Chapters 10, 11, and 12 Test Flashcards
each term of congress starts on _________ of odd numbered years and lasts for ___ years
january 3, 2
each term of congress is divided into two _____, or meetings
sessions
congressional sessions often last from after christmas (january) to ____________
november or next xmas holiday
congress remains in session until its members vote to ________
adjourn
house membership = _______ members that serve _____ terms
435, 2 year
senate membership = __________ members that serve ____ terms
100, 6 year
census - ________________ that occurs every ____ years
official count of population, 10
what is reapportionment
the act of redistributing the 435 representative seats every 10 years after the census
_________ occurs every 10 years, after the completion of census
reapportionment
re-districting - the process of ____________
realigning the districts after the reapportionment takes place
historically, legislatures have abused their power when re-districting…why?
in order to gain advantage for their party. this is called gerrymandering
what is gerrymandering
the political party controlling the state government draws a district’s boundaries to GAIN AN ADVANTAGE in elections
what is packing
drawing the lines so one’s district includes as many of the opposing party’s voters as possible
what is cracking
dividing an opponent’s voters into other districts
most members of congress are knowledgable at _________/_________
business, law
other __________ member include law, agriculture, education, public service, etc
occupations of congress
_________ - one who is already in a public office
incumbents
PACs = ___________
political actions committees
4 reasons why incumbents are often reelected
- easy to raise campaign funds
- district has been gerrymandered in their party’s favor
- have name recognition
- use their position in office to solve problems for their constituents
how long is a term in the house of representatives
2 years
the number of house members representing each state is recalculated every
10 years
when congress adjourns, it
ends a session
what does it mean to reapportion seats in the house of representatives
the number of house seats for each state is changed based on population changes
a house district drawn to give an advantage one political party is
a gerrymander
how many senators are up for reelection every two years
one third
because a majority of senators are always experienced, the senate is said to be
a continuous body
a member of congress who votes based on the wishes of his or her constituents operates in which of the following roles
delegate
to run for senate, a person must be at least how old
30
what is the historical reason for americans choosing a bicameral system
the british parliament and most colonial legislatures were bicameral
what is a practical reason for americans choosing a bicameral system
bicameralism settled the conflict between the virginia and new jersey plans of 1787 and reflected american federalism
what is a term of congress
the length of time elected officials served after being elected (every 2 years)
what is a session of congress
the regular period of time during which congress performs legislative work
how many sessions are there in a term of congress
two
(true/false) a term is a length of time between elections in congress
true
why is congress at the heart of the most basic governmental function of our democratic system
because congress makes the nation’s laws
which of the following is NOT a reason why the constitution established a bicameral legislature
many countries have bicameral legislatures
which of the following is the main reason that the president rarely has to call congress into special session
congress now meets nearly year round anyway
the house (size)
435
the senate (size)
100
the house (term length)
2 years
the senate (term length)
6 years
the house (date of elections)
tuesday following the first monday in november of each even numbered year
the senate (date of elections)
tuesday following the first monday in november of each even numbered year
the house (age)
at least 25 years
the senate (age)
30 years
the house (residence)
inhabitant of the state
the senate (residence)
inhabitant of the state
the house (originally)
by voters in district (direct election)
the senate (originally)
appointed by state legislature
the house (today)
by voters in district
the senate (today)
direct election
the senate is a _____________, that is, all of its seats are never up for election at the same time
continuous body
(true/false) a senator is required to meet the same requirements for office as a member of the house
false
(true/false) like the house, all the senate seats are up for election at the same time
false
(true/false) if a new state joins the nation, the total number of senators in the senate will remain the same
false
(true/false) the words continuous body, as applied to the senate, mean that all of its seats are never up for election at the same time
true
why is the senate called the upper house
it has stricter qualifications than the house, more prestige, a longer term of office, and has been a stepping stone to higher political office
why do members of the senate serve 6 years, whereas members of the house serve only 2
senators should not be as concerned with the pressures of election campaigns, so that they can focus on the “big picture” of government
before the adoption of the 17th amendment in 1913, who chose senators
state legislatures
legislator: what does a legislator do?
