Congress

Question 1

Define Congress

Answer 1

The legislative Branch of the federal governement, consisting of the house of respresentatives and the senate

Question 2

Define Bicameralism

Answer 2

A legislature with 2 chambers, The House of Representatives and The Senate

Question 3

Define Fillibuster

Answer 3

A tactic in the Senate where a senator speaks at a length to delay or block legislative action

Political stalling

Question 4

Define Cloture

Answer 4

A senate procedure to end a fillibuster, requiring 60 votes

Question 5

Define ‘pork-barelling’

Answer 5

where a representative proposes an amendment to legislation that will benefit a certain group in their constituency

Question 6

how often are senators re-elected

Answer 6

every 6 years with 1/3 every 2 years

Question 7

how often are the house of representatives re-elected

Answer 7

every 2 years - making them more responsive to public opinion than senators

Question 8

when do midterms take place

Answer 8

inbetween presidential elections

Question 9

CASE STUDY

Give an example of how the president normally looses seats in the mid-terms

Answer 9

In 2018 midterms The Democrats gained control of the house by winning 40 republican seats

Question 10

what is an incumbent

Answer 10

a member of congress looking to be re-elected

Question 11

CASE STUDY

Give an example of incumbents having a financial advantage over challengers

Answer 11

In the 2022 senate election on average the incumbents raised $29 million and the challengers raised $2million.

Question 12

CASE STUDY

Give an example of how the incumbents are very hard to defeat

Answer 12

In 2022 senate election all 28 incumbents won

first time since 1914

Question 13

Give an example of how incumbents vote to support their constiuency

Answer 13

In Trumps 2nd impeachment in 2022 only 7/50 republican senators voted to convict due to large trump supporters in their state’s/districts

Question 14

Give an example of sucessful pork barelling

Answer 14

Republican senator Ted Stevens secured legislation for ‘a bridge to nowhere’ to an alaskan island that only housed 50 people but cost $223 million.

Question 15

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - PARTIES

give 2 examples of the increase in party line voting

Answer 15

1. No republican voted for Bidens inflation reduction act 2022 whereas 1 democrat voted against
2. No Democrat voted for Trumps tax cut and jobs act 2017 whereas 13 republicans voted against

Question 16

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - CAUCUSES

Give an example of A caucus that spreads across political parties

Answer 16

The congressional black caucus - significantly supported justice and police act in 2021 following george floyd’s murder

Question 17

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - CAUCUSES

Give an example of A republican caucus

Answer 17

The house freedom caucus - most far right caucus, very supportive of trump and chaired by scott perry
Also played a key role in the removal of republican house speaker kevin mcarthy

Question 18

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - CAUCUSES

Give an example of a democrat caucus

Answer 18

The congressional progressive caucus - extremely left wing and members include berney sanders
Attempt to pass legislation such as Medicare for all and green new deal but have been unsucessful

Question 19

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - LOBBYISTS

how many lobbyists are estimated in washington

Answer 19

12,000

Question 20

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - LOBBYISTS

What is the most important way pressure groups and lobbyists can influence congress

Answer 20

By donating to campaigns - through Politican Action Commitees (PAC’s)

Question 21

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - PRESSURE GROUPS

Give an example of how interest groups can mobalise public opinion over certain topics

Answer 21

The NRA sucessfully prevented Obama passing legislation that would limit guns dispite clear support of this bill

Question 22

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - CONSTITUENCY

Give an example of a representative voting against their party line due to hvaing a marginal seat and a constituency with lots of support for the other party

Answer 22

Democrat Joe Machin often votes with republican as he is the west virginian senator who have voted for trump in 2016 and 2020 - this resulted in him being re-elected as senator in 2018

Question 23

factors affecting voting behavior in congress - CONSTITUENCY

Give an example of democrat Joe Machin voting republican

Answer 23

Joe Machin was the key vote to confirm republican supreme court justice BRETT KAVANAUGH 2018

Question 24

factors affecting vo ting behavior in congress - CONSTITUENCY

Give an example of congresspeople voting along party lines dispite opposing it themselves

Answer 24

only 10 republicans supported Trumps second impeachment in 2022 dispite many opposing trump when he was nominated as a republican nominee in 2016

Question 25

# Does Congress preform it's representaive role effectively? Give an example of congress effectively representing through congressional elections

Answer 25

HOR being represented every 2 years and senate every 6 complement each other well HOR - delegate model, represent short term changes and public opinipn SENATE - trustee model, sheltered from public opinion so can uphold key principles of the us constitution that they think fit.

Question 26

# Does Congress preform it's representaive role effectively? Give an example of Congressional elections not being representative (2 points)

Answer 26

1. sucess rates of incumbents show they have little impact as nothing changes 2. house is elected too frequently so representatives are too focused on fundraising and not on representing

Question 27

# Does Congress preform it's representaive role effectively? Give an example of how congress is descriptively representative

Answer 27

Representation in congress has improved E.G 118th has 137 non-white members 113th had 86 10 year difference between the two

Question 28

# Does Congress preform it's representaive role effectively? Give an example of how Congress is not descriptively representative

Answer 28

1/4 of congress in non-white compared to 41% of the population of the USA Therefore congress does not pass legislation that does not pass legislation that is important to this 1/4 e.g police reform act 2021

Question 29

# Does Congress preform it's representaive role effectively? Give an example of how Congress represents interests well (2 points)

