Congress Flashcards
Congress
The overall name for both houses house of representatives and the senate
Bicameral structure
Congress is made up of two chambers HOR and the senate
The House of Representatives
- Directly elected with each state appointing a number of representatives in line with its population
- Should represent popular sovereignity (principle that all govt authority is derived from the consent of the people being governed who are the source of political power
The Senate
- Senate is appointed by state legislatures with each state getting 2 senators
- Senate acts as a safeguard against popular sovereignity and ensure every state had a voice in the new federal govt regardless of the states size
When was the senate made an elected chamber? Why?
17th amendment in 1913 (two senators serving each state for 6 years) because of growing concerns over power of industrial monopolies controlling state legislatures
Powers of the HOR
Begin all appropriations bills
Power of senate
Right to ratify treatises and appointments
Concurrent powers?
Are the most important powers, given to congress by the constituion
The power to make legislation is equally excercised and they have equal salaries
The membership of the chambers?
HOR - 65 Senate - 26 (first congress)
Today: 435 HOR, 100 senators
What is the apportionment act 1911
sets number of members in HOR at 435
Today each member represenets around 765,000 americans
Membership of the HOR
- Number representatives - proportional to population (Cali largest 40m pop and 53 members whereas Alaska, Montana 1 member)
- Each state divided into congressional districts (numbers drawn by state government and redrawn every 10 years)
- Serve 2 year terms before whole house is up for re-election no limit on number of years served if they are re elecetd every 2 years
- Leadership - speaker, majority and minority leaders, majority and minority whips
What is an example of member serving in HOR for long time?
John Ringell served 59 years before retiring in 2015
Membership of the first congress compared to today?
First congress = 26 senators, 65 members
Now= 100 senators, 435 members (set number under apportionment act 1911)
Popular sovereignity
The principle that all govt authority is derived from the consent of the people being governed who are the source of political power
Membership of the senate?
- 100 members - every state has 2 senators to represent them, every state is equal in the senate
- Every senator represents the whole state
- Serve 6 year terms and every 2 years 1/3 of the senators are up for re-election
- Senate unlikley to change much between election cycles
- Power of unlimited debate - can filibuster a bill and ‘talk the bill to death’
Example of longest filibusters?
Senator Storm Thurmond in 1957 - filibustered a civil rights bill for 24h 18m
Senator Rand Paul - filibustered appointment of John Brennon as cia director for 12h 52m
Congressional election
- Occurs every 2 years
- Each newly elected congress is numbered (1st congress 1789-1791 - 118th congress 2023-2025)
- All federal govt elections use FPTP (Two party system in the USA)
- If its the same year as presidential election it has no name
- If its in the middle of presidents term its a Mid-term election
Mid-term election
- Often seen as a referendum on the presidents performance, the president can lose one or both houses at this point if the president has struggled to achieve everything they promised in the 2 years
- If govt becomes divided its difficult to pass legislative agenda and congress has a more recent mandate and are more willing to challenge the president
Example of congress having power at mid-term elections?
- 2016 republican senate refused to allow conformation hearings for obamas sc nominee as the senate leader Mich Mcnonell claimed they had stronger mandate than “lame duck president”
Incumbent
The person who currently holds a political office, usually referring to the president or a senator/member of HOR
Advantages of incuments?
- Holds signifcant advantages over competitors
- Incumbents have more name recognition - use their money more effectivley can raise more money and spend less for people to vote for them
- Provided with a website on which they can explain policy beliefs, demonstrate policy succesess and influence and an easy way for constituents to contact them
- Franking privelleges - cost of mailing to constituents provided by congress
- The boundaries of congressional districts - fast re-election rate of incumbents
- The congressional districts explain high re-election rate of incumbents
- Constituency boundaries every 10 years after each census