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US Politics > 18.3.1 - Congress and Legislation > Flashcards

18.3.1 - Congress and Legislation Flashcards

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1
Q

Chapter 18.3.1 - Congress function - legislation

A

legislation

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2
Q

The legislative process:
Where can a bill begin?

A

Either house of Congress

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3
Q

What are the 6 different stages to the legislative process?

A
  1. Introduction
  2. Committee consideration
  3. Scheduling
  4. Floor action
  5. Resolving differences
  6. Presidential action
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4
Q

What % of legislation introduced in the 115th Congress became law?

A

2%

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5
Q

What % of proposed legislation in the 114th Congress got a vote in at least one house?

A

5%

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6
Q

What is the introductory stage of a bill?

A

A mere formality

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7
Q

Who receives the bill and where is it placed?

A

The leading member of that house receives the bill and places it into the relevant committee

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8
Q

How can the leading member of that house influence the progression of that bill?

A

The speaker of the House can choose to time limit a bill and how many committees the bill will go into

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9
Q

What is a ‘split referral’?

A

Splitting the bill into different parts and sending to to different committees

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10
Q

What does ‘unanimous consent’ in the Senate mean?

A

Procedures in the Senate can be set aside if no senator objects

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11
Q

What is required to place a bill into more than one committee?

A

Unanimous consent

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12
Q

How many bills make it out of the committee consideration stage?

A

1 in 4 bills

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13
Q

What are bills that do not make it out of the committee considered?

A

‘Pigeon-holed’

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14
Q

What happens to a ‘pigeon-holed’ bill once the congressional session ends?

A

The bill ‘dies’

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15
Q

For the scheduling stage in the House of Representatives, who decides the timetabling?

A

The House Rules Committee

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16
Q

How is the House Rules Committee membership dominated?

A

By the majority party in a 2:1 ratio

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17
Q

Who is the current chair of the House Rules committee?

A

Tom Cole (R) since 2023

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18
Q

When was the House Rules Committee formed?

A

2nd April 1789

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19
Q

Other than timing, what does the House Rules Committee decide about the debate on a bill?

A

Whether the debate is ‘open’ or ‘closed’

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20
Q

What is the difference between an ‘open debate’ and a ‘closed debate’?

A

In an open debate amendments can be made to the bill whereas in a closed debate no amendments can be made to the bill

21
Q

What record was set in mid 2017?

A

The House Rules Committee allocated a closed rule debate for the 49th time - most time in a congressional session and also no legislation had been considered under the open rule

22
Q

How are debates in the House of Representatives different to debates in the Senate?

A

In the House debates are time-limited whereas in the Senate there is the right of ‘unlimited debate’

23
Q

What is the longest filibuster in Senate history?

A

Strom Thurmond 24 hours and 18 minutes

24
Q

When and why did Strom Thurmond filibuster?

A

To prevent the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957

25
Q

Why did Ted Cruz filibuster for 21 hours and 18 minutes in 2013?

A

In protest of the Continuing Appropriations Act, he opposed Obamacare

26
Q

Who filibustered for 15 hours and 28 minutes in protest of Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court confirmation?
What was ended in 2017?

A

Jeff Merkley (Oregon)
The use of filibusters was prevented on Supreme Court nominees

27
Q

How can a filibuster be ended?

A

By a cloture motion

28
Q

How many senators must vote to invoke the cloture motion?
When was this decided?

A

60 senators - decided in 1975

29
Q

How many cloture motions were filed in the 115th Congress?

A

328

30
Q

What is set up at the resolving differences stage?

A

A conference committee

31
Q

Why is a conference committee set up?

A

To create one bill from the versions created by each chamber

32
Q

How are the Senate and House represented on the conference committee?

A

Equally

33
Q

What are 2 informal methods of reconciling bills?

A
  1. ‘Ping-pong’
  2. ‘Take it or leave it’
34
Q

What are 3 options a president has once a bill is sent to him?

A
  • Sign the bill
  • Leave it on his desk
  • Veto the bill
35
Q

After how many days does a bill automatically become a law?

A

10 days

36
Q

What happens if a congressional session ends before a bill had become a law and what is this known as?

A

The bill ‘dies’ - known as a pocket veto

37
Q

Strengths and weaknesses of the legislative process:
Why is a lengthy legislative process a strength?

A

It ensures scrutiny of legislation and ensure the quality, popularity and workability of laws that are passed

38
Q

Why is the equality of both houses a strength of the legislative process?

A

It ensures that the needs of both the people and the states are heard, with compromise being integral to the process

39
Q

What does the process prevent from passing?

A

Knee-jerk legislation

40
Q

What allows for tyranny of the minority?

A

The need for super-majorities and the ability of one senator to hold up a bill

41
Q

What is ‘pork barrel politics’?

A

The inclusion of spending additions to bills, which benefit a member of Congress’ district in order to win favour and attract popularity

42
Q

Role of the two houses in the legislative process:
What is the ‘germaneness rule’ and which chamber does it apply to?

A

In the House of Representatives amendments offered to a bill must be relevant to the topic of the bill

43
Q

Policy significance of Congress:
What does Baron de Montesquieu say about the enforcement of legislation?

A

It should be the role of the executive branch, not the legislative branch

44
Q

What two recent acts have shown that Congress is deepening its role in policy that had often been reserved to the states?

A
  • No Child Left Behind Act
  • Obamacare
45
Q

What significant legislation was passed under President Trump?

A

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

46
Q

What ensures that congressional law is superior to state law?

A

The supremacy clause in the constitution

47
Q

What is federally illegal but is being legalised in many states?

A

Marijuana

48
Q

Why did John Lewis lead a sit-in in the House of Representatives in 2016 and what did they chant?

A

He led a sit-in in the House of Representatives after the House failed to pass gun control following the Orlando nightclub shooting.
Chanted ‘No Bill, No Break’

US Politics (46 decks)

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