Chapter 6

Question 1

What is committee action?

Answer 1

When a bill is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the senate.

Question 2

What is multiple referral?

Answer 2

When bills are referred to more than one committee.

Question 3

What is a sequential referral?

Answer 3

Only in the house. It mans any piece of legislation that makes it out of committee must go to another committee.

Question 4

what is a the Rules Committee?

Answer 4

Only in house. It is where bills go when they make it out of their first committee during sequential referral.

Question 5

What is pigeonholing?

Answer 5

If the committee does not act on a bill, it is the equivalent of killing it.

Question 6

Whats steps do committees do?

Answer 6

1. Comment about bill
2. Bill can be assigned to subcommittee.
3. Hearing may be held.
4. Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee.
5. committee holds mark-up session.
6. If a bill dies, it usually dies here.

Question 7

What are Standing committees?

Answer 7

Permanent subject matter committee. Congressmen develop expertise in their subject matter by working on these committees.

Question 8

What are Joint Committees?

Answer 8

HOR and the Senate join together to get things done.

Question 9

What are select Committees?

Answer 9

A temporary Committee to deal with temporary Issue. Example is Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.

Question 10

What is a conference committee?

Answer 10

House and Senate join together to resolve differences of passing a different version of the same bill in different houses.

Question 11

What is a divided government?

Answer 11

It is when one or both houses are of a different party than that of the President.

Question 12

What is a unified government?

Answer 12

A unified government is when both houses of the government are the same as the President.

Question 13

What are Implied powers?

Answer 13

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States.

Question 14

What powers are denied to congress?

Answer 14

Writ of Habeas Corpus, Bill of Attainder, Ex post Facto.

Question 15

What was the The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act of 1985?

Answer 15

The act demanded that the Federal budget be balanced every year, and that Congress and the President do not spend money it does not have. Because of loopholes Congress and the President continued deficit spending.

Question 16

Name three congressional agencies?

Answer 16

General Accounting Office (GAO), Congressional Research Services (CRS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Question 17

What is the GAO?

Answer 17

The General Accounting Office, also referred to as “The watchdog of congress” was founded in 1921. Primarily performs routine financial audits of money spent by the executive department and agencies.

Question 18

What is the CRS?

Answer 18

The Congressional Research Services, founded in 1914, is a politically neutral body that indicated the arguments for or against certain policies.

Question 19

What is the CBO?

Answer 19

The Congressional Budget Office, founded in 1974, provides cost analysis on proposed legislation.

Question 20

What are some House and Senate Ethics?

Answer 20

1. Gifts – (No gifts more than $100 total)
2. Lobbyists - No gift pay (for official travel , legal defense fund, or charitable contributions.)
3. Fees – No fees for lectures or writing except fees up to $2000 to Senator’s charity
4. Outside Income – May not exceed 15% of the Senator or House member salary
5. Ex-Congressmen cannot influence government for an entire year.
6. Mass Mailing – No Congress may receive more than 50,000 from the Senate to send out mass mailings to constituents.

Question 21

What immunity does congress have?

Answer 21

Can’t be arrested during session and immune from court action bc of speech made in session.

Question 22

What compensations do congress members get?

Answer 22

Senators and representatives salaries $185,600 per year, raises, free parking, cheap medical benefits, tax deductions

Question 23

What is the oversight function?

Answer 23

The oversight function is when a member of Congress checks to see if the executive branch is working efficiently and according to the law. It is NOT their job to run a department of the executive branch.

Question 24

What are Caucuses?

Answer 24

A congressional caucus is a group of members of Congress sharing specific interest such as the Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, the Congresswomen Caucus, and the Sunbelt Caucus.

Question 25

What are Simple Resolutions?

Answer 25

Simple Resolutions are used to express nonbinding positions of the Senate or House to deal with Senate’s internal affairs, such as the creation of special committees.

Question 26

What are Joint Resolutions?

Answer 26

Joint Resolutions are a legislative measure which requires approval by the Senate and the House and is presented to the President for their approval, in exactly the same fashion as a bill and has the force of law.

Question 27

What are concurrent resolutions?

Answer 27

Concurrent Resolutions are a legislative measure passed by both the Senate and House but they do not need Presidential approval and do not have the force of law.

Question 28

What is Public Bill?

Answer 28

Public Bill is a bill which proposes a law of general application throughout the jurisdiction in which it is proposed and which if enacted will hence become a public law or public act.

Question 29

what is Private Bill?

Answer 29

Private Bill is an act considered or acted upon by a legislature that helps a single individual, group of individuals, or a corporate entity. Private bills are rare today.

Question 30

What are Special Sessions?

Answer 30

Special Sessions of Congress are mandated by the Constitution and they allow Congress to be called back in session during an adjournment to deal with a pressing issue. Today, special sessions are rare since Congress is almost always in session.

Question 31

What is a bill rider?

Answer 31

An attachment to a measure.

Question 32

What do filibusters do?

Answer 32

TALKING A BILL TO DEATH”  A MINORITY OF SENATORS ATTEMPT TO DELAY ACTION ON A MEASURE.

Question 33

What is a cloture rule?

Answer 33

RULE XXII IN THE STANDING RULES OF THE U.S. SENATE  LIMITS DEBATE ON A MEASURE  ¾ OF ALL SENATORS MUST VOTE FOR A “MOTION OF CLOTURE”  LIMITS FLOOR TIME/DISCUSSION OF A MEASURE TO 30 HOURS, THEN A VOTE MUST BE TAKEN

Question 34

How does a bill become a law?

