Chapter 11: Congress Flashcards
(37 cards)
How do cracking and packing work?
Dividing a district where the opposing party has a large majority, making it a minority in both parts of the redrawn districts; concentrating one party’s voters into a single district to dilute their influence in other districts.
What is a caucus?
A regional, ethnic, racial, or economic subgroup within the House or Senate. also used to name the party in the House and Senate (as in the “Republican caucus” or the “Democratic caucus”)
Describe a bicameral system of a legislative body.
Consists of two houses or chambers.
What is casework as applied to the legislative branch?
Services provided by members of Congress for constituents.
What do filibusters and clotures do?
Filibusters are devices used in the Senate to refuse to end the debate so that a bill doesn’t come to a vote. Cloture is a vote to end a filibuster, requires 2/3 votes.
Who is the committee chair?
The head of a standing committee with lots of power over legislation within the committee.
Who makes up conference committees and what do they do?
Members of both the Senate and the House. Reconciles differences in the provisions of bills.
What was decided in the Connecticut/Great Compromise?
A lower legislative house based on population size (House of Representatives) and an upper house based on equal representation of the states (Senate).
What is a constituency?
The collective group of individuals who live in the district of a legislator.
An individual is called a constituent.
What is a delegate versus a trustee?
Delegates are representatives who act in perfect accord with the wishes of their constituents. Trustees act on their own judgement.
Contrast descriptive versus substantive representation.
Descriptive representation is the degree to which the demographic composition of a representative body reflects the demographic composition as a whole.
Substantive representation is the degree to which a representative reflects the preferences of their constituents.
What is the concept of a divided government?
Executive and legislated branches are controlled by different parties.
What is the elastic/necessary and proper clause (Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution)?
Congress has the authority to make whatever laws are necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated responsibilities.
What defines Congress’s enumerated versus implied powers?
Powers mentioned explicitly in the Constitution are enumerated, implied are not specifically mentioned.
What are congressional hearings?
The taking of testimony by a congressional committee or subcommittee.
What does a hold do in the Senate and why does it happen?
A single senator prevents action on a bill or nomination; based on an implied threat of refusing to agree with unanimous consent on other Senate matters or willingness to filibuster the bill/nomination.
Who brings about presidential impeachment and how?
House brings formal charges, Senate may or may not remove them.
What is the incumbency advantage?
Incumbent members of Congress have an advantage in elections because of the institutional resources they receive from their office.
Who is the majority leader in the Senate?
The leader of the Senate, and head of the majority party.
What are majority-minority districts?
Districts where a racial minority is the majority of voters.
How does an open-seat election occur?
No incumbent officeholder is running.
Describe Congress’s responsibility of oversight.
Monitors actions of executive branch agencies and personnel to ensure they are following the law.
Describe the idea of a permanent campaign.
Members of Congress are always running for reelection, so they are focused on that rather than governing.
What is a pocket veto?
A bill is automatically rejected if the president takes no action on it for ten days and Congress adjourns during that period.
