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gov > congress notes > Flashcards

congress notes Flashcards

1
Q

congress makeup

A

house and senate

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2
Q

the house members terms and general role

A

435 members
2 year terms
initiates all revenue bills and more influential on budget and tax reform

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3
Q

the senate members terms and general role

A

100 members
6 year terms
gives “advice and consent” more influenctial on foreign affairs
have unlimited debates
“Upper chamber”

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4
Q

house age requirement citizenship requirement and % up for election every 2 years

A

25
7
100

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5
Q

senate age requirement citizenship requirement and % up for election every 2 years

A

30
9
33

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6
Q

house method of election
size of constituency
presiding officer
impeachment

A

people/district
single-member district
speaker of the House
initiates impeachment

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7
Q

senate method of election
size of constitutency
presiding officer
impeachment/ roles

A

people/ state (17th amendment)
state
Vice-president
ratifies treaties
confirms president appointment
impeachment trial

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8
Q

trustees

A

use best judgment to make policy in the interest of the people

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9
Q

instructed delegates

A

mirror preferences of constituents

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10
Q

politicos

A

adopt both trustee and delegate roles to be both repressentatives and policymakers

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11
Q

speaker of the house

A

presides over the house
elected by majority party in house every 2 years
sets overall agenda and coordinates policy
determines committee assignments

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12
Q

majority house leader

A

schedules legislation for floor consideration
plans daily weekly and annual legislative agendas
works to advance goals of majority

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13
Q

minority house leader

A

party’s top choice for Speaker if party control flips
meets with speaker and majority leader to discuss agreements on issues

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14
Q

the senate vp

A

president of the senate
votes to break ties

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15
Q

senate president pro tempore

A

presides in VP’s absences
held by member of majority party with longest service

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16
Q

senate majority leader

A

serves as chief senate spokesman for the party and manages and schedules legislative and exec business

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17
Q

senate minority leader

A

acts as minority party’s chief spokesperson

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18
Q

whips

A

deputies responsible for maintaining party loyalty and counting heads on key votes
exert pressure on members to vote the party position

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19
Q

enumerated vs implied powers

A

powers specifically stated in constitution for congress vs not specifically addressed

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20
Q

commerce clause

A

congress gets power to regulate interstate and international commerce

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21
Q

gibbons v. ogden

A

federal government has exclusive power over interstate commerce
every form of commercial activity

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22
Q

legislative oversight

A

monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy through committee hearings

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23
Q

standing committees

A

most important type; subject matter committees that handle bills in different policy areas

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24
Q

select committees

A

created for a specific purpose; temporary; watergate scandal

25
Q

joint committees

A

similar to select committees but membership drawn from chambers
help focus attention on major issues
iran contra affair

26
Q

conference committees

A

resolve differences in house and senate similar bills; compromise bills

27
Q

committees as a whole

A

committees submit bills to house/senate
bills are then marked up, pigeonholed (forgotten), or killed

28
Q

the house rules committee

A

controlled by the speaker of the house
plays key role in shaping legislation

29
Q

house rules: closed rule

A

sets strict time limits for debate
limits amendments to the bill

30
Q

house rules: open rule

A

more flexible time limits for debate
permits amendments from members

31
Q

caucuses

A

a group of members of congress sharing some interests or goals to shape the agenda of congress
pressure for committee meetings and hearings and for votes on bills

32
Q

legislative process: bill

A

anyone can draft a bill but only congress members can introduce them
- introduced in house or senate, go to subcommittees and committees, rule committee, full house to conference committee back to full house and then pres

33
Q

logrolling

A

one member supports another’s pet project in return for support of their own

34
Q

veto power

A

president rejects the bill passed by both chambers
this can be overridden by a 2/3 vote in each chamber

35
Q

pocket veto

A

president has 10 days to act on legislation
if the president receives a bill within 10 days of adjournment of session and he doesn’t act… the bill dies

36
Q

filibuster

A

an activity unique to the senate
opponents of a piece of legislation try to talk it to death
tie up legislative agenda until proponents of a bill finally give up

37
Q

cloture

A

60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster by voting for cloture on debate

38
Q

incumbents

A

those already holding office
single most important factor in determining the outcome of congressional elections

39
Q

how often do incumbents win

A

90% of house incumbents win reelection
75% of senate incumbents
^ senate races are higher profile and media attention spotlights failures

40
Q

if we hold congress in such low regard why do the vast majority win reelection

A

money (pacs contribute more to incumbents than to challengers)
visibility/name recognition (advertising)
credit claiming (getting it done image through casework and pork barrel spending)
franking privilege
gerrymandering

41
Q

casework

A

helping constituents as individuals
cutting through red tape to get your social security check

42
Q

pork barrel spending

A

congressmen “earmark” funds for their constituents in huge federal projects/grants

43
Q

franking privilege

A

can keep in contact with constituents through the mail at taxpayers’ expense

44
Q

coattail effect

A

holding congress responsible for presidential performance

45
Q

reapportionment

A

process of reallocating seats in the HOR every 10 years based on national census

46
Q

malapportionment

A

state legislators draw districts of unequal size and populations

47
Q

baker v Carr

A

enforced proportional population equality within districts “one person one vote”

48
Q

minority/majority districting

A

arranging districts to allow a minority representative to be elected

49
Q

shaw v reno

A

n carolina ordered to redraw district to allow one more black rep
minority/ majority districting

50
Q

rider

A

additional provision added to a bill

51
Q

virginia plan

A

James Madison’s Virginia Plan outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The plan called for a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation.

52
Q

new jersey plan

A

limiting each state to one vote in Congress,

53
Q

great compromise

A

The Great Compromise established the United States legislature as a bicameral, or two-house law-making body. In the Senate, each state would be allowed two representatives; in the House of Representatives, the number of representatives allowed for each state would be determined by its population.

54
Q

who originally elected members of the house and senate

A

house: the people
senate: state legislatures

55
Q

17th amendment

A

directly vote for senators

56
Q

purpose of the committee system

A

Through investigations and hearings, committees gather information on national and international problems within their jurisdiction in order to draft, consider, and recommend legislation to the full membership of the Senate.

57
Q

how does the legislative branch keep executive branch in check

A

legislative branch approves appointments
can override vetos

58
Q

oversight methods

A

setting guidelines for new agencies
holding hearings and conducting investigations
controlling the budget
reorganizing an agency

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