make laws
committee member: what do members do as part of the congressional committee
screen proposals that are referring to the committee in a chamber
trustee: how does a member of congress act as a trustee
call all issues a they see them
delegate: how does a member of congress act as a delegate
chooses solutions based on the agents of those who elected them
partisan: how does a member of congress act as a partisan
duty bound to cast votes in line with party platform and views of party leaders
politico: how does a member of congress act as a politico
attempt to combine basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles. balancing conflicting factors
list5/6 roles of a congress person
- legislator
- committee member
- trustee
- delegate
- partisan
- politico
non salary compensation: what are some fringe benefits for members of congress
tax deductions, travel allowance, lo cost health insurance, pension plan, money for offices and staffs, franking privilege
what is constituency
a body of voters in a specified are who elect a representative to a legislative body
what is oversight function
the process by which congress, through its committees, checks to see that the various agencies in the executive branch are working effectively and acting in line with the policies that congress has set by law
what is franking privilege
benefit to members of congress, allowing them to mail letters postage free
what is oversight function
job of checking to see if agencies in the executive branch are working efficiently and according to law
what is trustee
congress member who decides issues on merit alone
what is partisan
role of a member of congress as a follower of party leadership
what is politico
congress member who balances conflicting factors
which of the following is NOT a duty of a member of congress
to run a department of the executive branch
all of the following are non salary compensation for members of congress EXCEPT
free lunches
which of the following places a limit on the level of congressional pay
voter backlash
why does the constitution guarantee that the courts may not prosecute members of congress, no matter what they say in the house or senate
freedom of speech is vital to legislative debate
what is term
a two year period of time during which congress meets each term lasts for two years and is numbered consecutively (currently the 114th congress of the us)
what is session
a one year period of time during which congress assembles and conducts business; there are two sessions to each term of congress - one each year
what is adjourn
to suspend (by congress) until the next session
what is prorogue
to end; discontinue (a session of congress); this is a power of the president - but only when the two houses cannot agree on a date for adjournment
what is special session
a meeting to deal with some emergency situation (only the president may call special session of congress)
what is apportion
to distribute; the act of distributing house seats among the states (each state is guaranteed at least one seat in the house no matter how small its population)
what is reapportion
to redistribute; the act of redistributing the 435 representative seats among the 50 states (each 10 years after the census)
what is off year election
those congressional election years that occur in nonresidential years ex) 2006-2010-2014-2018
what is gerrymander
drawing the redistricting lines to the advantage of the political party that controls the state legislature
what is continuous body
all of the senate’s seats are never up for election at the same time; in 2010 - 34 seats; in 2012 - 33 seats; in 2014 - 33 seats
what is trustee
members of congress who believe that each question they face must be decided on its merits; conscience and independent judgment are their guides; they call issues as they see them, regardless of the views held by their constituents or by any of the other groups that seek to influence their decisions
what are partisans
lawmakers who owe their first allegiance to their political party; they feel duty bound to vote in line with the party platform and the wishes of their party’s leaders
what is politico
one who attempts to combine the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles
what is oversight function
the process by which congress, through its committees, check toes that the various agencies in the executive branch are working effectively and acting in line with the policies that congress has set by law
construction of the constitution (strict - definition)
narrow, literal interpretation of the constitution
construction of the constitution (liberal - definition)
broad interpretation of the constitution
construction of the constitution (strict - major proponent)
jefferson (states rights advocate/anti-federalist)
construction of the constitution (liberal - major proponent)
hamilton (federalist)
construction of the constitution (liberal - attitude toward implied powers)
use often and energetically
construction of the constitution (strict - attitude toward national power)
should be restrained and limited, except for defense
construction of the constitution (liberal - attitude toward national power)
should be strong and allowed to grow
construction of the constitution (strict attitude toward state power)
should remain strong and keep most power
construction of the constitution (liberal - attitude toward state power)
should be restrained
the constitution gives powers to the congress in three ways: through the __________, or clearly stated powers
expressed
the constitution gives powers to the congress in three ways: through the __________, powers (powers deducted from the clearly stated powers)
implied
the constitution gives powers to the congress in three ways: through the __________, those possessed by all sovereign states
inherent
(true/false) strict constructionists believed that congress should exercise only its expressed powers and those powers absolutely necessary to carry out those expressed powers
true
(true/false) liberal constructionism was linked to a strong national government
true
(true/false) implied powers are those reasonably deduced from the expressed powers
true
which of the following is NOT a type of power that congress derives from the constitution
divine right
which level of government has been MOST valued by the strict constructionists
state
which of the following has been a value of liberal constructionists
the constitution must be interpreted broadly, with an eye toward change
which of the following is a reason why liberal construction of the constitution prevailed
wars and economic crises called for national action, spectacular advances transportation and communication impacted the scope of the government, and the people themselves demanded more and more services from government
what is direct tax
must be paid by the person on whom it is imposed
what is legal tender
