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Chapter 2 - The structure of Congress Flashcards

1
Q

Why is Congress biacameral?

A

It was part of the compromise made by the Founding Fathers at the Philadelphia Convention, having one chamber based on equal representation and the other on proportional.

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2
Q

What did the Seventeenth Amendment do?

A

Made the Senate directly elected by the people; before this, Senators were appointed by the state legislatures.

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3
Q

How many members are there in the House of Representatives?

A

435

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4
Q

What are members of the House of Representatives known as?

A

Congressmen/women

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5
Q

How is the number of representatives for each state decided?

A

In proportion to its population.

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6
Q

How often are the number of representatives reapportioned?

A

Every 10 years following the cencus.

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7
Q

What was the number of representatives in Texas before and after the 2010 cencus?

A

It rose from 32 to 36.

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8
Q

What are midterm elections?

A

Elections for Congress that take place in the middle of a presidential term.

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9
Q

What is a divided government?

A

When the presidency is controlled by one party and congress another.

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10
Q

How old do you have to be to be a senator?

A

30

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11
Q

How long do you have to have been a US citizen to be a Senator?

A

9 years

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12
Q

How old do you have to be to be a congressman/representative?

A

25

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13
Q

How long must you have been a citizen of the US before you can become a congressman/representative?

A

7 years

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14
Q

Must you be a resident of the state you represent to be senator?

A

Yes

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15
Q

Must you be a resident of the state you represent to be a congressman/representative?

A

Yes

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16
Q

What is redistricting?

A

When state legislatures redraw district boundaries every ten years after the census.

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17
Q

What areas do senators represent?

A

Whole states.

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18
Q

How long is a term on the House of Representatives?

A

2 years

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19
Q

How often are senators up for election?

A

Every 6 years, with a third of the senate elected every 2 years.

20
Q

What are the 3 enumerated powers of the House of Representatives?

A

1 - Beginning consideration of all money bills.

2 - Bringing charges of impeachment.

3 - Choosing the president if the electoral college is deadlocked.

21
Q

What are the 4 enumerated powers of the Senate?

A

1 - Ratifying treaties.

2 - Confirming appointments.

3 - Try all cases of impeachment.

4 - Choosing the vice president if the Electoral College is deadlocked.

22
Q

What are the concurrent powers of Congress?

A
  • Creating legislation.
  • Oversight of the executive branch.
  • Overriding the president’s veto.
  • Initiating constitutional amendments.
  • Declaring war.
  • Confirming an appointed vice president.
23
Q

What words does Article I of the Constitution begin with?

A

“All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States”

24
Q

Why is both the Senate and House equal when it comes to legislation?

A

Both houses must agree to the proposed law in exactly the same form before it can be sent to the president.

25
As Congress has the power to create legislation, what can the president do if he wants laws made?
All he can do is ask them: Obama asked for healthcare reform which eventually became the Affordable Care Act 2010.
26
What is meant by oversight?
Congressional review and investigation of the activities of the executive branch of government.
27
What must happen in order to override a presidential veto?
Both the House and the Senate must vote by a 2/3 majority to overturn it.
28
How many vetoes did Obama make?
12
29
How many of Obama's vetoes were overturned?
One, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act 2016.
30
What was the vote in the Senate to overturn Obama's veto of the JASTA in September 2016?
97-1
31
What must happen for a constitutional amendment to be proposed and sent to the sates for ratifying?
2/3 majority in both houses of Congress.
32
Who must declare war?
Congress; both houses must concur on a declaration of war.
33
How many times has Congress declared war, and when was the last?
5 times; the last was in 1941 when they declared war on Japan.
34
Which amendment gives Congress the power to confirm an appointed vice president?
Twenty-Fifth Amendment.
35
When has the 25th Amendment been used to confirm an appointed VP?
- 1973, Spiro Agnew resigned as President Nixon's VP and Gerald Ford was appointed in his stead. - 1974, Nixon resigned and Ford became president, appointing Nelson Rockefeller as VP.
36
When was the Twenty-Fifth Amendment passed?
1967
37
What type of bill can only the House submit?
Money bills - that is, bills that raise taxes and revenue.
38
Why might the House's power to initiate money bills be not that significant?
The Senate must pass and can amend the bills.
39
How many times has the House used their power of impeachment?
21
40
When has the House used their power to elect a president in the case of an Electoral College deadlock?
- 1800, to elect President Thomas Jefferson. | - 1824, to elect President John Quincy Adams.
41
What treaty did the Senate ratify in December 2010?
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiated by Obama.
42
What is required to ratify a treaty?
A 2/3 majority in the Senate.
43
What was the result of the vote on Amy Coney Barrett's appointment to the Supreme Court?
52-48
44
Why might the Senate be seen as more prestigious than the House?
- Senators represent a whole state rather than just a district. - They have a longer term. - The smaller size means members are more likely to gain a leadership role. - The Senate is seen as a launch pad for a presidential campaign. - Senators' have exclusive powers that are arguably more important than House powers, specifically the confirmation of appointments, ratifying treaties, and trying impeachments.
45
What is the salary of a Congressman and the salary of a Senator?
$174,000 per annum
46
How many of the last 8 vice presidents were either former or serving Senators?
5

US Politics (17 decks)

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