Chapter 5 Flashcards
Bicameral legislature
A 2 chamber legislature
Session
A period of time during which a legislature meets to conduct business
Census
A population count
Reapportionment
The process of reassigning representation based on population after every census
Re district
To set up new district lines after reapportionment is complete
Incumbent
Elected official that is already in office
Constituents
People in the district they represent
Caucus
A private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office
Calendars
A schedule that lists the order in which bills will be considered in congress
Filibuster
A method of defeating a bill in the senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote
Seniority system
A system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee
Compare and contrast house and senate
A
When does congress begin its sessions?
January 3rd of an odd year
How can congress adjourn sessions?
When both houses agree to adjournment
One can’t adjourn for more than 3 days without permission from other house
What is the purpose of gerrymandering
To either pack all political party into none district or crack it up
Where did non voting members of congress come from
District of Columbia Guam American Samoa Virgin Islands Puerto Rico
Name some of the benefits for members of congress
Salary
Pension
Franking privilege-free postage
Free from arrest (except for felonies, treason, or break of peace) while on the senate floor
Explain why incumbents are more likely to be reelected
Easier to raise campaign funds
Better known to voters
Can use gerrymandering
How are the houses rules different
More complicated rules
Including those to limit the time for speaking and time for debate
Who does the most work of congress?
Why?
In committees
Committtee work is more efficient as they can sift through the bills first
They have specific knowledge on a certain area of law
Explain the role of the party in congress
Some procedures in congress are organized around political party affiliation
Republicans sit to the right, democrats to the left
Majority party selects the leaders of each house
List a few purposes of the leaders in the house?
Organizing and uniting party members
Scheduling work of the house
Distributing and collecting information
What does the speaker of the house do?
How they are chose
What power they have
Speaker presides over the sessions of the house, can influence proceedings, and sets agenda
Chosen by majority party of house and then voted by entire house
Powers: next in line behind Vice President; refer bills to proper committee, schedule bills for action; most powerful leader
Know: majority leaders Majority whips Minority leader Minority whips
majority leaders: speakers top assistant
Majority whips: assistant floor leaders
Minority leader: similar to majority leader except they don’t make the schedule
Minority whips:
What is a bill?
A proposed law
Explain how lawmaking occurs in the house
Bill is introduced by being placed in a hopper
Bill is sent to appropriate committee by the speaker
Bill undergoes the committee process
Bills are placed on the calendar (house has 5 calendars)
Bills are voted on
Understand the purpose of the house of rules committee
To serve as ‘traffic officer’
Directs the flow of legislation
What is a quorum in the house
Minimum number of members that must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action
House is 218
Explain the role of Vice President in the senate
What can they NOT do?
Serve as president of the senate May recognize members and put questions to a vote Cannot debate Can vote only in event of a tie Try to influence senators
Who serves in the Vice President’s absence
President pro tempore
Orrin hatch
Understand the role of majority and minority floor leaders in the senate
Make sure party members attend
Steer Bills through senate
Plan agenda of senate
Identify the filibuster
How can it be stopped?
Who holds the record for longest filibuster?
To stall legislative process in the senate by continuously talking
Can be stopped with 3/5s of the senate vote for cloture
Senator Strom Thurmond has longest record
List some purposes of committees
Help ease workload
Allows congress members to divide work among smaller groups
Lawmakers can become specialists on certain issues
Are the power centers in congress
Be able to tell the difference between these committees Standing Subcommittees Select committees Joint committees Conference committees
Standing: go from one session to another with same members
Subcommittees: works underneath a committee on specified issue
Select committees: temporary committee for one specific issue
Joint committees: house and senate combine to make a committee; temporary or permanent; generally limited to handling routine matters
Conference committees: if there is a discrepancy between house and senate on a bill they talk about it
Know the importance of committee membership
Can increase chances for reelection
Influence national policy making
Exert influence over other lawmakers
Recognize the key committees in each house
House: rules, ways and means, appropriations
Senate: foreign relations, finance, appropriations
Representative for Nebraska
Senator for Nebraska
Rep: Adrian smith, Jeff fortenburry, brad ashford
Senators: deb fisher, Ben sasse
What is a censure?
Formal disapproval of a senators actions