money that a creditor must by law accept in payment of debt (ex: debit card, silver coin, cash, checks, visa card, master card)
what is bankruptcy
legal proceeding in which someone’s assets are distributed among those to whom a debt is owed
what is indirect tax
first paid by one person, but then passed on to another
what is public debt
all the money that the federal government has borrowed and not repaid
which constitutional principle was involved in the gibbons v ogden case in 1824
the national government, not individual states, has the right to regulate interstate commerce
which of the following is NOT an expressed power of congress
power to set a minimum wage
what is eminent domain
right to take private property for public use
what is patent
sole right to make or sell a new invention
what is copyright
exclusive right to publish or sell written or creative work
what is naturalization
making a non citizen into a citizen
who has the constitutional power to declare war
only congress
which of the following is NOT an expressed power of congress
commanding the armed forces
which of the following does congress have the right to manage and control
federal military installations, the district of columbia, and national parks
congress’s power to create federal courts is an example of
constitutional checks and balances
(true/false) the necessary and proper clause is often called the elastic clause because it caused the powers of congress to snap
false
(true/false) congress can appropriate money to different departments of the federal government
true
(true/false) implied powers gives the federal government the authority to do anything on behalf of the general welfare and public interest
false
which of the following is an expressed power
power to raise an army and navy
which of the following is an implied power
power to establish federal aid to education programs
which of the following is another name for the necessary and proper clause
elastic clause
what is impeach
bring charges against
what is successor
the next in line, the replacement
which of the following issues of recent years is congress more vinously pursing to call a national convention to amend the constitution
congressional term limits
after the house has impeached a president, what must happen next ignorer to remove the president from office
the senate must convict the president
which institution has the responsibility of confirming or rejecting presidential appointees and treaties
the senate
what are the 5 non legislative powers of congress
- investigate - look into anything that falls within its scope
- amendments - proposed amendments; call convention to propose amendments
- electoral - elect a president (house) and vice president (senate) if no winner in election
- impeachment - bring charges against federal officials (house), try impeachment cases (senate)
- executive - give “advice and consent,” approve presidential appointments, approve treaties
what are expressed powers
those deflated powers granted by the constitution that are spelled out explicitly - in its specific wording; aka enumerated powers
what are implied powers
those powers granted by the constitution that are suggested by the expressed powers set out in the constitution; those powers “necessary and proper” to carry out the expressed powers
what are inherent powers
those powers granted by the constitution that are presumed to be delegated to the national government because it is the government of a sovereign state - the united states
what is strict constructionist
one who argues a narrow interpretation of the constitution’s provisions, in particular those granting powers to the federal government; the constitutional interpretation ideology of thomas jefferson
what is consensus
general agreement
what is tax
a charge levied by government on persons or property to raise money to meet public needs
what is direct tax
a tax that must be paid directly to the government by the person on whom it is imposed. ex: sales tax
what is indirect tax
a tax that is first paid by one person but then passed on to another ex: income tax
what is public debt
all of the money borrowed by the federal government over the years but on yet repaid + the accumulated interest on that money
what is deficit financing
funding government spending by borrowing to make up the difference between spending and revenue (the government regularly spends more than it takes in each year)
what is bankruptcy
the legal proceeding in which the bankrupt’s assets are distributed among those to whom debt is owed
what is naturalization
the process by which a citizen of one country becomes a citizen of another country
what is copyright
the exclusive right of an author to reproduce, publish, and sell his or her creative work
what is patent
grants a person the sole right to manufacture, use, or sell “any new and useful art, machine, manufacture or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof”
what is eminent domain
the inherent power of government to take private property to sell for public use
what is appropriate
assigns to a particular use
what is necessary and proper clause
constitutional clause that give the congress the power to make all laws “necessary and proper” for executing its power
what is successor
a replacement; someone to fill the vacancy; the vice president is subject to a majority vote in both houses of congress; a person who inherits a title or office
what is censure
a formal condemnation of behavior issued by the majority of the members of the senate
the expressed powers of congress are
state directly in the constitution
the consensus of american opinion favors
liberal interpretation of the constitution
the commerce power of congress allows it to
regulate trade and business
the power that allows congress to take private property for such uses as an interstate highway system or a national park is
the power of eminent domain
the exclusive legal right an author has to his or her own work is protected by
a copyright
a store must accept us dollar bills in payment because the dollar bill is
legal tender
the power of the house of representatives to officially charge an official with wrongdoing is the power of
impeachment
if no presidential candidate wins a majority of the electoral votes, the president is chosen in
the house of representatives
which of the following must approve presidential appointments
the senate
the most powerful leader in the house is the
speaker of the house
the chairman of congressional committees are chosen by
seniority
the president of the senate is
the vice president
which is a joint committee
a conference committee
the major job of the floor leaders is to
gather party members’ votes for upcoming bills
in the steps of the legislative process, the event that would happen last in the house is
debate on the floor
which of the following has the force of the law although it does not become a law
a joint resolution
who is the speaker of the house
paul ryan
