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US Politics > Chapter 2 - The structure of Congress > Flashcards

Chapter 2 - The structure of Congress Flashcards

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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
Q

As Congress has the power to create legislation, what can the president do if he wants laws made?

A

All he can do is ask them: Obama asked for healthcare reform which eventually became the Affordable Care Act 2010.

26
Q

What is meant by oversight?

A

Congressional review and investigation of the activities of the executive branch of government.

27
Q

What must happen in order to override a presidential veto?

A

Both the House and the Senate must vote by a 2/3 majority to overturn it.

28
Q

How many vetoes did Obama make?

A

12

29
Q

How many of Obama’s vetoes were overturned?

A

One, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act 2016.

30
Q

What was the vote in the Senate to overturn Obama’s veto of the JASTA in September 2016?

A

97-1

31
Q

What must happen for a constitutional amendment to be proposed and sent to the sates for ratifying?

A

2/3 majority in both houses of Congress.

32
Q

Who must declare war?

A

Congress; both houses must concur on a declaration of war.

33
Q

How many times has Congress declared war, and when was the last?

A

5 times; the last was in 1941 when they declared war on Japan.

34
Q

Which amendment gives Congress the power to confirm an appointed vice president?

A

Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

35
Q

When has the 25th Amendment been used to confirm an appointed VP?

A
  • 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
Q

When was the Twenty-Fifth Amendment passed?

A

1967

37
Q

What type of bill can only the House submit?

A

Money bills - that is, bills that raise taxes and revenue.

38
Q

Why might the House’s power to initiate money bills be not that significant?

A

The Senate must pass and can amend the bills.

39
Q

How many times has the House used their power of impeachment?

A

21

40
Q

When has the House used their power to elect a president in the case of an Electoral College deadlock?

A
  • 1800, to elect President Thomas Jefferson.

- 1824, to elect President John Quincy Adams.

41
Q

What treaty did the Senate ratify in December 2010?

A

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiated by Obama.

42
Q

What is required to ratify a treaty?

A

A 2/3 majority in the Senate.

43
Q

What was the result of the vote on Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court?

A

52-48

44
Q

Why might the Senate be seen as more prestigious than the House?

A
  • 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
Q

What is the salary of a Congressman and the salary of a Senator?

A

$174,000 per annum

46
Q

How many of the last 8 vice presidents were either former or serving Senators?

A

5

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