Congress Flashcards

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1
Q

Apportionment

A

The process of allocating congressional seats to each state according to the census

  • State leg. get to redraw congressional districts (redistricting)
  • Necessary + proper clause
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2
Q

House of Representatives

A
  • Elected 2 year terms
  • More responsive to the people due to short terms + direct election
  • Initiates all revenue + tax bills
  • Initiates impeachment
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3
Q

Senate

A
  • Elected 6 year terms
  • Meant to rep. state interests
  • offers advice and consent on presidential appointments
  • votes on impeachment
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4
Q

Trustee

A

Role played by a member of congress where they listen to constituent opinions and use their best judgment to come to a decision: favored by Edmund Burke

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5
Q

Delegate

A

Role played by a member of congress where they vote the way their constituents want them to regardless of their personal opinion

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6
Q

Politico

A

Role played by a member of congress that is a mix of trustee and delegate depending on the issue

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7
Q

Advantage of incumbancy

A

Name recognition, casework, seniority, redistricting, fundrasing, media

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8
Q

Redistricting

A

The process of state legislatures redrawing congressional districts

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9
Q

Gerrymandering

A

The drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome

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10
Q

Congressional Party Caucus

A

Gathering of party members where they elect party officers, committee assignments, formed because of similar interests and geographical location.

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11
Q

Speaker of the House

A

Elected by the House at the beginning of each new term, usually a member of the majority party.

  • Decides points of order
    -Refers bills and resolutions to appropriate house committees
    -Schedules legislation for floor action
  • Appoints house members to select, joint and conference committees
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12
Q

Whip

A

Party leader who keeps close contact with members of their party, takes vote counts on key bills, prepares bill summaries, acts as a communications link within their own party.

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13
Q

President Pro Tempore

A

a senator, usually a senior member of the majority party, who is chosen to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president. He is also in the line of succession for the presidency after the Speaker of the House

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14
Q

President of the Senate

A

The Vice President is the presiding officer of the Senate, whose duties are to recognize members, put questions on a vote and to ONLY vote to break a tie.

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15
Q

Majority Leader

A

The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line.

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16
Q

Minority Leader

A

The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.

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17
Q

Seniority rule

A

Unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving the top posts in each chamber, particularly committee chairmanships, for members with the longest records of service

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18
Q

Standing Committees

A

A permanent committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area ex: agriculture

  • has several sub committees
    -kill or pass a bill
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19
Q

Joint Committees

A

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the conduct investigations and taxation

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20
Q

Conference Committees

A

a joint committee appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill. Sometimes referred to as “The Third House.”

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21
Q

Select Committees

A

A temporary committee formed to study one specific issue and report its findings to the Senate of the House

22
Q

House Rules Committee

A

Determines the scheduling on conditions on a bill, such as debate length and types of amendments

23
Q

Discharge Petition

A

by a majority in House, bill may bypass committee and go to floor; rescue tool (more common in senate)

24
Q

Committe chairs

A

based on seniority in the senate, based on appointments and interviews from party leaders in the house

  • Able to call meetings, select subcommittee chairs, schedule hearings
25
Q

Article 1 sec. 7

A

Details congress to make laws and raise revenue

26
Q

Article 1 sec. 8

A

Details congress to tax, spend,regulate commerce,make money, and execute laws

27
Q

Bill proposals

A

Can come from the president, executive agencies, staffers, interest groups, BUT must be submitted by a sponsor from congress

28
Q

Markup

A

process by which a U.S congressional committee debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation

29
Q

Committee of the Whole

A

A procedure that allows th. House to deliberate with a lower quorum (The minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action) and to expedite consideration and amendment of a bill

30
Q

Hold

A

When a senator asks to be informed before a bill is brought up, keeping it from entering the floor

31
Q

Filibuster

A

Halting senate action by unlimited debate

32
Q

Cloture

A

Requires the vote of 60 senators to end filibuster

33
Q

Veto

A

ability of the president to reject a bill

34
Q

Pocket Veto

A

If congress adjourns before 10 days, the bill is automatically rejected without the president having to sign

35
Q

Line Item Veto

A

Ability of the president to veto only some parts of a bill

36
Q

Congress Budget Act of 1974

A

established a congressional budget process by laying out a plan for congressional action on resolution, appropriations, revenues.

37
Q

Reconcilliation

A

Allows consideration of controversial issues by limiting debate to 20 hours, designed to speed up bills that will cut the budget

38
Q

Pork

A

Legislation that materially benefits constituents

39
Q

Earmarks

A

Fed. funds designated for special projects ex:public works

40
Q

Appropriation

A

How congress decides to fund parts of a bill

41
Q

Oversight

A

Congress ability to check the executive branch

42
Q

War Powers Resolution

A

President can only send troops for 60 days without approval

43
Q

Congressional review

A

allows Congress to nullify agency regulations by passing a joint resolution

-Senate gets to confirm or reject executive branch nominations to federal courts

44
Q

Senatorial Courtesy

A

A tacit agreement among senators not to vote for any presidential nominee who is opposed by the senators from the nominee’s home state.

45
Q

Logrolling

A

vote trading

46
Q

CRO (congressional research office)

A

provides data and studies to support congress

47
Q

GAO (Government Accountability Office)

A

regulates financial expenditures in executive branch

48
Q

CBO ( Congressional Budget Office)

A

Helps congress evaluate economic effect of proposed budject policies

49
Q

Rider

A

an additional provision added to a bill ( creating an omnibus bill)

50
Q

Pigeonholing

A

to set a congressional bill aside in committee without considering it.