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Congress Flashcards

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1
Q

What makes up congress

A

House of Representatives

Senate

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2
Q

Make up of House of Representatives

A

Number of members for each state is proportional to their population

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3
Q

Make up of Senate

A

2 members per state regardless of population

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4
Q

Is house directly elected

A

Yes and always has been

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5
Q

Is senate directly elected

A

Yes but only since 1914

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6
Q

How often is the number of representatives for each state calculated

A

Every 10 years through the census.

Last census 2020

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7
Q

How much of a state do senators and members of HoR represent

A

Senate - whole state

HoR - congressional district - subdivision of state unless state only has one member eg Alaska

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8
Q

List composition of HoR

A 
Lower house
435 members
Represent a congressional district
Serve 2 year terms
Must be at least 25 years
Must have been us citizen for at least 7 years
Must reside in state they represent
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9
Q

List composition of senate

A 
Upper house
100 members
Represent entire state
Serve 6 year terms
Must be at least 30 years old
Must have been us citizen for at least 9 years
Must be resident in state they represent
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10
Q

How has representation of members of congress changed since 1980’s

A

1980’s nearly all white men
Now far more diverse
But all minorities massively underrepresented compared with population as a whole

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11
Q

How many women in congress in 2017

A 
104 women
83 House
21 Senate
15% of congress !!!!!
78 democrats
26 republicans
Eg Elizabeth warren, democrat (senate) Susan Collins, republican (senate)
Nancy Pelosi, democrat (HoR speaker) Liz Cheney, republican (HoR)
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12
Q

African Americans in congress 2017

A 
49 members African Americans 
9% congress - 13.3% population
46 in house, 
3 in senate
Eg Tim Scott (R) Kamala Harris (D)
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13
Q

Hispanics in Congress 2017

A 
38 members 
7% of congress - 17.8% population
34 in house
4 in senate
Eg Ted Cruz (R) senator
Jim Costa (D) HoR
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14
Q

Asians in congress 2017

A 
15 members of congress
3% congress - 5.6% population
12 house
3 senate
Eg Tammy Duckworth (D) senate
Judy Chu (D) HoR
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15
Q

which parties dominate congress

A

Democrat and republican

Only 2 members of congress belong to neither party, Bernie Saunders and Angus King - both tend to vote with Dems

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16
Q

How many members in each house

A

HoR 435

Senate 100

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17
Q

How is membership of each house distributed among the 50 states

A

2 senators per state

HoR proportional to state population

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18
Q

How many formal constitutional powers does congress have

A

10

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19
Q

Which of congress’ powers are most frequently used

A

1) law making
2) overseeing the executive branch
3) confirming appointments

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20
Q

What makes up the second tier of powers of congress

A

Overriding president’s veto

Ratifying treaties

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21
Q

What are the final 5 powers of congress

A 
Initiating constitutional amendments
Impeaching public officials
Confirming an appointed VP
Declaring war
Electing the president(House) and VP (Senate) if electoral college is deadlocked (not happened since 1824)
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22
Q

What does impeachment mean

A

To make a formal accusation against someone

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23
Q

What is involved in law making powers of congress

A

Both houses have equal power
All bills must pass through all stages in both houses
Neither house can override wishes of the other
Both houses must agree to proposed law in exactly the same form
All money bills must begin in House

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24
Q

What are factors in overseeing the executive branch by congress

A

An implied power of the constitution
Oversight of executive departments - controls their budgets
Conducted in standing and select committees

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25
Q

What are major factors of confirming appointments power of congress

A

ONLY by senate
Covers presidents appointments to federal judiciary and executive
Most important ones are to Supreme Court (Brett Kavanaugh)
Simple majority required
Rarely rejected (although they tried hard with Kavanaugh

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26
Q

Factors relating to congress overriding the president’s veto

A

Requires 2/3 majority in BOTH houses
V difficult to achieve
Obama vetoed 12 bills and only one overridden (justice against sponsors of terrorism act)

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27
Q

Factors relating to congress ratifying treaties

A

ONLY by senate
Requires 2/3 majority
Rarely rejected
Senate did reject Treaty of Versailles in 1919

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28
Q

Why is Senate seen as being more powerful than the HoR

A

Exclusive power to confirm appointments

Exclusive power to ratify treaties

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29
Q

Why is Senate seen to be more prestigious than HoR

A

Senators represent an entire state
Senators serve longer terms (6 yrs not 2)
Only 100 senators
Senators are more likely to chair a committee or sub committee
Senate seen as recruiting tool for President and VP (eg Obama, Biden, Pence)
House members often seek election to Senate but never other way around eg Tammy Duckworth (D)

