Congress Flashcards
1
Q
How many members of the House of Representatives are there?
A
435
2
Q
How are House seats allocated?
A
Split proportionally according to state population - calculated every 10 years in a census
3
Q
How often are House elections?
A
Every 2 years
4
Q
How many Senators are there?
A
100
5
Q
How many Senators per state?
A
2 - ensure small states aren’t overlooked
6
Q
How long have Senators been directly elected for?
A
Since 1918 - before they were appointed by State legislatures
7
Q
How often are Senate elections?
A
Every 2 years for 1/3 of the Senators
8
Q
How long are Senate terms?
A
6 years
9
Q
How much of the population do the smallest 25 states make up?
A
25%
10
Q
Why are there anti-democratic features?
A
Prevent Mobocracy and prevent the tyranny of the majority
11
Q
How is the power in the UK and US different?
A
UK = centralised
USA = dispersed
12
Q
Where can bills originate?
A
Either the house or the Senate
13
Q
What is the first stage of the legislative process?
A
Standing Committee Stage
14
Q
Who are members of Standing Committees?
A
Members of Congress who are experts on the subject of the bill
15
Q
What do they do at the Committee stage?
A
Amend the bill and decide whether it passes through to the main chamber. Most bills end their passage through congress at this stage.
16
Q
What happens if the bill is released?
A
Bill is timetabled for debate
17
Q
Who determines the rules set for the bill?
A
The House rules committee
18
Q
What rules can the House instate?
A
No amendments, time allowed for debate
19
Q
How is the legislative process different from the UK?
A
Concurrent - the bill goes through the house and Senate at the same time
20
Q
What comes out of the end of the two houses?
A
Two different bills
21
Q
How do the two bills become one?
A
Discussed in a conference committee
22
Q
What must a bill do to become law?
A
Be passed by both houses
23
Q
Who makes up the Conference Committee?
A
Members of the standing committees for both houses.
24
Q
What happens at the conference committee stage?
A
Agree upon a modified version of the bill and release as a conference report
25
What must the final bill be?
Approved of by both houses
26
What options does the president have?
Sign it, veto it, leave it on his desk
27
What happens if the president leaves a bill on his desk?
Automatically becomes law after 10 days
28
What is a pocket veto?
When the president leaves it on the desk but Congress adjourns before the 10 days
29
What bill did Biden veto?
A resolution that would change the definition and classification of Waters in the US - April 6th
30
What is the first reading?
A formality - no debate - bill is printed and given to the clerk in the House - Senate - bill's title is just read aloud
31
How many standing committees are there in the House?
20
32
Example of House committee?
Judiciary Committee
33
Member of the Judiciary House committee?
Victoria Sparks - was CFO of Indianna's Attorney General's office
34
How many Senate committees?
16
35
Example of Senate Standing Committee?
Agriculture Committee
36
Example of members of the Agriculture Committee
Heidi Heitkamp and John Hoeven
37
How many members are there of the House committees?
40-50
38
How many members of Senate committees?
20
39
What subcommittees are the in the House?
Science, Space and Technology has sub-committees for energy, environment, oversight, research and technology and space.
40
How many bills were referred to Committees in 113th Congress?
8565
41
How many bills were reported on in 113th Congress?
613
42
How many were made into law?
296
43
What happen to most bills?
Get pigeon-holed
44
Example of a Bill that was pigeon-holed?
Clear Skies Act 2005
45
How long was Obamacare Act discussed by the Senate Finance Committee?
60 hours
46
What are mark-up sessions?
Where the original bill is marked up by amendment or even replaced by an entirely new text - following debates and votes by committee members.
47
What is the Hastert Rule
Majority of the majority rule - adopted by Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert - Republican Speakers will not allow a floor vote on a bill unless a majority of Republicans support the bill.
48
What is a Discharge Petition?
Forces a debate on a bill - requires an absolute majority of 218
49
Example of this?
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act - 240-189 vote
50
What is the Second reading?
First time the entire chamber can debate and amend the bill.
51
What is a voice vote?
Used for non-controversial bills
52
What is a Roll Call Vote?
Used if a fifth of members request it, records each individuals vote.
53
What is the Committee of the Whole?
The whole House operates as one large committee involving all 435 representatives, to avoid the normal rules that govern the House in session.
54
What does the Speaker select?
Someone to act as presiding officer
55
What quorum is required?
100
56
What exists in the Senate?
The fillibuster
57
What is the Cloture Rule?
Ends the debate on a bill but requires 16 Senators and a super majority.
58
What is the third reading?
final one before it is passed to the other chamber.
59
What happens if the Bill is rejected at the third reading?
Ping pong back for debate and vote
60
How long did Strom Thurmond speak for to stop civil rights legislation passing?
24 hours
61
What did Bernie do in 2010?
