congress

Question 1

Constitutional Requirements for House Members

Answer 1

25 years old
7 years a citizen
Inhabitant of state from which they are chosen

Question 2

Constitutional Powers of the House

Answer 2

Power to Impeach

Bills for raising Revenue originate here

Question 3

Constitutional Requirements for Senate Members

Answer 3

30 years old
9 years a citizen
Inhabitant of state from which they are chosen

Question 4

Constitutional Powers of the Senate

Answer 4

Trying impeachments (⅔ vote to impeach)
Confirming cabinet members

Question 5

Constitutional Powers of Congress as a Whole

Answer 5

Power to lay and collect taxes (16th amendment)
Power to borrow money on the credit of the US
Power to regulate commerce
Power to establish post offices and post roads
Power to declare war
Power to raise and support armies
Power to provide and maintain a navy

Question 6

Constitutional Limits on Congress

Answer 6

Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended
No Bill of Attainder of ex post de Facto law shall be passed
No tax on exports by any state
No title of Nobility shall be granted

Question 7

Amendments re: Congress

Answer 7

16th amendment (taxes)
17th amendment (senators)
20th amendment, section 2 (congress shall assemble at least once a year)
27th amendment (no law varying the pay of Congressmen shall take effect until an election of representatives shall have intervened

Question 8

Benefits of Members of Congress

Answer 8

~$169,000 a year
Retirement benefits
Staff
Franking privileges

Question 9

Franking privileges:

Answer 9

allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage.

Question 10

descriptive representatives:

Answer 10

mirroring constituents personal and politically relevant characteristics

Question 11

Substantive representation:

Answer 11

representing interests of groups

Question 12

why do incumbents usualyl win

Answer 12

credit claiming, position taking, weak opponents, campaign spending

Question 13

Credit claiming:

Answer 13

enhancing standing with constituents through service

Question 14

Casework:

Answer 14

activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals (“Cutting the Red Tape”

Question 15

Pork Barrel:

Answer 15

list of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to cities, businesses, and colleges

Question 16

Bicameral legislature:

Answer 16

legislature divided into two houses due to the Connecticut Compromise

Question 17

House of Reps is

Answer 17

More institutionalized, hierarchal, and centralized

Question 18

House Rules Committee:

Answer 18

reviews all bills before they go into the full House; can set rules for debate on the Floor

Question 19

Majority leader:

Answer 19

responsible for scheduling bills, rounding up votes for party

Question 20

Filibuster:

Answer 20

where opponents of a bill talk it to death; requires 60 members to stop it (cloture)

Question 21

Whips:

Answer 21

party leaders who work to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers

Question 22

Four Types of Committees

Answer 22

standing, joint, conference, select

Question 23

standing committee

Answer 23

Standing: handle bills in different policy areas; each House has its own

Question 24

joint

Answer 24

Joint: made up of members of both chambers of a bicameral legislature

Question 25

conference

Answer 25

Conference: formed when House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill

Question 26

select

Answer 26

Select: focused responsibility e.g. intelligence

Question 27

The Speaker of the House has a great deal of influence in

Answer 27

appointing Committee Chairs

Question 28

Examples of House Committees:

Answer 28

House Agriculture Committee House Ways and Means Committee House Judiciary Committee

Question 29

Examples of Senate Committees:

Answer 29

``` Senate Agriculture Committee Senate Judiciary Committee Oversees Justice Department Holds confirmation hearings for attorney general, FBI director Senate Veterans Affairs Committee ```

Question 30

Legislative oversight:

Answer 30

Legislative oversight: congress’ monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy

Question 31

ex of legislative oversight

Answer 31

Ex: Determining federal budget, holding hearings to question agency officials

Question 32

Caucus:

Answer 32

informal group of members of congress sharing some interest or characteristic

Question 33

caucus examples

Answer 33

blue dog coallition, congressional progressive caucus

Question 34

Staff Agencies:

Answer 34

Congressional Research Service, Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office

Question 35

Bill:

Answer 35

proposed law drafted in legal language

Question 36

How A Bill Becomes Law

Answer 36

``` Bill Introduced Bill assigned to Committee Amendments Offered Bill Goes to Rules Committee (House) or assigned for Debate (Senate) Bill brought to floor for Debate Amendments Offered Bill Voted On ```

Question 37

Open/Closed Rule:

Answer 37

if open, amendments can be added to a bill; if closed, amendments cannot be added

Question 38

politicos:

Answer 38

both trustees and delegates

Question 39

Lobbyists provide

Answer 39

crucial policy info, political intelligence, and assurances of financial aid for campaigns

Question 40

Logrolling:

Answer 40

Process of a congressperson trading his or her vote on a bill for a promise from another member to support the first member’s bill

Question 41

Rider:

Answer 41

additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill.

Question 42

•Discharge Petition

Answer 42

– can be filed by a majority in the House / Senate to get a bill out of a reluctant committee and get to the floor (needs a majority)

Question 43

quorom

Answer 43

minimum number needed for a vote (HR = 218; S = 51)

Question 44

•Concurrent resolutions

Answer 44

– nonbinding (and therefore no presidential signature – more a statement of intent or expressing a view)

Question 45

•Simple resolutions

Answer 45

– passed by only one house of Congress deal with operations of congressional business (think rules)

Question 46

A committee of the whole is

Answer 46

a device in which a legislative body or other deliberative assembly sits as a single committee with all assembly members being committee members.

Question 47

An omnibus bill is

Answer 47

a proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics

Question 48

Sunset Clause:

Answer 48

is a provision the causes parts, or all, of a law to expire unless reauthorized