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30
Q

Name senators who have run for president

A 
Ted Cruz (R)
Marco Rubio (R)
Hilary Clinton (D)
Bernie Saunders (I)
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31
Q

Name some senators who served as VP

A 
Al Gore (D)
Joe Biden (D)
Mike Pence (R)
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32
Q

What are the two important exclusive powers of the senate

A

Confirming appointments

Ratifying treaties

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33
Q

Give 3 ways that HoR and Senate are equal

A 
Passing legislation
Conducting oversight of the executive
Initiating constitutional amendments
Fulfilling a representative function
Receiving equal salaries
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34
Q

How do you spell committee

A

Ha ha

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35
Q

Which Bill that Obama had vetoed was overridden by Congress

A

Justice against sponsors of terrorism bill in 2016

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36
Q

What are the 4 most important types of committee in congress

A

Standing committee
House rules committee
Conference committees
Select committees

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37
Q

What is a standing committee

A

A permanent policy specialist committee of congress playing key roles in both legislation and investigation

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38
Q

Key features of standing committees

A

Exist in both houses
Mostly divided into sub committees
Have around 18 members in senate and 30-40 in house
Party balance of each committee reflects the party balance of the respective chamber

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39
Q

What are 3 main functions of standing committees

A

Conducting the committee stage of bills
Conducting investigations
Beginning process of confirming appointments (senate only)

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40
Q

Give 2 examples of standing committees

A

House judiciary committee

Senate foreign relations committee

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41
Q

What is meant by conducting the committee stage of bills

A

Committees
Scrutinise bills in their particular policy area
Hold hearings on the bill
Call witnesses to give evidence at their hearings
Have full power of amendment

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42
Q

What is meant by conducting investigations

A

Committees
Investigate issues within their particular policy area
Investigate perceived problems, crises and policy failures
Oversee relevant executive departments and agencies
Call witnesses to appear at hearings
Can be high profile an influential

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43
Q

What is meant by beginning confirmation process

A

Senate only
Committees
hold hearing on executive branch appointments
Vote on whether or not to recommend a dull senate to confirm a nominee

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44
Q

What does the senate judiciary committee do

A

Considers all presidential nominations to the federal judiciary
Eg Jeff sessions as Attorney General under Donald trump (vote was 11-9)

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45
Q

Features of house rules committee

A

Highly influential
Legislative gate keeper of the house
Responsible for prioritising bills coming from the committee state on to the floor of the house for their debate and votes
13 members (9 majority 4 minority)
Gives a “rule” to a bill - setting out rules for debate and if amendments are permitted

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46
Q

Features of conference committees

A 
Temporary
Made up of members from both chambers
Set up to reconcile differences between house and senate versions of a bill
Try to find compromise 
Often produce final version of the bill
47
Q

How do conference committees differ from joint committees as each made up of members from both chambers

A

Joint committees are mainly used for administrative purposes

48
Q

Features of select committees

A

Also known as special or investigative committees
Mostly ad hoc (temporary)
Used when an investigation does not fall within the policy areas of one standing committee

49
Q

Why are standing committees important

A

Regarded as policy specialists
Conduct the committee stage of bills - ie BEFORE debate in either chamber
Conduct high profile investigations
(Senate only) begin confirmation process of presidential nominations

50
Q

Why are house rules committees important

A

Control passage of bills from committees to floor of the house
Decide terms of debate for each bill
Seen as gate keeper of the legislative process

51
Q

Why are conference committees important

A

Come at end of the legislative process
Have life or death power over a bill
Often write final version of bill

52
Q

Why are select committees important

A

Conduct high profile and often long running investigations

53
Q

Name 3 types of congressional committee

A

Standing
House rules
Conference
Select

54
Q

How many members typically make up a standing committee in each house

A

18 senate

30-40 house

55
Q

How is the party balance of each standing committee decided

A

By party balance in each chamber

56
Q

What functions do standing committees have

A

They conduct the committee stage of bills
They conduct investigations
They begin confirmation process of presidential nominations (senate only)

57
Q

Give an example of a standing committee vote on president trumps cabinet nominees

A

Jim Mattis for secretary of defence (26-1)

Jeff sessions for Attorney General (11-9)

58
Q

What does the house rules committee do

A

It prioritises bills coming from the committee stage on to the floor of the house for their debate and votes by giving a “rule” to a bill setting out the rules of debate and whether or not further amendments are permitted

59
Q

What is the function of a conference committee

A

To reconcile differences between house and senate versions of a bill

60
Q

Why would a select committee be set up

A

When an investigation does not fall within the policy area of one standing committee
If an investigation is going to be v time consuming

