Congress

Question 1

Which article of the constitution outlines the powers of Congress?

Answer 1

Article I Section 1

Question 2

House of Representatives:
Term length
How they are elected
How many

Answer 2

2 year terms
Direct popular election
435 representatives

Question 3

Exclusive powers of HofR

Answer 3

Consider all money bills first
Vote articles of impeachment
Choose president if electoral college is deadlocked

Question 4

The Senate:
Term length
How they’re elected
How many

Answer 4

6 year terms
Originally elected by state legislature but 17th amendment made it direct popular election
Staggered so 1/3 of Senators up for re-election every 2 years
2 senators per state so 100

Question 5

Exclusive powers of the Senate

Answer 5

Ratify treaties (2/3 majority required)
Confirm executive appointments
Try cases of impeachment (2/3 majority required)
Choose vp if electoral college is deadlocked

Question 6

Why is there a Senate and a HofR?

Answer 6

A result of the Great Compromise
HofR designed to be responsible for the people and the Senate to guard against excessive democracy

Question 7

Concurrent powers of senate and HofR

Answer 7

Pass legislation
Override presidents veto
Initiate constitutional amendments
Declare war

Question 8

What’s the delegate model?

Answer 8

Idea that members have been elected by the people so they should do what the people want

Question 9

What’s the trustee model?

Answer 9

Idea that you’ve been elected by the people so you should do what you think is right by the people

Question 10

What is bork barrel legislation?

Answer 10

Attempt by members of congress to direct federal funding back to their districts
‘Bringing home the bacon’

Question 11

What’s sophomore surge?

Answer 11

90% of representatives and senators are re-elected

Question 12

What’s the Jackie (and Jill) Robinson effect?

Answer 12

Districts receive 9% more federal funding when women represent them
Women sponsor 16% more bills

Question 13

In which way do Congress vote to elect new house leaders?

Answer 13

Every 2 years at start of new Congress, parties gather in caucuses to elect new house leaders

Question 14

How is the speaker of the house elected?

Answer 14

Each party nominates a candidate, vote is cast and one with majority becomes speaker of the house
It’s normally the party with the majority in the house, people stick to party lines when voting

Question 15

How significant is the speaker of the house?

Answer 15

Second in line to the presidency
Most important role in the House of Representatives

Question 16

How significant is the majority party leader in HofR?

Answer 16

Second to the speaker
Also elected and keeps the party united

Question 17

Who else is elected in the HofR?

Answer 17

Minority party leader, same job as majority
Both parties elect whips, ensure party loyalty

Question 18

Who is the president of the Senate?

Answer 18

The Vice President, rarely sits in this capacity but will cast a deciding vote if there’s a tie

Question 19

Who is the ‘pro tempore’ leader of the Senate?

Answer 19

It’s an honorary role often given to the Senator in the majority party who has given the longest continuous service
This is where the real power lies

Question 20

Who else is elected in the Senate

Answer 20

Minority party leader
Party whips

Question 21

What is the committee system?

Answer 21

Provides another mean of organising congress
Focusses on specialisation and division of labour rather than hierarchy

Question 22

What are standing committees?

Answer 22

Have a permanent status in congress
Fixed membership
Jurisdiction recognised by other committees
Consider bills appropriate to subject matter
Speaker has some discretion in allocation of bills to a committee

Question 23

What is the house rules committee?

Answer 23

Decide which order bills come up to the floor of the house for a vote
Important as order can help or hinder particular proposals

Question 24

What’s the conference committee?

Answer 24

Joint committee of house and senate
Resolves disagreements on bills
Comprised of senior members of standing committees

Question 25

How many staff members are there across the house and senate?

Answer 25

12,500

Question 26

What are committee staffers and how many are there?

Answer 26

Permanent employees of federal government
There are 6,000

Question 27

1. How a bill becomes law: Submission

Answer 27

Doesn’t become a bill until officially submitted by senator or house member and submitted to appropriate committee

Question 28

2. How a bill becomes law: Committee stage /deliberation

Answer 28

Won’t be debated until committee has taken time to deliberate
Probably go to sub-committee and any amendments are made, this is a long process
Most bills die at committee stage

Question 29

3.How a bill becomes law: House rules committee

Answer 29

In Senate once committee has voted on bill it goes straight to the floor for debate
In house the bill goes to the HRC before it sees the floor for debate
Closed or open rule determines the extent of the debate you want a closed rule

Question 30

4. How a bill becomes law: Floor debate

Answer 30

Speaker of the House and majority leader in senate have power of recognition, allows control over who speaks on the floor- party agenda

Question 31

5. How a bill becomes law: Floor debate (filibuster)

Answer 31

In the senate there is no limit on how long a senator can talk for, this can be used to oppose legislation until majority backs down- filibuster
If this happens, other senators need to marshal 60 senators to vote in favour of a cloture

Question 32

6. How a bill becomes law: Conference committee

Answer 32

Bills at the end of the floor stage look very different to how they started so conference committee might be needed to revise the bill

Question 33

7. How a bill becomes law: President sign or veto

Answer 33

Majority required in both houses for final bill to be proposed to the president
President then signs or vetos bill (article 1)
Has 10 days to decide, veto can be overturned if 2/3 of both houses vote
Then it becomes law!

Question 34

External factors: Constituency

Answer 34

Members of congress are ambitious and want to be re-elected, they care about what their constituents think
Potential electoral challengers can use voting behaviour of incumbent to their advantage if it’s not up to scratch

Question 35

External factors: Interest groups

Answer 35

Can mobilise voters in congressional districts
Interest groups donate millions to incumbents and challengers during elections, may affect voting behaviour

Question 36

Internal factors: Party discipline

Answer 36

Party unison in congress used to be much stronger, it declined with development of primary system in elections
Leader can help members secure position on floor if they want, can build useful bond
Members are desperate for floor to promote a bill or themselves, they’re then well behaved so this can happen

Question 37

What is logrolling?

Answer 37

An attempt to build a coalition of favours among congress members, supporting each other on bills they might not have interest in so the favour can be returned

Question 38

Is party unity greater in the House or Senate?

Answer 38

Greater in the House as the Senate has fewer rules to enforce party unity