who is the majority floor leader of the house
kevin mccarthy
who is the minority floor leader of the house
nancy pelosi
who is the president of the senate
joe biden
who is the president pro tempore
orrin hatch
who is the majority floor leader of the senate
mitch mcconnell
who is the minority floor leader of the senate
harry reid
what is speaker of the house
the elected presiding officer of the house and the acknowledged leader of its majority party
what is president of senate
the senate’s presiding officer
what is the president pro tempore
serves in the vice president’s absence. elected by the senate itself and is always a leading member of the majority party - usually its longest serving members
what are liberal constructionists
one in favor of a liberal interpretation of the constitution, particularly those granting powers of the federal government; the constitutional interpretation ideology of alexander hamilton
what is a standing committee
deal with issues of permanent legislative concern
what are the committees’ functions
standing committees investigate, evaluate, and sift through proposed bills
give 3 examples of stand committees (name at least 1)
house ways and means; senate finance, house national security
what is a select commitee
deals with temporary issues, investigations
what does a select committee do
select committees investigate some current matter for possible new laws or for special issues
give 2 examples of a select committee from 1987 (one example)
house select committee to investigate (over arms transactions with iran, senate select committee on secret military assistance to iran and the nicaraguan opposition)
what is a joint committee
consist of members of both houses usually created to deal with a specific issue
what does a joint committee do
investigates and issues reports; deals with issues common to both houses; some have routine duties
what is a conference committee
a conference committee is temporary and composed of members of both houses
what does a conference committee do
irons out differences between similar bills in the house and senate and produces compromise bills
(true/false) a standing committee is a permanent group
true
(true/false) select committees are set up for a specific purpose for a limited time
true
(true/false) the main job of a standing committees or their subcommittees is to conduct investigations
true
which of the following is not a standing committee in the house
convert arms transactions with iran
why must a conference committee meet on a compromise bill even if both houses pass similar bills
the bill must be identical when it goes to the president to sign
why are party politics so important in congressional organization
the majority party always holds the chairmanship and a majority of the seats on each committee
the main difference between a joint committee and a conference committee is
joint committees to perform investigative or housekeeping duties; conference committees iron out differences in bills from both houses
most bills are introduced in congress by
the executive branch, interest groups, private citizens
a joint resolution is like a bill because
it has force of law
five courses of action a committee may take on a bill are:
- report bill favorably
- refuse to report the bill
- report bill in amended form
- report bill with an unfavorable recommendation
- report a committee bill
five types of votes in the house are
- voice votes
- standing vote
- 1/5 quorum votes
- roll call vote
- record vote
what is resolution
voted on by either house, but has no force of law
what is rider
provision attached to an important measure
what is quorum
majority of the full membership of either house
which of the following has the possibility of gaining the force of law
joint resolution
the following are methods of taking a floor vote, EXCEPT
mail in vote
____________ usually deal with individual places or people
private bills
__________ apply to the entire station. they may be controversial, dealing with such issues as ________, ________, or _________
public bills, raising taxes, national health issues, abortion
_____________ deal with internal matters of only one house of congress
resolution
when both houses of congress agree, they may pass a ___________, for example to correct an error in an ________ or to ____________ for a special purpose
joint resolution, earlier law, appropriate money
_________, on the other hand, do not have the force of law and do not require the president’s signature. yet, to take effect, ________ of congress must pass them
concurrent resolutions, both houses
fewer than 5% of the bills introduced in congress become public laws. three reasons that so few bills become laws are (only name 2):
- law making process is extremely long, complicated, and expensive
- many compromises are necessary to get most bills passed
the ideas for new bills may come from _______, _________, __________, or officials in the ________ branch
private citizens, interest groups, president, executive
to introduce a bill in the house, a member must
place bill in hopper
to introduce a bill in the senate
the presiding officer must recognize the senator and the senator presents the bill
what are hearings
sessions in which congressional committees listen to testimonies for bills
what are interest groups
groups of people who are interested in an issue before congress
what is quorum
number of people necessary to vote
what is voice vote
hearing “aye’s” or “nay’s” to approve/disapprove of meetings and topics
what is standing vote
a member stands to indicate their support for a vote
what is teller vote
indicating one’s vote by walking down a certain aisle or exiting a certain door
what is record vote
electronic voting where a membership uses an electronic device to indicate an “ay” or “nay”
what is role-call vote
when the people’s names are read alphabetically aloud and state their vote
what is veto
president rejects a bill
what is pocket veto
president doesn’t act on a bill and lets it sit for 10 days
what is line-item veto
presidential power to veto a sentence or line in a veto
how a bill becomes a law through the house of representatives
- bill is introduced
- bill is read by title, numbered, and printed
- printed for the committee
- have hearings where changes could be added, it can be approved, or it can die
- sent to the house floor for debate
- bill passed by the house
how a bill becomes a law through the senate
- titled, numbered, printed
- sent to a committee
- have hearings where changes are added, there are approvals, or death of a bill
- sent to senate floor for debate
- amended bill passed by senate
who is in conference committee
members from both houses
what is in conference committee
work out a compromise bill that both houses will accept
what does the president do when a bill becomes a law
sign it becoming a law, veto it, or can pocket veto
what is party caucus
a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house