61
Q

What are the 6 stages of the legislative process in congress

A 
Introduction
Committee
Timetabling
Floor debate and vote
Conference committee
Presidential action
62
Q

What happens at the introduction stage

A

Formality
Between 10,000 and 14,000 bill introduced during typical congress
Only 2-4% become law

63
Q

What is a filibuster

A

A device by which one or more senators can delay action on a bill by debating it at length

64
Q

What is the presidential veto

A

The presidents power under article II of the constitution to return a bill to congress unsigned along with his reasons for the objection

65
Q

What is a pocket veto

A

A veto power exercised by the president at the end of a legislative session whereby bills not signed are lost

66
Q

What happens during the committee stage of the legislative process

A

Most imp stage
Conducted by relevant standing committee
Occurs before full chamber has debated the bill
Committee holds hearings on bills
Have full power of amendment
Committee writes a report and recommends future action
Most bills never get any further than this stage

67
Q

What happens during the timetabling stage of the legislative process

A

This is done by house rules committee in house and by unanimous consent agreement in senate

68
Q

What happens during the floor debate and vote stage of the legislative process

A

Full debate
Further amendments are possible
Votes are taken either voice of recorded
In senate a filibuster is possible

69
Q

How can a filibuster be ended

A

By a successful cloture motion (60% of senators vote for motion)

70
Q

In current senate which democrat is NOT in favour of getting rid of the filibuster

A

Joe Manchin (democrat but traditional)

71
Q

What happens during the conference committee stage of the legislative process

A

It is used to reconcile the differences between the house and senate versions of the bill
This is often done behind the scenes by an ad hoc group

72
Q

What happens during the presidential action stage of the legislative process

A

President has 4 options
Sign bill into law
Leave bill on his desk (it becomes law after 10 working days)
Presidential veto
Pocket veto (only useable at the end of the legislative session)

73
Q

4 reasons congress is effective in fulfilling its legislative function

A

Process deliberately complicated to stop unpopular legislation
Around 300 new acts of congress signed into law each year which is a lot
Limited government is a founding principle of American government
Congress has passed some significant pieces of legislation in recent decades eg healthcare reform (affordable care act 2010), campaign finance, economic recovery (American recovery and reinvestment Act 2009)

74
Q

What is meant by limited government

A

That the government should act only when it is essential

75
Q

Give 4 reasons why congress is not effective at fulfilling its legislative function

A

Often the will of the majority can be frustrated by a well organised minority - need for super majority, filibuster, power of committee chairs
Small population states are over represented in the senate
Two yearly election cycle in the house mean members spend WAY too much time fundraising and campaigning rather than legislating
Spends lots of time debating and voting on bills of minor importance (eg commemorative stamps)

76
Q

Why is the committee stage of the bill so important

A

Committees
have full power of amendment
Have life or death power over bills
Usually this is as far as a bill progresses (3-4%)

77
Q

What is a filibuster

A

A device by which one or more senators can delay a bill by debating it at length

78
Q

What options does the president have when a bill is sent to him

A 
4 options
Sign
Veto
Pocket veto (end of legislative session only)
Leave on desk
79
Q

How can congress override a presidential veto

A

Pass the bill again with a 2/3 majority in the house AND senate

80
Q

What is meant by oversight

A

Congressional review and investigate of the activities of the executive branch of govt

81
Q

How does congress carry out oversight function

A

Standing committee hearings
Subpoena of documents and testimony
The senates power to confirm appointments
The senates power to ratify treaties

82
Q

Who usually conducts oversight work

A

Standing committees in both houses

83
Q

What are the two models of representation in congress

A

Trustee model

Delegate model

84
Q

What is meant by representation

A

Either how legislators represent their constituents or who the legislators are and whether they are representative of their constituents (eg race/gender etc)

85
Q

Who advocated for the trustee model

A

James madison

Edmund Burke

86
Q

What is the trustee model

A

The legislator makes decisions on behalf of their constituents
- ie they act as a trustee
The legislator decides based on their “mature judgement”

87
Q

What is a criticism of the trustee model

A

It is elitist

88
Q

What is the delegate model

A

The legislator acts in accordance with the views of a majority of their constituents
They do NOT exercise their own judgement
Linked with the principle of popular sovereignty
Views of people are paramount

89
Q

Is the delegate model elitist

A

No it is seen as more populist and democratic

90
Q

How do most members of congress see their representative role

A

As a blend of both models

House members trend to delegate model as elections every 2 years so need to keep up with public opinion