Blocked legislation that Obama wanted on tax reform
62
What kind of committees are there?
Standing Committees
Select Committees
House Rules Committee
Conference committees.
63
What impacts the effectiveness of committees?
Hyperpartisanship
64
What is the government designed around?
Compromise
65
What can divided government lead to?
Gridlock
66
What does Congress require?
both parties and both houses to work together and hyper partisanship destroyed compromise
67
What are Standing Committees?
Permanent committees - focus on a specific area of policy - foreign affairs, agriculture.
68
What are standing committees full of?
Experts - concerned with high quality legislation
69
What drives the concern over high quality legislation?
Permanent campaign - poor legislation won't get re-elected
70
How is the party representation decided?
Same as in the House or Senate - majority party has majority
71
What do Standing Committees carry out?
Investigations and oversight of the executive - focussed on the policy area of the committee
72
What does the Senate have in addition to the normal stuff?
Presidential appointments - consider suitability and committee vote
73
What do Standing Committees allow?
Handles the issues it needs to legislate on and investigate
74
What do long term members become?
Experts in their policy area - ideally placed to scrutinise in relevant legiskation
75
What do their expertise allow?
Enable them to carry out more effective oversight than the chambers as a whole
76
How do hearings provide important check on the executive?
Often high profile and attract more media attention
77
What are Select Committees?
Set up to deal with a specific urgent issue - prevent the relevant standing committee being overloaded.
78
What are most select committees?
Temporary
79
Example of permanent select committees?
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
80
What happened between 2017-2020?
The SSCI investigated Russian interference in 2016 election
81
What does the possibility of congressional investigation do?
Creates a powerful incentive for executives to ensure its actions stand up against scrutiny.
82
What can investigations be?
Politicised - reduce credibility. Committees may even be divided on the conclusions they reach.
83
Which committee investigated Benghazi
House Select Committee on Benghazi
84
What did the House Select Committee on Benghazi do?
Investigate the 2012 terrorist attack on the US embassy - US ambassador killed
85
How long did the House Select Committee on Benghazi investigation take?
2 years and cost $7 million
86
How long was Clinton questioned for?
11 hours in 2015 - political point scoring
87
How long was the committee's report?
800 pages
88
What lines did the Committee divide on?
Party lines - Republicans emphasised her role, Democrats exculpated her
89
What is the House Rules Committee?
Standing committee in the House and is uniquely important - sets rules for bills determining how much time they have on the floor and whether amendments will be allowed.
90
What do open rules allow?
Suggestion of amendments
91
How many members are there of the HRC?
13
92
How is the membership weighted?
2:1 to the majority party - 9:4
93
What does the speaker use?
Party control to determine what is debated on the floor of the house.
94
What % of bills were under closed rule in the 115th congress?
56%
95
What does closed rule do?
Prevents legislation from being improved by congressmen and gives the minority party less ability to shape government bills.
96
Who was the chair of the HRC in 2013-2019?
Pete Sessions - millions of dollars of donations to campaign from pressure groups and corporate donors due to his influence
97
What did Pete Sessions use his positions to do?
Advance his personal opposition to marijuana, preventing amendment that would have relaxed federal laws against marijuana in states where it is legal.
98
When did Reagan get his budget passed?
1981 - bipartisan agreement
99
What are conference committees?
Temporary committees set up to consider a specific bill - occurs when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the same bill.
100
How many conference reports in 1995-97?
67
101
How many conference reports in the 115th congress?
7
102
How many times has united government occurred?
5 times in the past 40 years
103
What act passed without Democrat support?
Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017
104
How much has party votes risen?
40% to 70%
105
What does Congress need to override a veto?
2/3 of both houses
106
What is the average age of the House?
58.8
107
Who is the youngest representative?
Maddison Cawthorn - 25
108
Who is the oldest representative?
Hal Rogers - 83
109
How many members of the House worked in law?
173
110
How many representatives worked in business?
273
111
How many representatives worked in politics?
297
112
How many representatives have a bachelors?
93.8%
113
How many have beyond a bachelors?
67%
114
How many have a masters?
108
115
How many have a law degree?
32.7%
116
How many have doctoral degrees?
5.1%
117
How many house members are protestant?
54.3%
118
How many representatives are Catholic?
30.8%
119
How many representatives are Jewish?
5.7%
120
How many representatives are Mormon?
1.4%
121
How many representatives are Buddhist?
0.2%
122
How many representatives are muslim?
0.68=9%
123
How many congress people are women?
27.9%
124
How many representatives are white?
72%
125
How many representatives are African American?
13.3%
126
How many representatives are Native American?
1.4%
127
How many representatives are disabled?
2.5%
128
What is a representative's income?
$174k
129
What is the average age of a Senator?
64.3
130
Who is the youngest Senator?
Jon Ossoff - 33
131
Who is the oldest Senator?