Answer 34

1. Bill introduced 2. Referred to committee 3. Reported by the full committee 4. sent to rules committee (house of reps) 5. bill is debated on the floor 6. House voted 7. Senate does same process. 8. Conference committee works out changes in bill. 9. both houses vote again. 10. president makes choice and if vetoed take 2/3 of both houses to override.

Question 35

House specifications?

Answer 35

435 members based on states. 2 year terms. Minimum age of 25. More formal. Many rules.

Question 36

Senate specifications?

Answer 36

100 members not based on state pop.. 6 year terms. 30 minimum age. Few rules. Less formal.

Question 37

apportionment

Answer 37

The process of allotting congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population, following the decennial census.

Question 38

bill

Answer 38

A proposed law.

Question 39

impeachment

Answer 39

The power delegated to the House of Representatives in the Constitution to charge the president, vice president, or other “civil officers,” including federal judges, with “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” This is the first step in the constitutional process of removing government officials from office.

Question 40

trustee

Answer 40

Role played by an elected representative who listens to constituents’ opinions and then uses his or her best judgment to make a final decision.

Question 41

delegate

Answer 41

Role played by a representative who votes the way his or her constituents would want, regardless of personal opinions; may refer to an elected representative to Congress or a representative to the party convention.

Question 42

politico

Answer 42

An elected representative who acts as a trustee or as a delegate, depending on the issue.

Question 43

incumbency

Answer 43

Already holding an office.

Question 44

redistricting

Answer 44

The process of redrawing congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state.

Question 45

gerrymandering

Answer 45

The drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome without regard to the shape of the district.

Question 46

majority party

Answer 46

The political party in each house of | Congress with the most members.

Question 47

minority party

Answer 47

The political party in each house of Congress with the second most members.

Question 48

party caucus (or conference)

Answer 48

A formal gathering of all party members.

Question 49

Speaker of the house

Answer 49

The only officer of the House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution; the chamber’s most powerful position; traditionally a member of the majority party.

Question 50

majority leader

Answer 50

The head of the party controlling the most seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate; is second in authority to the Speaker of the House and in the Senate is regarded as its most powerful member.

Question 51

minority leader

Answer 51

The head of the party with the second highest number of elected representatives in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Question 52

whip

Answer 52

``` Party leader who keeps close contact with all members of his or her party, takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communications link within a party. ```

Question 53

president pro tempore

Answer 53

The official chair of the Senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party.

Question 54

discharge petition

Answer 54

Petition that gives a majority of the House of Representatives the authority to bring an issue to the floor in the face of committee inaction.

Question 55

seniority

Answer 55

Time of continuous service on | a committee.

Question 56

markup

Answer 56

A session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor.

Question 57

Committee of the Whole

Answer 57

A procedure that allows the House of | Representatives to deliberate with a lower quorum and to expedite consideration and amendment of a bill.

Question 58

hold

Answer 58

``` A procedure by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill or nomination is brought to the floor. This request signals leadership that a member may have objections to the bill (or nomination) and should be consulted before further action is taken. ```

Question 59

reconciliation

Answer 59

``` A procedure that allows consideration of controversial issues affecting the budget by limiting debate to twenty hours, thereby ending threat of a filibuster. ```

Question 60

pork

Answer 60

Legislation that allows representatives to bring money and jobs to their districts in the form of public works programs, military bases, or other programs.

Question 61

programmatic requests

Answer 61

Federal funds designated for special projects within a state or congressional district. Also referred to as earmarks.

Question 62

congressional review

Answer 62

``` A process whereby Congress can nullify agency regulations within a 60-day window by passing a joint resolution of legislative disapproval. The president’s approval of the resolution or a two-thirds majority vote in both houses to overrule a presidential veto is also required. ```

Question 63

senatorial courtesy

Answer 63

``` A process by which presidents generally allow senators from the state in which a judicial vacancy occurs to block a nomination by simply registering their objection. ```

Question 64

logrolling

Answer 64

Vote trading; voting to support a col- | league’s bill in return for a promise of future support.

Question 65

bicameral legislature

Answer 65

A two-house legislature.

Question 66

Edmund Burke

Answer 66

Conservative British political philosopher of the eighteenth century who articulated the view that elected representatives should act as “trustees” and use their own best judgement when voting

Question 67

Who was the first female speaker of the house?

Answer 67

``` Nancy Pelosi was the first woman Speaker, and served in that role between January 2007 and January 2011. A strong Speaker, she was known for her ability to count votes before allowing any bill on the floor, resulting in the highest levels of party unity in recent history. ```

Question 68

Richard m. nixon

Answer 68

``` The thirty-seventh president, a Republican, who served from 1969 through 1974. Nixon advocated détente during the Cold War and resigned rather than face impeachment and likely removal from office due to the Watergate scandal. ```

Question 69

Congressional Budget act of 1974

Answer 69

Act that established the congressional budgetary process by laying out a plan for congressional action on the annual budget resolution, appropriations, reconciliation, and any other revenue bills.

Question 70

War powers Resolution

Answer 70

Passed by Congress in 1973; the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty-day period in peacetime (which can be extended for an extra thirty days to permit withdrawal) unless Congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period

Question 71

Line-item veto

Answer 71

The power of a president, governor, or other elected executive to reject individual provisions of a bill. Not allowed anymore because supreme court declared it unconstitutional.

Question 72

1992 & 2003 Congressional Elections

Answer 72

In 1992, the Democrats lost 9 seats to the Republicans even though the house of reps won the vote by five. This happened because of redistricting. Then, in 2003, 2 special elections were made to fill empty spots in the House of reps.