91
Q

How do members of congress engage with their constituents

A 
Holding party meetings
Holding town halls
Conducting surgeries with constituents
Making visits around state/district
Appearing on local radio
Taking part in interviews on local tv or in press
Addressing local groups eg chambers of commerce/rotary clubs
Using email and social media
92
Q

Give 3 reasons why congress is effective

A

Frequency of elections (especially in the house)
Constitutional requirement that members must reside in their state (and maybe in district if house member)
The number of ways constituents can now share their views with members of congress

93
Q

Give 3 reasons why congress is not effective

A

Constituents views on many issues very divided
Many members of congress see themselves more as a trustee than a delegate
In todays era of hyper partisanship following the party line often trumps constituency representation as the main cue in voting

94
Q

Explain the two different interpretations of the word representation

A

How legislators represent the views of their constituents

How representative of society as a whole legislators are

95
Q

Explain the difference between the trustee and delegate model of representation

A

Trustee - legislator makes decisions on behalf of their constituents ie acts as a trustee
Delegate - legislator decides in accordance with the views of a majority of their constituents

96
Q

Give 4 ways in which congress members engage with their constituents

A

Social media
Email
Speaking at functions eg chambers of commerce/rotary clubs
Town halls
Holding party meetings
Conducting surgeries with individual constituents
Appearing on local media (radio/tv/press)

97
Q

What are the 6 main factors that affect voting in congress

A 
Constituents
Political party
The administration
Pressure groups
Colleagues and staff
personal beliefs
98
Q

How do political parties influence voting in congress

A

Party unity within congressional parties has increased in last 20 years
However still few incentives to encourage party line voting
But those members who stray from party line may find themselves facing a primary challenger in next election cycle (eg Liz Cheney)

99
Q

How does the administration affect voting in congress

A 
The president, VP and senior members of the White House all lobby members of congress to support them on key votes (TWW)
Cabinet members (appointed by president) lobby in their respective areas
100
Q

Success for the administration in affecting voting depends on what factors

A

The size of the presidents mandate
The presidents approval rating
Which term it is (first term more successful than second)
The president’s persuasive skills and relationship with his own party in congress

101
Q

How do pressure groups affect voting in congress

A

Through direct contact with key members (eg at committee meetings)
By generating public support for the positions they favour
By organising rallies, demonstrations (BLM)
Through fundraising and campaigning

102
Q

How do colleagues and staff influence voting in congress

A

They are the same state delegation (in the house)
Relevant committee members
Respected senior members
Senior members of staff (eg chief of staff)

103
Q

How do personal beliefs influence voting

A

Always important
Especially on moral issues or matters affecting members personal philosophy
Key areas are abortion, gun control

104
Q

Give three important factors that may determine the way members of congress vote

A 
Constituents
Political party
Administration
President’s view
Pressure groups
Colleagues and friends
Personal beliefs
105
Q

Give 3 examples of people within the administration who might lobby members of congress

A

President
Vice President
Members of White House staff
Cabinet members

106
Q

Give 2 examples of groups who might lobby members of congress

A 
Teachers Union
Environmental Groups
BLM
Greta thumberg
NRA
107
Q

In what two ways do the two major political parties dominate congress

A

Almost all members are either democrats or republicans

2 major parties control all leadership positions

108
Q

Name two consequences of the the two major parties having become more ideologically cohesive

A

Any two of
Era of hyper partisanship (brownstein)
Greater unity within the parties esp in house
More distinct conflicts between the parties
Big ticket items tend to pass on strictly party line votes

109
Q

Give an example where a bill was passed despite receiving NO votes from the opposing party in either house

A

President Trump’s tax cuts in 2017

110
Q

What does partisanship mean

A

A situation where members of one party regularly group together to oppose members of another party
Characterised by strong party discipline and little cooperation between parties

111
Q

What does gridlock mean

A

Failure to get action on policy proposals and legislation in congress. Made worse by hyper partisanship

112
Q

What has happened to the centrists in congress

A

Number has declined dramatically

113
Q

Give 3 reasons why parties play an important role in congress

A

Leadership is run by parties
Committees are organised by parties
Party discipline is stronger with increased partisanship
Party is an important determinant of voting in congress
Almost impossible to be elected to congress without being a major party candidate

114
Q

Give 3 reasons why parties do not play an important role in congress

A

Views of constituents often outweigh party considerations (esp in house)
Parties have no control over candidate selection
Both parties are made up of ideological factions that compete with party cohesion
The executive branch has few sticks or carrots to influence party discipline
Congressional leadership is fairly impotent in the face of opposition

Politics US (2 decks)

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