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US Pol bro > 2.1 The structure of Congress. > Flashcards

2.1 The structure of Congress. Flashcards

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1
Q

What does a gallop poll show how many Americans approve of the job Congress is doing?

A

13% - done in 2016

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2
Q

What is having two chambers of government called?

A

bi cameral

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3
Q

How many members in the HoR and Senate

A

435, 100

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4
Q

What do congressmen/women represent in both chambers

A

HoR: representing congressional district
Senate: represent entire state

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5
Q

Whats the age requirement on congress

A

HoR: at least 25
Senate: at least 30

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6
Q

How are the number of HoR proportional

A

reapprotioned after a 10 year census,

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7
Q

What is a congressional district

A

A geographic subdivision of a state
represented by a member of the House of Representatives. The
American equivalent of a constituency in the UK.

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8
Q

How many women are there in the Senate?

A

24 - record number highest number

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9
Q

How many women in HoR

A

27% - record high

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10
Q

Wht is representation by race better in the HoR than in the Senate

A

the federal courts have
allowed states to draw congressional district boundaries to create
districts that are likely to return a Representative from an ethnic
minority group. These so-called ‘majority-minority districts’ are often
geographically distorted as they attempt to group together sometimes
scattered pockets of minority voters.

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11
Q

Who was the only black senator between 2005 and 2008?

A

Barack Obama of Illinois

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12
Q

How many African Americans are there in the senate?

A

3

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13
Q

How many of Congress members were in buiseness or banking?

A

53% of House members and 42% of senators

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14
Q

What are the powers of Congress?

A
  • Law Making
  • Overseeing the executive branch
  • Overriding the president’s veto
  • Confirming appointments
  • Ratifying treaties
  • Initiating constitutional amendments
  • Impeaching and removing public officials
  • Confirming an appointed vice president
  • Declaring war
  • Electing the president and vice president if the electoral college is deadlock
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15
Q

What special law making power does the HoR have?

A

the consideration of money bills

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16
Q

Where is the power of oversight (investigation) seen in the constitution

A

No explicit statement - implied by powers granted in Article I section 8 - states legislative body may investigate any subject within the scope of its legislative powers

Congress establishes votes on budges on all exec departments implies congressional oversight

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17
Q

How many times has congress overrode Obamas vetos

A

once - Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act that would have
allowed families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks to sue
the government of Saudi Arabia for 9/11

18
Q

How many times has Trump vetoed legislation

A

10 times

19
Q

When did Trumps veto get overidden

A

The US Congress has overturned President Donald Trump’s veto of a defence spending bill, the first time this has happened in his presidency.

20
Q

What is a senatorial courtesy

A

An informal agreement allows a
president to confer with any senator of their own party from a particular state before they make a nomination to fill a vacancy for a federal office affecting that state. This is important when it comes to
appointments that the president makes to the federal trial courts

21
Q

How many votes did Amy Comey barret get?

A

Senate voted 52–48 in favor of confirming Amy Coney Barrett

22
Q

What appointments do the Senate confirm?

A
  • Appointments to federal judicary and all of the executive branch
23
Q

What was the last treaty ratified by the senate?

A

United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement - 2020 - free trade agreement
89-10

24
Q

How much did the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement pass in the senate

A

89-10 senate

25
Q

How much votes is needed to ratify treaties?

A

2/3 majority - means that
the president needs to keep the Senate fully informed throughout
treaty negotiations, to avoid concluding treaties that the Senate is
unlikely to ratify.

26
Q

How does Congress impeach public officals

A

Article II section 4

27
Q

When did congress impeach judge?

A

Thomas Porteous in 2010 on

charges that included corruption and perjury

28
Q

What was the most bi-partisan impeachment

A

Trumps second impeachment - 10 Republicans broke the line and voted to impeach

29
Q

Who has ‘the sole power to try all impeachments’

A

the Senate

30
Q

How does impeachment work bro

A

HoR - simple majority

If they are found guilty by a two-thirds majority in senate, the person is immediately removed from office

31
Q

Why can’t congress members been impeached

A

seen as representatives of the people, whilst members of congress are not considered ‘officers of US’ - would be expelled for disordetly behavior with 2/3 majority

32
Q

What did the 25th Amendment do?

A

(1967) gave to both houses the power
to confirm a newly appointed vice president. But note carefully that
this power relates only to a vice president who is appointed, not to
those who are elected.

33
Q

When did congress appoint vice pres

A

1974 - Nixon resigned and Ford became president - Nelson Rockerfeller was appointed by ford, and HoR and Senate voted him in

34
Q

When was the last time the US declared war

A

1941 - declaring war on Japan in WW2

35
Q

How has congress been sidelined with war?

A

in Korea or Vietnam, for example — or
merely being asked to sanction military action that the president has
already decided to take, for example in Iraq

36
Q

What happens if the electoral college is deadlocked (no candidates win an absolute majority)

A

HoR elects president
Senate elects VP
Happened in 1800 and 1824

37
Q

What are the sole powers of the senate?

A

confirming appointments

Ratifying rtreaties

38
Q

Sole powers of HoR

A

beginning consideration of money bills

39
Q

Stat on prestige of senate over HoR

A

In 2017 there were 50 former House members in the Senate but no exsenators in the House of Representatives.

40
Q

What prestige do senators have over HoR ppl

A

Senators are more likely to chair a committee or sub-committee
or hold some other leadership position.• The Senate is seen as a recruiting pool for presidential and vice
presidential candidates.
• Senators possess significant exclusive powers.
• House members frequently seek election to the Senate, but not
the other way around.

US Pol bro (18 decks)

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