Congress Flashcards
How many terms does the house have?
2
How many terms does the senate have?
6
1/3 every 2 years
What is a whip?
“Whips up” support for or against legislation
Who is a committee chair?
Like speaker of committee
Who is the leader of the senate?
Vice president
What are the unique rules of the house?
Closed/Open rule
Discharge petitions
What is closed/open rule?
Closed rule: procedural rule that prohibits amendments to bill
Open rule: permits floor amendments within overall time allocated to bill.
What are discharge petitions?
Bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor
What are the unique rules of the senate?
Filibuster
Cloture
What is a filibuster?
When a candidate takes the floor and talks for a long time to stall.
What is a cloture?
60% of room votes that you can’t filibuster.
How many senators are there?
100
How many house members are there?
435
Who’s concerned with national issues? Who’s concerned with local issues?
House- local
Senate- national
What are the incumbent advantages? (5)
Help constituents get benefits
Have visible presence
Use committee and subcommittee positions to influence legislation
Have experience
Earmark grants, spending
What are earmarks?
Social spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for constituents.
What is cracking and packing in gerrymandering?
Cracking- breaking apart smaller congressional districts and compacting them
Packing- taking weaker parts of larger districts and adding them to smaller ones
What are constituents?
Residents of congressional district or state.
Who did the framers expect to be most powerful branch?
Congress
How did the framers control Congress?
Splitting into two very different separate branches
What are the house unique powers?
Brings impeachment
Author all tax bills for raising revenue
What are the senate unique powers?
Tried impeached
Give consent to executive treaties
What are general powers of Congress? (5)
- Power to raise money
- Power to regulate commerce
- Power to unify and expand country
- Power to prepare and declare war
- Power to create lower courts (federal judiciary
Who is the speaker?
Selected by majority party but formally elected by house.
What is a party caucus?
Meeting of members of party in legislative chamber to select party leaders and develop party policy.
Who is the majority leader?
Selected by majority leader keeps members in line, plans party strategy, confers worth other party leaders
Who is the minority leader?
Spokesperson for opposition
What is a standing committee?
Permanent committee focusing on policy area (for Congress or government)
What is a special or select committee?
Congressional committee created for specific purpose (short or long term)
What is a joint committee?
Composed of members of house and senate, oversee Library of Congress and conduct investigations.
What is the seniority rule?
Practice assigning longest serving to leadership roles on committees
What is a conference committee?
Chosen by officers of each chamber to adjust differences on bill passed by each in different form.
What are member caucuses?
Congresspeople come together to informally promote issues.
What are the three functions of a committee?
- Consider bills
- Oversight of executive agencies
- Conduct investigations
What are the main house standing committees (for this unit only)?
Ways and means (taxes)
Rules
Appropriation
What are the main senate standing committees (for this unit only)?
Appropriations
Armed services
Judiciary committee
What do sub committees do?
Tackle specific tasks within jurisdiction of full committees.
Who’s the house majority leader?
Steny Hamilton Hoyer
Who’s the house minority leader?
Hakeem Jefferys
Who’s the house minority whip?
Katherine Clark
Who’s the president pro temporero of senate?
Patty Murray
Who’s the senate majority leader?
Chuck Schumer
Who’s the senate minority leader?
Mitch McConnell
Who’s the senate majority whip?
Dick Durbin
Who’s the senate minority whip?
John Thune
What are the steps for a bill to become a law (8)
- Idea
- Call to Congressman to become a law
- Introduced to Congress
- Committee and is debated
- Goes to house and they vote
- Go to senate, same thing
- President says yes
- If president says no, goes back to Congress
What is a rider?
Provision attached to bill to which may or may not be related in order to be passed.
What is a pocket veto?
Veto exercised by president when doesn’t take action for 10 days, does not become a law.
What is logrolling?
Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.
What is a delegate?
Official who is expected to be o represent views of his or her constituents.
What is a trustee?
Official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgement.
Congress vote on the basis of what 5 things?
Colleague’s, constituents, staff, ideology, their party, and the president.
