Congress Flashcards
What article is the constitution is Congress in
Article 1
Why is congress in Article 1
To avoid tyranny
What are the two sections of congress called
House Representatives
Senate
Bicameral
Describes a legislature made up of two
chambers
How is the senate appointed
State legislators
How many senators does each state get
2
What does the house represent
Popular Soverignity
Popular Sovereignty
All government authority is dervied from the consent of people being governed
How long does each sentor serve
6 years
How many members in congress
435
Number of HOR per state
Reflective of population -
7 states have only 1 member
California has 40 million members
Area in which hor is decided to govern
Decided by congressional districts, which is drawn every 100 years for the census
HOR term length + Can they run for reelection
Every 2 years
No limit in the amount of terms they can serve
Key Leadership roles in HOR
- Speaker of the house
- Majority and minority of the house
- Major and minority of whips
How is the Speaker of the house elected
Elected by the whole house house from a maj party
Senate membership
100 senators
vice president casting the final vote if their is a tie
Number of senators per state
2 senators
Senior +JunioR
Sentaor Constituencey
Represents their whole state
Senator term length + Reelection
Serves 6 years
1/3 up for election every 6 years
Senators known as - Class I,II or III
No limit on the number of terms served
Senate Key Leadership roles
Vice President - Presides over the senate
President Pro tempore
Majority and Minority leaders
How many americans does one HOR represent
765,000 americans
Mid term elections happen when
Every 2 years
What happens if the mid term creates a divided government
President becomes diffcult to pass legislation, Congress has a more recent agenda which means they are more willing to challenge the pres
Incumbent
The person who currently holds political office, usually referring to the president
How much did the 2020 congressional election cost
$7 billion
Saw 9/10 out of the most expensive senate races
Congressional incumbenets spend more or less on reelection and why?
Less, they have already got the recognition in the house/senate. Able to raise more money too bc they are more well known.
McConnel spending example on relection
He spend $65 million on his campagin whereas his democratic challenger spent $90 million
What congressional advantages does incumbents have
Provided with a website, explain policy briefs, demonstrate their policy successes and influence.
Thye have franking privileges too
Franking Privileges
Costing privleges, which means congress will pay for their mailing to constituents
Gerrymanding
The party controlling the state legislature has the opportunity to redraw the constituency boundaries every 10 years. Parties use this to give them a electoral advantage.
How many classes of senators are their
3
Impact of the election cycle
Because of the short election times, congress can change frequently. Causing divided governments, last six elections (2020) the gov has been divided for the last 5 times
Distrubition of power in congress
