Chapter 11: Congress Flashcards
The process by which seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among the fifty states
Apportionment
The political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies
Bicameralism
Proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature
Bill
A parliamentary process to end a debate in the Senate, as a measure against the filibuster; invoked when three-fifths of senators vote for the motion
Cloture
The relationship between Congress and the United States as a whole, and whether the institution itself represents the American people
Collective representation
A special type of joint committee that reconciles different bills passed in the House and Senate so a single bill results
Conference committee
The body of voters, or constituents, represented by a particular politician
Constituency
A model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents
Delegate model of representation
The extent to which a body of representatives represents the descriptive characteristics of their constituencies, such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender
Descriptive representation
The powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs
Enumerated powers
A parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it
Filibuster
The powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government
Implied powers
The powers neither enumerated nor implied but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country’s existence
Inherent powers
A legislative committee consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certain topics but lacks bill referral authority
Joint committee
The leader of the majority party in either the House or Senate; in the House, the majority leader serves under the Speaker of the House, in the Senate, the majority leader is the functional leader and chief spokesperson for the majority party
Majority leader
The amending and voting process in a congressional committee
Markup
The party member who directs the activities of the minority party on the floor of either the House or the Senate
Minority leader
The right to review and monitor other bodies such as the executive branch
Oversight
A model of representation in which members of Congress act as either trustee or delegate, based on rational political calculations about who is best served, the constituency or the nation
Politico model of representation
Federal spending intended to benefit a particular district or set of constituents
Pork-barrel politics
The senator who acts in the absence of the actual president of the Senate, who is also the vice president of the United States; the president pro tempore is usually the most senior senator of the majority party
President pro tempore
An elected leader’s looking out for his or her constituents while carrying out the duties of the office
Representation
A small legislative committee created to fulfill a specific purpose and then disbanded; also called an ad hoc, or special, committee
Select committee
The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party; the Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president
Speaker of the House
A permanent legislative committee that meets regularly
Standing committee
A theory proposing that the surge of stimulation occurring during presidential elections subsides during midterm elections, accounting for the differences we observe in turnouts and results
Surge-and-decline theory
A model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best for their constituents
Trustee model of representation
In the House and in the Senate, a high leadership position whose primary duty is to enforce voting discipline in the chambers and conferences
Whip
Congress is
The most important branch of the US government
Which of the following is not a power of the House of Representatives?
* can impeach the President
* appropriations bills must originate in the House
* decide the Presidential election in the case of a tie
* can overturn decisions made by Federal courts
Can overturn decisions made by Federal courts
How are the number of individuals in the Senate determined?
There are always 2 per state
How old do you have to be to run for Congress?
25 House, 30 Senate
Why are terms in the house shorter than in the Senate?
The House is structured so that it is more responsive to the changing opinions in each district
What is one of the reasons elections are fairly frequent?
If a politician has to run often, they are more likely to have to pay attention to what constituents actually want.
Members of the House are up for election every ___ years, while Senators are up for elections every ___ years.
2, 6
Which of the following are characteristics of most good political candidates? Check all that apply.
* unblemished record
* friends in high places
* ivy league education
* ability to raise money
An unblemished record and the ability to raise money
A _____ is a person holding an office who runs for that office again.
Incumbent
Generally speaking, _______ have a much higher chance of winning an election.
Incumbents
What are the 4 types of committees?
Standing, select, joint, temporary
Joint committees are made up of
Members from both the House and the Senate
Congress uses the committee system because
It is easier for small groups to write legislation than a large group
In most cases, who refers each bill to a committee?
The Speaker of the House
Which Speaker greatly heightened the power of the position of Speaker?
Newton Gringrich
Who elects the Speaker of the House?
The majority party
Major task of the__________ includes counting votes on important pieces of legislation
Majority whip
After a bill is introduced, what is the next step?
It is referred to a committee
Open and closed rules refer to what?
Whether or not amendments are allowed for a bill or not
A __________ is a committee comprised of members of both houses.
Conference committee
A Presidential veto can be overturned by________.
A 2/3 majority vote in both the House and the Senate
Which 2 of the following are ways that a bill can die?
* Refusal of the Speaker or Majority Leader to refer the bill to committee
* Refusal of the Senate to schedule a vote
* Poor grammar and spelling
* The House Ways and Means Committee refuses to review it
Refusal of the Speaker or Majority Leader to refer the bill to committee and refusal of the Senate to schedule a vote
