ap gov - unit 2 Flashcards
how many members does the house have?
435
The House represents …?
Districts: population
How many terms do you serve in the House?
2 years
What are the rules like in the House?
More formal and strict
How many members does the Senate have?
100
The Senate represents…?
the states
How many terms do you serve in the Sentate?
6 years
What are the rules like in the Senate?
Less formal and fewer rules
Standing committees
PERMANENT; revise bills and hold hearings
-most bills NEVER advance beyond this committee
-congressional oversight
-investigate executive branch
Committee Chairs
Leader of congressional committees; always from MAJORITY party
(big influence over legislation)
Speaker of the House
Most powerful member of congress; favors own party’s legislation
-schedules bills for debate & votes
-always from MAJORITY party
President of the senate
aka Vice president; casts tie-breaking vote
Party leadership
-Committee chairs
-majority & minority leaders
-speaker of House
-whips
(all determined by political party)
House’s duties
-initiates all tax and REVENUE bills
-power of impeachment
-House RULES committee
-Committee of a Whole
-Discharge petition
Committee of a Whole
house forms itself into a committee, to help ease the process
Discharge petition
majority of House can force bill out of committee
Examples of enumerated powers
-declare war
-raise an army
-raise revenue/tax
-passing a federal budget
-coin money
Examples of implied powers
-economic legislation
-environmental legislation
-social issues
Discretionary spending
must be approved ANNUALLY as part of budget bills
-largest area of spending = defense
-education
Whats the largest area of discretionary spending?
defense
Mandatory spending
REQUIRED by law (can ONLY be changed by legislation) over 2/3 of federal spending
-entitlements
-interest on debt
Over 2/3 of federal spending is on what?
mandatory spending
Entitlement spending
Benefits people are entitled to receive by law;
-Social security
-medicare
-medicaid
-temporary assistance for needy families
-supplemental nutrition assistance program
Pork barrel legislation
bring benefits, jobs, and money to a district
Logrolling
Vote trading;
I vote for yours, you vote for mine
Reapportionment
changing the # of seats each state has in the House of Reps; following the census
Redistricting
Redrawing or congressional districts done by STATE LEGISLATURE
Baker v. Carr
Banned MALAPPORTIONMENT;
“one person, one vote”
14th amendment
districts must be similar, NO GERRYMANDERING
14th amendment
equal protection clause
Gerrymandering
Drawing congressional districts in bizarre shapes; usually to benefit a party, UNFAIR