AP Gov midterm review (Congress) Flashcards
who are incumbents
The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position
what are incumbency advantages
advertising, credit claiming (claiming past casework and stuff they’ve done), weak opponents, campaign spending, party identification (name recognition in their voters)
house of reps requirements
at least 25 years old and have been a citizen for at least 7 years
senate requirements
at least 30 years old and have been a citizen for 9 years
what group is most underrepresented in Congress
women are the most unrepresented (% in congress compared to % of the US population)
what group is most represented in Congress
white males, there is a higher % of white males in Congress then compared to the % in the US population
what party is in control of Congress rn
Republicans are in control
whats descriptive representation in congress
when the representative has the same background as the constituents they are representing (ex: they are both women of a minority)
whats substantive representation in congress
when the representative has the same opinion as the constituents they’re representing (ex: they both strongly believe in stopping abortion)
what is reapportionment
Reapportionment is the redistribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives based on changes in population (always has to be 435 seats not any more or any less)
how often does reapportionment occur
every 10 years we have a census (a survey of the population to figure out how many people live in an area and what they do etc) and then based off that the seats are then reapportionment
what is redistricting
redrawing the district lines when the # of seats has changed in a state because of a change in their population
who typically redraws the lines
the party in power/control
what is the packing method when redistricting
concentrating the opposing party’s voting power in one district to reduce their voting power in other districts (say the republican party was redrawing lines they would try to put a bunch of democrats into one voting district)
what is the cracking method when redistricting
this is when they disperse the opposing party voters into a few districts in the hope of weakening their power (say Republicans are redrawing lines they might put a few democrats in each voting district in hopes the Republicans in those districts will overpower them)
what is the main difference between the Senate and the House
senators represent the whole state while representative only represent the district they are assigned to
how is the Senate different from the House?
they are the upper house, 2 senators per state, created to be federal, 6 year terms, 100 senators, chaired by the vice-president but they are not a member (they only vote if there is a tie), they are able to have unlimited debate, and they hold impeachment trials
what are the distinctive powers of the Senate?
someone can have the floor as long as they want/there are no time limits, the senate is the one that has everything to do with confirming nominations, can ratify or reject treaties with 2/3 vote
how is the House different from the Senate
they are the lower house, proportional representation, created to be national, 2 year terms, are meant to be responsive to popular opinions, 435 members, chaired by a member of the house, there is limited debate, articles of impeachment are drawn up in the house
what are the distinctive powers of the house
revenue bills must originate in the house
what is the committee process if the bill starts in the house?
first, the bill is introduced by a MEMBER of the house and then assigned to a committee, After the bill is assigned it is now in committee action where it first goes to a subcommittee to be studied and have revisions done if it makes it past here it goes to a committee where here it can be amended and or rewritten if approved it is sent to the rules committee. Here they review the bill and decide things like when it will be debated and how long they get. After this the bill is now in floor action where the bill is debated by the full house if the bill passes and it has already been sent through the Senate it will go to a conference committee which has members of both the House and Senate here they work out the differences between the two different passed versions of the bill. Once this is complete the bill is sent back to the floor to be voted on again with the new conference committee version and if it passes it is sent to the president where it can be signed or vetoed, if vetoed congress can override with a 2/3 vote in both the house and the senate and finally if passed it becomes law
what is the committee process if the bill starts in the senate
first, the bill is introduced by a MEMBER of the senate and then assigned to a committee, After the bill is assigned it is now in committee action where it first goes to a subcommittee to be studied and have revisions done if it makes it past here it goes to a committee where here it can be amended and or rewritten if approved it is sent to the leadership. Here the senate leaders of both parties schedule a senate debate on the bill. After this the bill is now in floor action where the bill is debated by the full Senate if the bill passes and it has already been sent through the House it will go to a conference committee which has members of both the House and Senate Here they work out the differences between the two different passed versions of the bill. Once this is complete the bill is sent back to the floor to be voted on again with the new conference committee version and if it passes it is sent to the president where it can be signed or vetoed, if vetoed congress can override with a 2/3 vote in both the house and the senate and finally if passed it becomes law
what is impeachment
Impeachment is the process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing. A trial may be held, and the official may be removed from office.
who can initiate impeachment?
only the House of reps can initiate the process of impeachment
what is the process of impeachment in the house
it begins with referring the matter to a committee usually the House Committee of Rules and the House Committee of Judiciary. They review the accusations and examine the evidence. If they find sufficient grounds to proceed the House will hold a seperate vote on each of the charges (articles of impeachment) if one or more pass by a simple majority they are impeached and will be sent to trial in the Senate
what is the process of impeachment in the senate
selected members of the house act as prosecution (the ones charging) while the impeached member and their lawyer present their defense lastly the senate acts as the judge and jury (conducting the trial and deliberating the arguments)
what happens if it’s the president or VP is impeached
The Chief justice of the Supreme Court presides
what needs to happen to be convicted
the person being charged is convicted if there is a supermajority vote of 2/3 this results in the automatic removal of power and depending on the charges it can disqualify them from holding office in the future
what can get someone impeached?
treason (the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government), bribery (The criminal offense of bribery involves offering or giving something of value to another person, usually a public official), and other high crimes and misdemeanors
who can use a filibuster
this can be used by the senate
what is a filibuster
A filibuster is a tactic used in the United States Senate to delay or block a vote on a measure by preventing debate on it from ending.
how can you end a filibuster
Senate majority can end a filibuster by adopting a cloture motion. A vote for cloture requires the support of 60 senators,
