2.1 Test

Question 1

Constituents

Answer 1

the people in a voting district for a representative or senator

Question 2

Reapportionment

Answer 2

changing the number of seats each state has every 10 years to match census

Question 3

Redistricting

Answer 3

redrawing congressional voting districts

Question 4

Gerrymandering

Answer 4

Creating district lines in weird shape to favor a certain party or group

Question 5

Enumerated Powers

Answer 5

EXPLICITLY given by Constitution
- tax
- raise an army
- coin money
- borrow money
- regulate interstate commerce
- declare war
- maintain army

Question 6

Implied Powers

Answer 6

“Necessary & Proper Clause”
powers that can help them carry out the jobs Congress has
- environmental
- economic
- social
issues

Question 7

Bicameral

Answer 7

two houses

Question 8

Partisan

Answer 8

of one part

Question 9

Incumbent

Answer 9

someone currently holding the office

Question 10

Discretionary Spending

Answer 10

left-over money
must be authorized by Congress every year (military, education)

Question 11

Mandatory Spending

Answer 11

must pay for this by law
- entitlement programs
- can only be changed by laws
2/3 of federal budget

Question 12

Deficit Spending

Answer 12

spending more than Congress has

Question 13

Senate Powers

Answer 13

Confirmation powers
- provide advice/consent to President for nominations and treaties
e.g. judicial nominations, executive agency heads, cabinet heads

Question 14

President of the Senate

Answer 14

• vice president of the United States
• breaks tie

Question 15

Senate Majority Leader

Answer 15

from majority party
- takes leadership role
- runs senate meetings
- sets agenda
- controls calender

Question 16

Filibuster

Answer 16

long speech to delay action and prevent vote
- attempt to stall/kill a bill by talking for a very long time

Question 17

Hold on bill

Answer 17

prevents bill from being discussed or debated = can’t vote

Question 18

Cloture

Answer 18

3/5 vote to forcibly cut debate for bill

supermajority needed to pass controversial bills

brings bill to vote

Question 19

Rider

Answer 19

non-germane (non-relevant) amendments added to bill

Question 20

Unanimous Consent Agreement

Answer 20

agreement to waive senate rules, so we can debate quicker
–> pass bill faster than normal

Question 21

House of Reps: Party Structure

Answer 21

1. leadership has more power
2. more rules, formal

Question 22

Committee Chairman

Answer 22

• leader of a committee
• always from majority party

Question 23

Speaker of the House

Answer 23

MOST POWERFUL IN CONGRESS
- runs meetings
- decides who can speaek
- schedules bills for debate
- help pass party legislation
- assigns committees

Question 24

House Rules Committee

Answer 24

make rules for debate & time limit for each bill
( are they allowed to make amendments or talk a lot?)

Question 25

House Floor Debate

Answer 25

* more formal * germaneness: discussion must be relevant * time limit

Question 26

Discharge Petition

Answer 26

if your bill is trapped in the standing committee (decide if bill should be reported to floor), majority house vote to have your bill come to the floor

Question 27

Standing Committee

Answer 27

1. where bills are first introduced/assigned/proposed - edits & revisions - "is law necessary?" - vote to allow bill to continue

Question 28

Conference Committees

Answer 28

Senators & Reps if senate and house pass different versions of laws, committee will revise to make one version

Question 29

Power of Purse

Answer 29

Congress creates and passes a federal budget

Question 30

Entitlements

Answer 30

benefits for people who are entitled to them by law (social security, medicaid)

Question 31

Porkbarrel spending

Answer 31

funding for specific district benefits (jobs, programs)

Question 32

Logrolling

Answer 32

vote trading * I'll vote for a bill that helps your district if you vote for a bill that helps my district

Question 33

President Pro Tempore | Senate

Answer 33

member of majority party - leads when president is gone

Question 34

House of Reps | Roles

Answer 34

- all revenue-raising bills origin - reps relay constituent messages to DC - serve on committees

Question 35

House Majority Leader

Answer 35

- has control over majority House party - responsible for party's programs

Question 36

House Majority Whip

Answer 36

party leader - pressures party members to vote with party - responsible for getting party's programs enacted

Question 37

House Minority Leader

Answer 37

party leader - responsible for informing party members - prganizes resistance to programs majority submits

Question 38

Committee of the Whole

Answer 38

- relaxes debate rules of bill to quicken debate

Question 39

Gridlock

Answer 39

differing majority parties in legislation and even executive power that makes it very hard for compromises to be made.

Question 40

Lame Duck

Answer 40

presiden) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor. | other legislative branches are in different parties, so president doesn'

Question 41

Pocket Veto

Answer 41

When president ignores bill and does not sign it for 10 days, if Congress is in session = BILL BEOMES AUTOMATTICALLY PASSED

Question 42

Ways & Means Committee

Answer 42

house committee that controls all taxes

Question 43

Trustee Model

Answer 43

believe voters entrusted them power - use personal judgment when voting on bills

Question 44

Delegate Model

Answer 44

believes to be spokesperson - only votes with party and voter opinions

Question 45

Politico Model

Answer 45

vote based on what they believe and the views of their constituents when voting on a bill

Question 46

Appropriations Committee

Answer 46

Appropriates funding for most of the functions of the federal government | senate

Question 47

Select Committee

Answer 47

temporary committee formed for specific purpose

Question 48

Joint Committee

Answer 48

involves members from both House and Senate | - Coordinate the efforts of each house of Congress on specific subjects

Question 49

Why is the legislative process slow in design?

Answer 49

Framers intended that this would prevent Congress from acting hastily and to make compromises

Question 50

Who can write a bill?

Answer 50

ANYBODY members of Congress, staff, executive branch, interest groups, attorneys | BUT, must be introduced by member of Congress (sponsor)