Congress Flashcards
(100 cards)
1
Q
When does congress begin a new term?
A
Jan 3rd of every odd numbered year
2
Q
The house has no what until its opening day ceremonies?
A
- no sworn members
- no rules
- no organization
3
Q
The democrats sit at the ? Of the center of the isle
A
Left
4
Q
The Republicans sit to the ? From the viewpoint of someone facing the speakers chair
A
Right
5
Q
What happens opening day at the House?
A
- members elect a house speaker, chaplain, administrative officer, and sergeant of arms
6
Q
What happens opening day In the senate?
A
Newly and reelected members are sworn in
7
Q
Which is shorter — opening day in the House or the Senate? Why?
A
Senate — it is a continuous body
8
Q
What do both houses do shortly after they get organized that involves the president?
A
Listen to the State of the Union message
9
Q
Current speaker of the House
A
Paul Ryan
10
Q
What leader is both an elected presiding officer and the leader of the majority party
A
Speaker of the house
11
Q
What are the responsibilities of the Speaker of the House
A
- Interprets rules
- refers bills to committees
- signs all bills passed by house
12
Q
Who is more powerful: majority leader (party officer) or the speaker of the house (presiding officer)?
A
Majority leader
13
Q
President of the senate is always the
A
Vice President
14
Q
Current president of the senate
A
Mike pence
15
Q
What are the responsibilities of the President Pro Tem of the Senate?
A
Serves in the absence of the VP
16
Q
What is a party caucus
A
Closed meeting with the members of each party in the House
17
Q
What happens at a caucus
A
Deals with the party organization
18
Q
Current majority leader in senate
A
Mitch McConell
19
Q
Most important officers in congress after the speaker are…
A
- President of the Senate
2. President Pro Tempore of the Senate
20
Q
What are the responsibilities of the floor leaders?
A
- carry out decisions of party caucuses
- steer floor action to their party’s benefit
21
Q
What are the responsibilities of whips?
A
- liaison between party’s leadership and its members
- count the way members will vote and tell leaders if they have enough to win
22
Q
What is seniority rule?
A
Unwritten custom that states that the most important posts will be held by the party’s members with the longest records of service in congress
23
Q
On what basis are the chairmen of congressional committees selected?
A
Seniority rule
24
Q
Responsibilities of committee chairman
A
- decides what bills congress will look at
- if they will hold public hearings
- if bills will be given to the whole body or not
25
How does majority party control the flow of bills in the committees?
- majority party holds majority seats in standing committee
| - standing committee determines which bills congress will see
26
Standing committee
Permanent panel that considers certain types of bills that deal with the same subject matter
27
Select committee
Committees called for a specific reason that last a limited amount of time
28
All bills for raising taxes must originate from
The House of Representatives
29
Explain public v. Private bill
- Public: bill of general application
| - Private: bill applies only to a specific group of individuals
30
Joint resolution v. Concurrent resolution
- Joint: proposal for action that has the force of law when passed
- Concurrent: does not have the force of law
31
What type of resolution has the force of law although it does not become a law
Joint resolution
32
What is a “Christmas Tree”?
When multiple riders are attached or “hung” on bills
33
What does it mean to pigeonhole a bill
To blast it out of committee with a discharge petition signed by a majority of house members
34
What is a discharge position
A petition that needs to be signed by a majority of House leaders in order to pigeonhole a bill
35
What happens at public hearings
- formal information-gathering meetings
- anyone can testify if necessary
- committee can force a witness to testify under the threat of imprisionment
36
What is a junket
Field trip
37
5 options a full committee has when it gets a bill from a subcommittee
1. Report the bill with a “do pass” recommendation
2. Refuse to report the bills (pigeonhole)
3. Report the bill in amend form
4. Report the bill with an unfavorable recommendation
5. Report a committee bill
38
Which committee is called the traffic cop? Why?
- House Rules Committee
| - screens thousands of bills that come before the house
39
The Rules Committee has what power?
Speed, delay, or prevent House action on a measure
40
The purpose of deciding important bills by a Committee of the Whole is to
- gain insight from all the members of the House
- quorum has less strict rules
- floor moves at a faster pace
41
Voting in House
- computerized systems
| - 15 minutes
42
Voting in Senate
- voice votes
| - 6-7 minutes
43
Who carries a finished bill from the House to the Senate
- congressional page
44
Major differences between House and Senate on debate ate
- floor debate is limited to in the House; nearly unrestrained in Senate
- Senate rules don’t allow another senator to call for a vote and so cut off a speech
45
How are senate debates brought to a close
Unanimous vote
46
What is a filibuster? Why do Senators do it?
