Us Congress Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are congressional caucuses?
Groups of legislators who share special interests and meet to pursue common legislative objectives, e.g. black caucus, women’s caucus, Hispanic caucus.
Congressional caucuses focus on specific issues or demographics to influence legislation.
What is divided government?
When the House of Representatives, Senate and presidency are not all controlled by one party.
This often leads to legislative gridlock and challenges in passing laws.
What is a filibuster?
When a senator gives a prolonged speech on the floor of the Senate to obstruct legislative progress of a bill or confirmation of appointments to the Executive or judiciary.
The longest filibuster was by Strom Thurmond who spoke for 24 hours 8 minutes.
What is gridlock in US politics?
A situation where the president and Congress are equally powerful, constantly preventing each other from acting, resulting in difficulty passing legislation.
This often occurs during divided government.
What is incumbency?
The current holder of a political office re House or Senate seat or presidency.
Incumbents often have advantages in elections, such as name recognition and established donor networks.
What are mid-term elections?
Congressional elections held mid-way through a President’s four-year term.
These elections can significantly impact the balance of power in Congress.
What is oversight in government?
The ability of one branch of government to supervise the work of another.
This is crucial for maintaining checks and balances.
What is partisanship?
A situation in which Congressmen/women are incredibly loyal to their party, even when it means that the result is gridlock.
This can hinder bipartisan cooperation on legislation.
What is unanimous consent in the Senate?
A senator or Congressman/woman may request unanimous consent on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure so as to expedite proceedings.
This is a common practice to speed up the legislative process.
Fill in the blank: The idea that legislation can get pushed through really easily is known as _______.
[expedited process]
What is the job loss rate for incumbents in 2024?
5% job loss rate after an election.
This indicates the strong position incumbents hold in elections.
Give an example of incumbency from the text.
Perez, in 2022 she was given a 2% chance of winning, but in 2024 she was the incumbent and she won.
This illustrates how incumbents can overcome initial challenges to secure re-election.
What is the general oversight of the 119th Congress?
They are failing to fulfill their duties, particularly in supervising the president.
This has raised concerns about accountability and effectiveness in governance.
True or False: Kristi Noem is considered a good fit for her legal job.
False.
The text states she is a horrible fit, highlighting issues with her qualifications.
Fill in the blank: A situation where Congress just can’t get anything done is referred to as _______.
[gridlock]