Answer 29

1. Representatives spent a lot of time in there state / district and host town hall meeting to hear public opinion 2. Join relevent committes that are important to the economy of their constituency E.G House Agriculture commitee is chaired by pennsylvania's Glenn thomspon bc pensylavnia has 5800 farms at the timeof his election (2017)

Question 30

# Does Congress preform it's representaive role effectively? Give an example of how Congress does not represent interests (2 points and 2 examples)

Answer 30

1. Congresspeople are too focused on local interest than national interest - E.G pork barrelling legislation rather than passing national budgets 2. Representatives are too focused on fundraising rather than representing - E.G in an election year representatives spend 50% of their time fundraising and 50% representing their constituency

Question 31

# The legislative process in congress name all 6 stages of the legislative process in congress

Answer 31

1. first reading 2. comitte stage 3. timetabling stage 4. debate on the floor and vote 5. reconcilliation of bill 6. president signs/vetoes

Question 32

# The legislative process in congress Give an example of the first reading of a bill in congress

Answer 32

The CHIPS and science act was first introduced under a different name - The Supreme Court Security Funding Act, introduced by Tim Ryan in 2021

Question 33

# The legislative process in congress How many standing committees are there in the senate and the house?

Answer 33

16 in the senate and 20 in the house

Question 34

# The legislative process in congress Give an example of a bill being passed through the commitee stage

Answer 34

The Supreme Court Security Funding Act was passed through the house by the House Appropriations commitee

Question 35

# The legislative process in congress How is the timetabling of a bill being debated decided in the senate?

Answer 35

Decided between majority and minority leaders in the senate

Question 36

# The legislative process in congress How is the timetabling of a bill being debated decided in the house?

Answer 36

By the House Rules Committee HRC can also decide on how much a bill can be ammended so it is very important

Question 37

# The legislative process in congress At what stage of passing legislation can a fillibuster be imposed in the senate?

Answer 37

During the third reading - when the bill is being debated and voted for on the floor of the senate

Question 38

# The legislative process in congress Give an example of a bill being passed after the third reading by the house and the senate seperately (2 points)

Answer 38

1. House passed Supreme Court Funding Act 2. Senate passed it with significant amendment like its name - CHIPS and Science Act | july 27th

Question 39

# The legislative process in congress What are the two solutions to reconsilliate a bill that has been amended differently throughout the two chambers

Answer 39

1. Conference commitee decide on one version of the bill (has both members of the senate and the house in it) 2. informal negotiations take place between party leaders or there is an exchange of amendments between 2 chambers

Question 40

# The legislative process in congress Give an example of a bill being reconcilled after debated and voted for

Answer 40

The house accepted the CHIPS and Science Act amendment a day after the senate had passed it

Question 41

# The legislative process in congress If the president veto's a bill, what are Congress's two options?

Answer 41

1. amend the bill and present the president with a new version hoping he will pass the new one 2. Overide presedential veto with a 2/3 majority in both houses.

Question 42

# The legislative process in congress What is a pocket veto

Answer 42

The president can leave a bill on his desk without signing it and if it is not signed after 10 congressional days then it will become law

Question 43

# The legislative process in congress Give an example of the president signing legislation

Answer 43

On August 9th 2022 Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act

Question 44

# Key Differences in the House and the Senate where are bills more likely to be amended?

Answer 44

in the senate

Question 45

# Key Differences in the House and the Senate How do the Senate and the House differ in how long a representative can speak in a chamber

Answer 45

1. In the House, representatives are limited to 40 minute speeches 2. Senate can fillibuster to block a bill

Question 46

# Key Differences in the House and the Senate Give an example of the Longest Fillibuster

Answer 46

In 1957 Civil Rights Act, Stom Thurmond spoke for 24 hours 18 minutes.

Question 47

# Key Differences in the House and the Senate How can a fillibuster be ended?

Answer 47

Through Cloture motion requiring 60 votes in the senate which is very hard to achieve

Question 48

# Key Differences in the House and the Senate If there is a tie in a vote in the house what happenes?

Answer 48

The Bill does not get passed

Question 49

# Key Differences in the House and the Senate If there is a tie in the senate vote what happenes?

Answer 49

The vice president can vote to break a tie

Question 50

# Committees in congress Give two reasons why committees are so important

Answer 50

1. They can effectively veto legislation 2. Allow members of congress to use specialized knowledge to represent important areas of interest in their district/state

Question 51

# Strenths of the Legislative Process Give 4 strengths of the legislative process

Answer 51

1. Bipartisan in times of crisis 2. Multiple veto points in process ensure scrutiny 3. Commitees ensure expertise and specialization 4. president veto is a balancing tool

Question 52

# Strenths of the Legislative Process Give an example of Bipartisan in times of crisis

Answer 52

The CARES Act being passed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Question 53

# Strenths of the Legislative Process Give an example of two specialist committees that are a strength of the legislative process

Answer 53

1. House Appropriations Committee 2. Senate foreign relations committee

Question 54

# Weaknesses of the Legislative Process Give 3 weaknesses of the legislative process

Answer 54

1. High rate of legislative failures 2. Fillibuster is a tool for minority obstruction 3. Influence of lobbyists and pressure groups

Question 55

# Weaknesses of the Legislative Process Give an example of the high rate of legislative failure

Answer 55

In the 117th Congress, 2% of bills were passed many not being critical issues like renaming post offices

Question 56

# Weaknesses of the Legislative Process Give an example of a successful fillibuster from a minority to obstruct a bill

Answer 56

Fillibuster of the DREAMS Act 2010