE BILL

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6
Q

legislative process =

A

getting a bill to become a law

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7
Q

Where is a bill drafted?

A

A bill is ONLY drafted by CONGRESS

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8
Q

Bills dealing with taxation must be written by

A

THE HOUSE!!

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9
Q

T/F: Senators write taxation bills

A

FALSE

only the HOUSE can write taxation bills

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10
Q

During the drafting stage of a bill, there is no stipulations in regards to

A
  1. what the bill is about (can be anything within congresses power)
  2. which chamber writes the bill (except for taxation bills)
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11
Q

What are the steps for when a bill reaches the House?

A

1st part: drafting a bill

  1. House Introduction
    • parliamentarian
  2. House Committees
    • standing
      committees
    • Chair Decides
    • Public Hearing
    • Mark up stage
      (private
      committee)
  3. House Floor Activity
    • House Rule
      Committee
      * Open & close
      rule
      * majority vote
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12
Q

What occurs during the House Introduction stage?

A

The bill is read on the floor/ chamber of the house in front of all the house members

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13
Q

Who is a parliamentarian?

A

a HIRED ATTORNEY

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14
Q

What does a parliamentarian do?

A

determines the subject of the bill

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15
Q

What occurs during the House committee stage?

A

the parliamentarian refers the bill to one of the 20 standing committees

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16
Q

How many standing committees are their in the house?

A

20

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17
Q

What does a standing committee do?

A

Review the bill

have different subjects that determine a bill

Example: if the subject of the bill is military then it is referred to the military committee

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18
Q

Standing committees have

A

different “subjects” that determine a bill

			Example: if the subject of the bill is military then it is referred to the military committee
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19
Q

What occurs next once a standing committee reviews and determines a bill?

A

The CHAIR of the committee decides if they want to accept or reject the bill (killing the bill)

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20
Q

If a bill get accepted by the Chair of the standing committee, what occurs next?

A

A Public Hearing

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21
Q

What is a public Hearing?

A

where citizens come and tell congress whether they are for or against the bill

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22
Q

After a public hearing what occurs next?

A

Mark up stage = private committee meeting

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23
Q

what is the mock up stage?

A

Is a private committee meeting that determines what is going to happen with the bill

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24
Q

What are the four options for a bill during the markup stage?

A
  1. Accept
  2. Reject
  3. Amend
  4. Table
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25
Q

What does it mean when a House member “tables” a bill?

A

This means that they will not vote on the bill, instead they are going to put it aside for later

26
Q

why would a House member or Senator “table” a bill?

A

if they are waiting for a similar bill

if the bill is controversial

27
Q

Explain the path of a bill once it reaches the House Committees Stage.

A
  1. standing committee reviews/ determines bill
  2. Chair decides to reject or accept bill
  3. public hearing: gets citizens opinions
  4. Mark up stage: makes one of four decisions about a bill (1) accept (2) reject (3) amen (4) table
28
Q

what does it mean if a house member or senator amends a bill?

A

they edited the bill before it was passed
(very common)

29
Q

What happens to a bill during the house floor activity stage?

A
  1. goes through the house rule committee
  2. determine if its an open or close rule
  3. majority vote
30
Q

What does the house rule committee do?

A

schedules the bill: determines what day and time the bill is going to be heard by ALL house members

31
Q

What is the close rule?

A

NO DEBATE

Just vote

32
Q

what is the open rule?

A

can debate before voting

33
Q

T/F: In the House, members can choose whether they want to debate a bill or not.

A

TRUE

in the house members can choose to debate before voting per the open and close rule

34
Q

In order to pass a bill in the House and Senate there needs to be a

A

MAJORITY VOTE: 50% + 1

35
Q

A majority vote in the house must add up to __(1)__ votes

A

218

36
Q

What happens when a bill DOES NOT receive a majority vote?

A

the bill dies, its gone

37
Q

Explain the Legislative process once a bill goes through the Senate.

A

Step #1: Senate Introduction
1. on the senate floor
2. Parliamentarian
i. Determines the subject of the bill

Step #2: Senate Committees
1. 24 standing committees
i. Review those bills
2. Chair Decides
i. Accept or reject the bill
3. Public Hearing
i. Hears from citizens and there opinion of the bill
4. Markup Stage
i. Private Committee
1) Pass bill
2) Reject bill
3) Amend bill
4) Table bill

Step #3: Senate Floor Activity (difference)
1. SENATE ALWAYS DEBATES

38
Q

T/F: The Senate always debates a bill.

A

TRUEEEE

39
Q

What members within the senate determine when the bill will be heard by the entire senate?

A

Majority & minority leaders

40
Q

What is the role of majority and minority leaders during step #3: senate floor activity?

A

Determines when the bill will be heard by the entire senate

41
Q

What is Filibuster?

A

is a strategy, where senators are going to continue to debate pass the past deadline

Ex: bill is due at 4:00 pm, a senate member is going to debate until 4:01 pm

42
Q

What could be the reasoning for a filibuster?

A

a member does not want the bill to be passed

there are not enough votes to decline the bill

43
Q

What are the rules for a filibuster?

A
  1. Only 1 senator can filibuster
  2. the senator has the stand and continuously talk
44
Q

What is the pathway of a bill once it reaches the senate floor activity?

A
  1. majority & minority leaders decide the time and day the bill will be heard
  2. Debate, a filibuster can occur
  3. Cloture: ends the filibuster/ ends the debate
  4. Majority Vote: 51 yes votes
45
Q

What is a cloture?

A
  1. Ends a filibuster
    or
  2. Vote to end a debate
46
Q

How many votes must be needed to end a debate (cloture)?

A

70 out of 100

47
Q

How many votes are needed to pass a bill during the senate floor activity?

A

51 votes = majority vote

48
Q

When a bill goes to the house then it must go to the __(1)__

when a bill goes to the senate then it must go to the __(2)__

A
  1. Senate
  2. House
49
Q

how many bills make it through the entire process?

A

10 - 20 %

50
Q

When is a conference committee formed?

A

When a bill is CHANGED by another chamber

ONLY IF THE BILL HAS BEEN CHANGED/ if the bill is different

51
Q

What is a conference committee

A

when certain House AND Senate members come together to produce a compromise (one final bill)

52
Q

What is the job of the conference committee?

A

to produce one final change bill

53
Q

what occurs once the conference committee develops a final changed bill?

A

the “new” bill goes to the floor to be voted on.

needs a majority vote, if not the bill gets “killed”

54
Q

What is the last stop for a bill?

A

THE PRESIDENT

55
Q

If a president approves a bill then it

A

becomes a LAW

56
Q

when does a bill become a law?

A

when the president approves it

57
Q

What are the 2 options a president has when deciding a bill?

A
  1. Approve the bill = LAW
  2. veto bill
58
Q

what does it mean when a president vetos a bill?

A

this means that the president DID NOT like the bill, so he/ she did not sign it

59
Q

How can a presidents veto be override?

A

a veto can be override by congress with a 2/3 vote

60
Q

what occurs when a veto bill is override by congress?

A

It becomes a law