10.1 Flashcards
What is a bicarmel legislature?
A legislature made up of two houses
For what types of reasons is our congress bicarmel?
Historical, practical, and theoretical
For what historical reasons is our congress bicaramle?
The birtish parliament had consisted of two houses, so the framers knew the system very well. Many of the state legislatures as well as the colonial assemblies functioned under the bi-carmel system
What were practical reasons to have a bi-carmel system?
IT was created to settle the conflict between the Virginia and New Jersey PLans. It is a reflection of federalism (each state is equally represented in the senate and each is represented in line with it’s population in the house)
What were theoretical reasons that bicarmelism was favored?
One house might act as a check for the other
Originally,what did the framers fear would happen to Congress?
They thought that it would become the powerhouse of the new government. They wanted to diffuse it’s power to prevent it from overwhelming the other branches of government
How long does a term of Congress last?
IT lasts for two years, and each of those two year terms is numbered consecutively
The date for the start of each new term was changed by what amendment
20th Amendment. It
What is a session of Congress?
It is the period of time during which each year, congress assembles and conducts business. There are two sessions to each term of Congress: once a year
The second session of Congress convenes when?
A few days or a few weeks after the third of January
When does Congress adjourn?
It suspends after a long time, because of many issues that are present
What is a recess?
A short period of time where Congress is temoporarily suspended
What is a special session and who may call it?
The president is the only one who may call a special session, or a meetime to deal with some sort of emergency situaiton.
