Chapter 10 Review - Congress Flashcards
Filibuster
Unlimited debate.
Hold on votes, and can effectively kill a bill.
Gerrymandering
Drawing district lines to benefit one while hurting another.
How can you stop a filibuster?
Cloture - 60 members must vote to agree to end the filibuster.
Apportionment
Giving the number of seats to fit the population requirement.
Reapportionment
Every 10 years, reassign district seats based on population.
Logrolling
Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.
Trading votes.
Delegate (Model of Representation)
An official is expected to represent the views of his/her constituents even when personal view differs. (Interpretation of legislator role)
Trustee (Model of Representation)
An individual is expected to vote independently based on his/her judgement of the circumstances. (Interpretation of legislator role)
Where are most bills killed?
Committee
What is the purpose of a discharge petition?
To pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.
Standing Committee
The most durable, and the sources of most bills.
Joint Committee
Members from House AND Senate.
Exist to study an issue of interest to the entire Congress or to oversee congressional support agencies.
Special Committee
Address both short-term and long-term issues such as 9/11. Rarely author legislation.
Conference Committee
A special committee of members from the House and the Senate that settles the differences between different versions of the same bill.
What are the powers of the Speaker of the House?
- Reward and punish individual members
- Set the legislative agenda
- Influence Congressional campaigns
- Control the flow of particularly controversial floor debates
- Third in line for the presidency