Dianne Feinstein - 87
132
How many Senators worked in politics?
64%
133
How many worked in Law?
57
134
How many Senators have a bachelors degree?
100%
135
How many Senators have further than a bachelors?
76%
136
How many Senators are protestant?
58%
137
How many Senators are Catholic?
24%
138
How many Senators are Jewish?
9%
139
How many Senators are Mormon?
3%
140
How many Senators are women?
24%
141
How many Senators are African American?
3%
142
How many Senators are White?
83%
143
How many Senators are disabled?
4%
144
How many americans are white?
61%
145
How many americans are African American?
13.6%
146
How many Americans are Native Americans?
2%
147
How many americans are women?
50.5%
148
How many americans are protestants?
48.9%
149
How many americans are Catholics?
23%
150
What is the average income?
$56,310
151
How many americans have a bachelor's degree?
35%
152
What do Senators have?
More name recognition
153
What are Senators?
Trustees not delegates
154
What can Senators do?
Senate can appoint Judges, try impeachment cases, confirm presidential appointments etc - the house only votes to impeach a president.
155
What do the House initiate?
Money bills
156
What is oversight?
Not mentioned in the Constitution - seen as an implied power.
157
What factors impact how effectively Congress performs oversight?
Divided government, majority of one or both houses of Congress has an incentive to investigate their opponents in the executive.
158
What happened in 2018?
Democrats won the House, launched investigations into Trump - resulted in his first impeachment.
159
When is oversight weakened?
United government - Congress dominated by members of the president's party.
160
What couldn't Trump do?
Repeal Obamacare during his first 100 days even though he controlled both houses
161
What means that Congress find it difficult to scrutinise?
High public approval ratings
162
Example of this?
George Bush's popularity ratings shot up to 90% following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As a result his administration enjoyed low levels of congressional scrutiny for the next few years.
163
How does Congress carry out oversight?
Investigating the executive, confirming presidential nominees, impeaching officials and ratifying treaties.
164
What is Earmarking?
Money given to states to incentivise them to vote a certain way.
165
What can investigating the executive be?
Partisan point scoring
166
What can result in a prison sentence?
Lying to Congress
167
What can committees do?
Subpoena witnesses
168
Wha are some investigations intended to do?
Smear the political opposition with bad publicity instead of as a positive form of oversight.
169
Who supports Congress to investigate the executive?
The Government Accountability Office
170
How much was the staff in the GAO, the Congressional Research Service and the Congressional Budget Office were cut by?
45% between 1975 and 2015
171
What can investigations encourage?
Turnout - opposition to someone
172
What is the issue with hyperpartisanship?
Nothing in terms of scrutiny of their own party - lap dogs.
Loads in terms of scrutiny of the opposition - attack dogs.
173
What is confirmation of nominees?
Senate confirmation is needed for many presidential appointments including SC Justices
174
What is rare?
Refusal of an appointment
175
What happened to Betsy Devos?
Displayed a lack of knowledge of basic policy during her hearings - argued that guns in school would protect children from bears. Senate vote - 50-50. VP Mike Pence broke the vote and confirmed her.
176
Who was blocked from having a hearing in 2016?
Merrick Garland
177
What is impeachment?
Congress impeach and try the president for "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanours." Ultimate sanction - threat prompting Nixon to resign in 1974.
178
Who never recovered from their impeachment?
Clinton 1998
179
What is the theory of impeachment?
The threat should motivate all members of the executive.
180
What has never happened?
Conviction or removal from office of a sitting president
181
By how much was Trump acquitted?
52-48 - all but one Republican voted to acquit
182
Who negotiated treaties?
President
183
Who ratifies treaties?
Senate - forces the president to work closely with the Senate during treaty negotiations
184
What treaty did the Senate reject in 1919?
Versaille
185
What treaty did the Senate reject in 1999?
Comprehensive Test Ban
186
What treaty was rejected in 2012?
Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
187
What have recent presidents done?
Use executive agreements
188
What is the power of the purse?
Congress has the power of the purse - only congress can raise revenue - has to be agreed by both houses - can lead to shut down of government. Threat can mean that people have to compromise. Expensive.
189
What is the reason for the drinking age being 21?
10% more budget for states - pork barrelling
190
How long was Trump's shutdown?
30 days
191
How do congress members communicate with constituents?
Through state visits/district visits - town hall meetings. Social and letters and emails to keep informed of views - represent those views in Congress.
192
What % of seats are safe seats?
90%
193
Who was deselected because they didn't support Trump?
Liz Chaney
194
How much was spent on the road to nowhere?
$223 million
195
What Bill did Joe Manchin vote for?
$1.5 trillion Inflation Reduction Act
196
What is gerrymandering?
Changing boundaries of districts
197
How do pressure groups impact congress members
They fund campaigns
198
Where does the budget come from?
The Administration
