2 - US Congress Flashcards
(20 cards)
Structure of House of Reps?
1) 435 members
2) Lower house
3) 2 year elections
4) Led by Speaker and majority/ minority leaders
What is the necessary & proper clause?
Congress shall be able to make any law needed in carrying out its functions
Structure of the Senate?
1) 100 members
2) 6 year terms, 1/3 elected every 2 years
3) VP Leads + Majority/ minority leaders
4) Upper House
Powers of the House?
1) Elect President in deadlock
2) Power of the Purse
3) Initiate impeachments
Powers of the Senate?
1) Elect VP in deadlock
2) Try impeachments
3) Ratification
Concurrent powers?
1) Override Prez veto
2) Declare War
3) Initiate amendments
Functions of Congress?
1) Legislative Powers
2) Oversight
3) Declaring War
How is oversight effective?
1) Committees
2) Ratification
3) Impeachment
How is oversight ineffective?
1) Lack of popularity vs President
2) No impeachment removals
3) Partisanship
Legislative Process?
1) Bill starts in either HoR or Senate
2) Committee Stage (97% rejected)
3) Timetabling (House Rules Committee or unanimous vote)
4) Floor Debate
5) Conference Committee (Conference Report)
6) President Action (veto or pocket veto)
Composition of Congress?
1) Women: 27% (US 51%)
2) Age: 59 yrs (US 38 yrs)
3) POCs: 22% (US 23%)
What is the Power of the Purse?
- Congress must approve budget otherwise shutdown
- All tax bills must start in HoR
- Trump 2018 35-day shutdown
- Obama 2013 16-day shutdown
Importance of standing committees?
- 20 House, 16 Senate
- Permanent
- Expertise
- Large media attention
- Roles:
1) Legislative Process
2) Investigations
3) Hearings on appointments
Examples of standing committees?
1) Agriculture
2) Armed Services
3) Judiciary
Importance of select committees?
- Ad Hoc for urgent issues
- Temporary
- Investigations
- House Rules Committee + Conference Committees
Significance of the House Rules Committee?
1) Determines legislative agenda
2) 2017-19: 56% closed rules
3) Speaker controls what is debated
Significance of Conference Committees?
1) Either house can vote against final bill
2) Part leaders increasingly prevent this stage through asking one house to accept the other’s bill
3) Only 3 reports (2019-21) compared to 67 reports (1995-97)
Relationship to the executive?
1) Contact for key votes
2) Executive can alter bills to appease members
3) Office of Legislative Affairs to lobby members
Relationship to the judiciary?
1) Rule unconstitutional (e.g. 1996 Defence of Marriage Act allowed states to not recognise same-sex marriage – Obergefell v Hodges 2015)
2) Can overturn courts through amendments 3) Appointments + impeachments