- attempt to talk a bill to death
| - senators use it because it prevents or delays senates action on a measure
47
Who holds the filibuster record
Senator strom thurmond
48
How many votes does the Senate require for cloture
60 votes (3/5ths)
49
2 reasons cloture is so difficult to achieve
1. Senators tradition to senators tradition of free debate
| 2. Worry that it will undercut the value of a filibuster that may want to eventually use
50
Joint committee vs. conference committee
- joint: party made up of both houses and serves permanently
| - conference: called to serve for a specific purpose for a limited time
51
If the President takes no action on a bill submitted in the middle of a regular session what happens to the bill
It automatically becomes a law after 10 days
52
President can pocket veto a bill only if
Congress adjourns its session within 10 days of submitting the bill and he doesnt sign it
53
3 reasons congress is bicameral
- historically: framers knew a bicameral system from England
- practically: settle disputes between Virginia and New Jersey plan
- theoretically: way to spread out the power of congress and prevent it from overpowering the other branches
54
Only state to have a unicameral legislature today is
Nebraska
55
How is the principle of checks and balances reflected in the bicameral congress
- each house of congress checks the other so that one does not overwhelm the other
56
Why do some people believe that the senate is un Democratic and should be abolished
- states (not the people) are equally represented in senate
| (Ex. Wyoming w population of 1/2 million, and CA with population of 38 million both have 2 senators)
57
How long is a term for a representative in House
2 years
58
What did the 20th amendment do
Changed start date of a term from March 4th to January 3rd
59
Number of our current congress
115
60
Difference between a term and a session
- session: period of time in which each year congress conducts business
- congress has two sessions each term (each year)
61
What does it mean for a congress to adjourn
End a regular session in congress
62
Special session vs. regular session in congress
- regular session: routine (1x a year)
| - special session: meeting called to deal with an emergency situation
63
How many members are in the House
435
64
What is the number of terms a member of congress must serve
There is no limit
65
Only way congressional terms can be limited today
If congress passed an amendment that placed a limit on terms
66
The number of House members representing each State is recalculated by the Cenus Bureau how often?
10 years
67
What does it mean to reapportion seats in the House of representatives
Redistribute the seats in House after each decennial census
68
What is gerrymandering
Drawing a district to the advantage got the party that controls the state legislature
69
Reapportionment
Redistribution of seats in House
70
The official body that gerrymanders congressional districts
State legislatures
71
How many seats in the House of Representatives does CA have
53
72
Agency assigned the task of reapportionment
Congress
73
The ratio of representatives in the House to people in the districts
1 to 1
74
In most off year elections what usually happens
The party that holds the presidency usually loses seats in the off year
75
When will the next two off year elections occur?
- 2018
| - 2022
76
What congressional requirements are there for a congressional district
- each district must be in 1 piece
- the districts in each state must have an equal number or inhabitants
- in a comparatively small area
77
A House district is drawn to give an advantage to one political party has been...?
Gettymandered
78
How did the Supreme Court rule on gerrymandering
- districts in the House of Representatives had to contain roughly equal populations
79
What kind of gerrymandering is illegal
Gerrymandering solely on race
80
What are the formal qualifications to be a member of the House
- must be 25 years old
- US citizen for at least 7 years
- inhabitant from the state of which he was elected
81
What fraction of members does each house of congress need to expel a member
2/3rds majority
82
How many members are in the senate
100 (2 per state)
83
How does a typical Senator’s constituency differ from that of a typical representative in the House
- senator: there to represent the state as a whole
| - representative: represent their constituents
84
How and why did the 17th amendment change the way senators were chosen
- 17th enforces that senators are chosen by voters in each state
- response to the abuse of some legislatures choosing only wealthy and corrupt men to contribute to their campaigns
85
Why did the Framers set each senators term at 6 years instead of 2 or 4?
- gives senators a greater degree of job security and isolates them from pressures of public opinion
86
Who holds the all time record of being elected to the senate
Robert Byrd
87
Name two US Senators from CA
- Dianne Feinstein
| - Kamala Harris
88
How any senators are up for re-election every two years?
1/3
89
Since a majority of senators are always experiences, the senate is said to be what?
A continuous body
90
To run for senate, a person must meet what qualifications?
- 30+ years old
- been a citizen of the US for 9 years
- an inhabitant from the state in which he is elected
91
Trustee
Believe that each bill they face must be decided on its merits (conscience and personal opinion)
92
Delegate
Congressmen that vote the way that their constituents would want
93
Partisan
Vote in line with wishes of party leaders
94
Politico
Combines all the roles and tries to balance their own views with view of their constituents, party leaders, and pressure of staying in office
95
When congress checks to see that the various executive agencies are acting in line with the laws they have made they are exercising what power
Oversight function
96
Oversight function
When congress checks to see that the various executive agencies are acting in line with the laws they have made they are exercising what power
97
As role of servant to their constituents, congressmen do what
Accommodate as many of their constituents requests as possible to ensure their vote in the next election
98
What sort of compensation does Congress receive?
- senators and members: $174,000
- speakers: $223,500
- majority and minority leaders: $193,400
- all receive generous travel allowances, pay little for life and health insurance, and obtain a generous retirement plan
99
Members of congress receive franking privileges, which is what?
Free use of the mail
100
Speech and Debate clause makes congressmen immune from what 2 things?
1. Arrest during session for any non-criminal offense
| 2. Immunity from lawsuits dealing with lintel or slander arising out of their official conduct
