Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Senior Year Tri 3 > Poly sci - unit 3 > Flashcards

Poly sci - unit 3 Flashcards

(60 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Bicameral Legislature

A

a two-chamber legislature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

U.S. House of Reps qualifications (3) and characteristics (8)

A

Characteristics:

  • 435 members
  • 2 year term
  • election every 2 years
  • no term limits
  • single-member district
  • smaller constituency
  • strict rules on debate
  • “lower house”

Qualifications:

  • 25 years old
  • citizen for at least 7 years
  • legal resident of the state
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

U.S. Senate qualifications (3) and characteristics (8)

A 
Characteristics:
- 100 members
- 6 year term
- election every 2 years
  ~ continuous body - staggered
- no term limits
- at-large
- larger constituency 
- less rules on debate, filibuster
- "upper house"

Qualifications:

  • 30 years old
  • citizen for at least 9 years
  • legal resident of the state
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Which house of Congress is more prestigious? Why?

A

The Senate; it has more power and control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Major function of congress. Define legislature.

A

both mean - to make laws that govern society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Why is the senate called a continuous body?

A

Because all seats are never the same, therefore reelections are staggered

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What does at-large mean?

A

that the Senators represent the entire state as a whole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Who elects US Representatives? Define single-member district. (2)

A

The voters in the state

Single-member district: electoral district in which only one candidate is elected to each office

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Session

A

A period of time during which a legislature meets to conduct business (basically when the people are in congress)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Special Session

A

When the congress is adjourned, but the president calls back

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Census bureau / census

A

in order to assign representation according to population, the bureau takes a population count (census) every 10 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Reapportionment

A

The population of each state determines the new number of representatives to which each is entitled

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Who draws boundary lines for Congressional Districts?

A

State Legislators

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Redistricting

A

setting up new district lines after reapportionment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Gerrymandering

A

when states draw unfair district lines in order to favor or limit the voting strength of a particular group (form of discrimination)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964

A

ruled that district populations must be equal “one person, one vote” no malapportionment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

27th amendment

A

prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for representatives

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

27th amendment

A

prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for representatives

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Censure

A

a vote of formal disapproval of a member’s actions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Incumbent

A

an official running for election that is already in congress (reelection)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Constituent

A

the people whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent (general population)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

House Rule

A

geared towards moving legislature quickly, controlled by majority party

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Standing

A

permanent committees in congress that oversees bills that deal with certain kinds of issues

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Select Committee

A

a temporary committee that is formed to study one specific issue and report it its findings to the Senate or to the House

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Joint Committee
Usually acts as a study group and reports its findings back to the House and the Senate
26
Conference Committee
a temporary / joint committee set up when the House and the Senate have passed different versions of the same bill
27
Speaker of the House
The presiding officer and the most powerful person in the House of Reps.
28
Who is the president of the Senate?
Vice President
29
Who presides over the Senate when the VP is absent?
President Pro Tempore
30
Majority leader Minority leader
- floor leader of his/her party who schedules legislation and steers bills through the House - elects its own leader; virtually has all the same responsibilities as a majority leader, but has no power to over-scheduling work in the House
31
Whip
assistant floor leader who monitors and guides their party member's intentions
32
filibuster
a method of defeating a bill in the Senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote
33
Seniority system
a system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee
34
quorum
the minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action
35
Expressed (Enumerated) Powers give some examples
written in the constitution ex. power to tax, foreign relations & war powers, and declare war
36
Implied Powers give some examples
derived from the Necessary and Proper Clause ex: drafting people into armed forces, fixing minimum wages and maximum work hours, prohibiting discrimination in public accomodations
37
Naturalization
the legal process by which a person is granted citizenship
38
copyright
the exclusive right to publish and sell a literary, musical, or artistic work for a specified period of time
39
patent
exclusive rights of an inventor to manufacture, use, and sell his or her invention for a specific period of time
40
Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824
dealt with who has the authority to allow rights to operate steamboats on state waterways
41
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, 1964
dealt with whether the National Congress could outlaw discrimination in places of public accommodation
42
How a bill becomes a law (7)
1. introduced in either house 2. committee action 3. bill on the floor for a vote (if passed it moves onto the other house) 4. Bill moves to other house for debate and voting 5. if same version of bill passes in both houses it's sent to the president --- if its a different version it must be sent to a Conference Committee 6. President passes, vetoes, or leaves it idle for it to pass or die 7. A vetoed bill can pass with 2/3 override in both Houses of Congress
43
Rider
attached provision to a bill not related to bill's subject matter
44
Rider
attached provision to a bill not related to bill's subject matter
45
"Christmas Tree Bills"
sometimes lawmakers attach many unrelated riders simply to benefit their constituents and resembles a Christmas tree with ornaments
46
Pigeonholing
to kill a bill in Committee, set it aside with no hearing
47
veto
rejection of a bill
48
pocket veto
when a president kills a bill passed during the last 10 days Congress is in its session by simply resisting to act on it
49
How can Congress override a veto?
by getting a 2/3rd vote from BOTH houses of Congress
50
Resolutions (3)
passed by the Congress used to deal with unusual or temporary matters other types include: simple, joint, or concurrent resolutions
51
Which House has the power to impeach (bring charges against) a public official?
House of Representatives
52
Other duties of Congress other than making laws (3)
lay and collect taxes coin money regulate commerce
53
Where a bill is first debated, amended, and voted on after given its title and number
Committee action in either house
54
number of bills that are proposed in any Congressional Session?
Approximately 7,000-10,000
55
Options the president has when receiving a bill on his desk
1. pass the bill 2. veto the bill 3. leave the bill idle where it will pass if 10 days of Congressional Session pass 4. pocket veto - leave the bill idle and it dies because Congress adjourns before 10 days go by
56
Who has the power to call special sessions of Congress at the National level and at the State level? (2)
the President Governors
57
What is the term used to refer to Congressional powers that is specifically stated in the Constitution?
Expressed or enumerated
58
The first female Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi
59
When are Congressional Elections held?
Tuesday following the first Monday in November every even numbered year
60
Partisan
members of congress who vote according to their Party's wishes

Senior Year Tri 3 (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions