2.1 The structure of Congress Flashcards

1
Q

3

Describe the bicameral nature of Congress

A
  • House represents popular soveriegnty as directly-elected
  • Senate acts as safeguard against popular sovereignty (initially elected by state legilsatures)
  • Senate ensures that every state has voice has voice in Fed Govt regardless of size
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2
Q

3

What separates the bicameral Congress from other bicameral systems?

A
  • not traditional ‘lower’ and ‘upper’ hose
  • Have unique powers + concurrent ones
  • Yet power to pass legislation is excercised similarly
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3
Q

4

Describe the membership of HoR

A
  • 435 Reps + 6 non-voting members for DC and overseases territories (e.g. Guam)
  • Reflective of population in each state
  • Congressional district drawn by state government every 10 years after census
  • 2-year terms; no term limits
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4
Q

2

Describe how the HoR membership is relfective of the population

A
  • 7 states have one member
  • CA had 53 members
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5
Q

4

Describe the membership of Senate

A
  • 100 Senators
  • 2 per state - ‘senior’ and ‘junior’
  • Senator represents whole state
  • 6 year-terms; no upper term limit

‘senior’ and ‘junior’ - refers to longest serving

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6
Q

2

Who presides over the Senate?

A
  • Constituionally VPs - hold casting vote in event of tie (e.g. Betsy deVos)
  • President pro tempore appointed to take their place - very weak position
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7
Q

3

Describe gerrymandering/redistricting

A
  • Process whereby state’s governing party redraws boundaries of each constituency to entrench an electoral advantage
  • Produces relatively few swing seats
  • 187 districts controlled by Reps, 75 by Dem
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8
Q

2

Describe limits to gerrymandering/redistricting

A
  • Some states like CA have independent commissions
  • Some states like Alaska have single-member districts
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9
Q

2

Describe the election cycle of the HoR

A
  • all House members elected every 2 years
  • Therefore House is most democraticlaly responsive element of Fed Govt
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10
Q

3

Describe the election cycle of the Senate

A
  • 1/3 of Senate seats up for election every 2 years + special elections
  • Divided into classes: Class I, Class II, Class III
  • Staggered elections prevent continuous change and act as check on popular sovereignty
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11
Q

4

Describe the Georgia Senate elections of 2020-21

A
  • One Class II seat up for election + special election to fill Class III seat following death of incumbent
  • majority of votes required to win seat in Georgia
  • Failure to win seats in both races in first round - run-off triggered
  • Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff (both Dems) won run-offs
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12
Q

2

Describe the significance of the Georgian Senate elections of 2020-21

A
  • Federal elections in Nov 2020 had produced 48-50 Dem:Rep Senate balance (+ Harris VP)
  • Warnock and Ossoff victories have Dems control of Senate
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13
Q

4

Describe mid-term elections

A
  • Seen as referendums on President
  • President likely to lose both House and Senate
  • Congress has more recent mandate and is more willing to challenge President e.g. Merrick Garland 2016
  • Leads to divided government
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14
Q

3

Describe divided government

A
  • When different branches of government are controlled by different parties - precipitates gridlock and halts legislative agenda
  • Presidents incentivised to pass as much of legislative program in first 2 years
  • US Govt divided 70% of time since 1969
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15
Q

3

Describe the mid-terms 2022

A
  • Senate: Dems 51 (inc 3 independents); Rep 49
  • House: Rep 222, Dem 213
  • Ron De Santis increased majority over Dem candidate by 9 points
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16
Q

3

Describe the turnouts in mid-term elections

A
  • Substantially lower than Presidential election year
  • e.g. House elections: 36% (2014) and 55% (2016)
  • Higher turnouts in recent times: 2018 (50%) and 2022
17
Q

3

List examples where Presidents have succeeded in mid-terms

A
  • 2002 - Republicans gained seats in both House and Senate
  • 2018 - Republicans retained Senate
  • 2022 - Dems retained Senate
18
Q

2

What happened in the 2012 midterms?

A
  • Republicans retained House in 2012
  • halted Obama agenda in first 2 years of 2nd term
19
Q

3

Describe ‘franking requests’

A
  • cost of mailing constituents for incumbents provided by Congress
  • Not permitted for electoral purposes - but can demonstrate their work in Congress to boost electoral chances
  • Higher requests in election year - number of requests increased 2.5x from Jan 2020 to April 2020