Chapter 5

Question 1

Bicameral legislature

Answer 1

A 2 chamber legislature

Question 2

Session

Answer 2

A period of time during which a legislature meets to conduct business

Question 3

Census

Answer 3

A population count

Question 4

Reapportionment

Answer 4

The process of reassigning representation based on population after every census

Question 5

Re district

Answer 5

To set up new district lines after reapportionment is complete

Question 6

Incumbent

Answer 6

Elected official that is already in office

Question 7

Constituents

Answer 7

People in the district they represent

Question 8

Caucus

Answer 8

A private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office

Question 9

Calendars

Answer 9

A schedule that lists the order in which bills will be considered in congress

Question 10

Filibuster

Answer 10

A method of defeating a bill in the senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote

Question 11

Seniority system

Answer 11

A system that gives the member of the majority party with the longest uninterrupted service on a particular committee the leadership of that committee

Question 12

Compare and contrast house and senate

Answer 12

A

Question 13

When does congress begin its sessions?

Answer 13

January 3rd of an odd year

Question 14

How can congress adjourn sessions?

Answer 14

When both houses agree to adjournment

One can’t adjourn for more than 3 days without permission from other house

Question 15

What is the purpose of gerrymandering

Answer 15

To either pack all political party into none district or crack it up

Question 16

Where did non voting members of congress come from

Answer 16

District of Columbia 
Guam
American Samoa 
Virgin Islands 
Puerto Rico

Question 17

Name some of the benefits for members of congress

Answer 17

Salary
Pension
Franking privilege-free postage
Free from arrest (except for felonies, treason, or break of peace) while on the senate floor

Question 18

Explain why incumbents are more likely to be reelected

Answer 18

Easier to raise campaign funds
Better known to voters
Can use gerrymandering

Question 19

How are the houses rules different

Answer 19

More complicated rules

Including those to limit the time for speaking and time for debate

Question 20

Who does the most work of congress?

Why?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Explain the role of the party in congress

Answer 21

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

Question 22

List a few purposes of the leaders in the house?

Answer 22

Organizing and uniting party members
Scheduling work of the house
Distributing and collecting information

Question 23

What does the speaker of the house do?
How they are chose
What power they have

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Know: 
majority leaders
Majority whips
Minority leader
Minority whips

Answer 24

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:

Question 25

What is a bill?

Answer 25

A proposed law

Question 26

Explain how lawmaking occurs in the house

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Understand the purpose of the house of rules committee

Answer 27

To serve as ‘traffic officer’

Directs the flow of legislation

Question 28

What is a quorum in the house

Answer 28

Minimum number of members that must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action
House is 218

Question 29

Explain the role of Vice President in the senate

What can they NOT do?

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Who serves in the Vice President’s absence

Answer 30

President pro tempore

Orrin hatch

Question 31

Understand the role of majority and minority floor leaders in the senate

Answer 31

Make sure party members attend
Steer Bills through senate
Plan agenda of senate

Question 32

Identify the filibuster
How can it be stopped?
Who holds the record for longest filibuster?

Answer 32

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

Question 33

List some purposes of committees

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Be able to tell the difference between these committees 
Standing 
Subcommittees 
Select committees
Joint committees 
Conference committees

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Know the importance of committee membership

Answer 35

Can increase chances for reelection
Influence national policy making
Exert influence over other lawmakers

Question 36

Recognize the key committees in each house

Answer 36

House: rules, ways and means, appropriations
Senate: foreign relations, finance, appropriations

Question 37

Representative for Nebraska

Senator for Nebraska

Answer 37

Rep: Adrian smith, Jeff fortenburry, brad ashford
Senators: deb fisher, Ben sasse

Question 38

What is a censure?

Answer 38

Formal disapproval of a senators actions