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congress notes Flashcards

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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

Study These Flashcards
A

created for a specific purpose; temporary; watergate scandal

25
joint committees
similar to select committees but membership drawn from chambers help focus attention on major issues iran contra affair
26
conference committees
resolve differences in house and senate similar bills; compromise bills
27
committees as a whole
committees submit bills to house/senate bills are then marked up, pigeonholed (forgotten), or killed
28
the house rules committee
controlled by the speaker of the house plays key role in shaping legislation
29
house rules: closed rule
sets strict time limits for debate limits amendments to the bill
30
house rules: open rule
more flexible time limits for debate permits amendments from members
31
caucuses
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
legislative process: bill
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
logrolling
one member supports another’s pet project in return for support of their own
34
veto power
president rejects the bill passed by both chambers this can be overridden by a 2/3 vote in each chamber
35
pocket veto
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
filibuster
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
cloture
60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster by voting for cloture on debate
38
incumbents
those already holding office single most important factor in determining the outcome of congressional elections
39
how often do incumbents win
90% of house incumbents win reelection 75% of senate incumbents ^ senate races are higher profile and media attention spotlights failures
40
if we hold congress in such low regard why do the vast majority win reelection
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
casework
helping constituents as individuals cutting through red tape to get your social security check
42
pork barrel spending
congressmen “earmark” funds for their constituents in huge federal projects/grants
43
franking privilege
can keep in contact with constituents through the mail at taxpayers’ expense
44
coattail effect
holding congress responsible for presidential performance
45
reapportionment
process of reallocating seats in the HOR every 10 years based on national census
46
malapportionment
state legislators draw districts of unequal size and populations
47
baker v Carr
enforced proportional population equality within districts “one person one vote”
48
minority/majority districting
arranging districts to allow a minority representative to be elected
49
shaw v reno
n carolina ordered to redraw district to allow one more black rep minority/ majority districting
50
rider
additional provision added to a bill
51
virginia plan
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
new jersey plan
limiting each state to one vote in Congress,
53
great compromise
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
who originally elected members of the house and senate
house: the people senate: state legislatures
55
17th amendment
directly vote for senators
56
purpose of the committee system
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
how does the legislative branch keep executive branch in check
legislative branch approves appointments can override vetos
58
oversight methods
setting guidelines for new agencies holding hearings and conducting investigations controlling the budget reorganizing an agency

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