Congress

Question 0

Bicameral legislation

Answer 0

A law making body made up of two parts. (House of Representatives and Senate)

Question 1

Powers of Congress (15)

Answer 1

• lay and collect taxes,duties,imports,and excises
• borrow money
• regulate commerce with foreign nations and among states(interstate commerce)
• establish rules for naturalization(becoming a citizen) and bankruptcy
• coin money, set value, and punish counterfeiting
• fix standard of weights and measures
• establish a post office and post roads
• issue patents and copyrights
• creat courts inferior to the supreme court
• define and punish piracies, felonies on the high seas, and crimes against the law if nations
• declare war
• raise and support an army and navy and make rules for their governance
• provide for a militia
• exercise exclusive legislative powers over the seat of government
• “necessary and proper” clause

Question 2

Filibuster

Answer 2

Senators attempt to defeat a measure by talking a lot for a very long time so the supporters of the measure drop it in order to get on with business.

Question 3

Marginal districts

Answer 3

Political districts in which candidates elected o the House win in close elections. (<55% of the vote)

Question 4

Safe districts

Answer 4

Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55% or more

Question 5

Why are seats becoming safer?

Answer 5

Because, incumbents find it easier to make their names known; have advantages.

Question 6

Conservative Coalition

Answer 6

An alliance between Republicans and conservative Democrats.

Question 7

Representational (delegate) View

Answer 7

Please constituents (people who voted for you).

Question 8

Organizational (party) View

Answer 8

Please your party.

Question 9

Attitudinal View

Answer 9

What you believe is right.

Question 10

Whip (3)

Answer 10

• helps party leader stay informed
• round up members for important votes (vote the way the party wishes)
• nose count on how the voting on a controversial issue is likely to go

Question 11

Senate

Answer 11

President: vice president of U.S.
Real leadership: majority leader
#: 100 members, 6 years
-filibuster 
-gives "advice and consent"; more influential on foreign affairs

Question 12

House of Representative

Answer 12

Leader: speaker of the house
#:435 members
Most powerful committee: house rules committee
-initiate all revenue bills, more influential on budget
-limited debates

Question 13

Party Polarization

Answer 13

A vote in which a majority of voting Democrats oppose a majority of voting Republicans.

Question 14

Caucuses

Answer 14

An association of members of congress created to advocate a political ideology or a regional or economic interest.

Question 15

Intraparty Caucuses

Answer 15

Formed by groups whose members share a similar ideology.

Question 16

Personal interest caucuses

Answer 16

Formed around common interest.

Question 17

Constituency Caucuses

Answer 17

Established to represent certain groups.

Question 18

Standing Committee

Answer 18

Specified legislative responsibilities.

Question 19

Select Committee

Answer 19

Groups appointed for limited purpose.

Question 20

Joint Committee

Answer 20

Those on which both representatives and senators serve.

Question 21

Demo. Steering Committee

Answer 21

Assigns democratic senators to committee.

Question 22

Rep. Committee on Committee

Answer 22

Assigns republican senators to committee.

Question 23

Conference Committee

Answer 23

Made up of representatives and senators appointed to resolve differences in the senate and house versions of the same piece of legislation before final passage.

Question 24

Congressional Research Service (CRS) “2”

Answer 24

• responds to congressional request for info.

- keeps track of the status of every major bill before congress and makes a summary.

Question 25

General Accounting Office (GAO)

Answer 25

• perform routine financial examinations of the money spent by executive branch.
• investigates agencies and policies and make recommendations on almost every aspect of government.

Question 26

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Answer 26

• advises congress in the likely economic effects on different spending programs and provides info on the cost of proposed policies.
• prepares analyses of the president’s budget and economic projections.

Question 27

Bill

Answer 27

Anyone can draft a bill, but only congress can introduce a bill.

Question 28

Resolutions

Answer 28

Simple: passed by house or senate.
Concurrent: passed by both house and senate.
Joint: passed by both houses and president.

Question 29

Discharge petition

Answer 29

Any member of the house, after a committee has had a bill for 30 days,may petition to have it brought to the floor. If a majority(218) agrees, the bill is discharged from the committee. Designed to prevent a committee from killing a bill by holding it.

Question 30

Rider

Answer 30

• provision added to a piece of legislation that is not relevant to the bill’s purpose.
• christmas tree bill: lots of riders

Question 31

Quorum

Answer 31

Minimum # of members who must be present for business to be conducted in congress.

Question 32

Cloture Rule

Answer 32

• rule used by senate to end or limit debate.
• prevent filibuster
• to pass a bill, senate needs 3/5(60) votes

Question 33

Double tracking

Answer 33

Senate set a bill to the side temporarily so that they can move forward.

Question 34

Pork barrel

Answer 34

Legislation that gives tangible benefits (highways,dams,post office) to constituents in several districts in hopes of winning their vote.

Question 35

of committees that can be chaired by a senator or member of house

Answer 35

1

Question 36

Powers of the speaker (4)

Answer 36

• decides who shall be recognized to speak on the floor of the house
• rules whether a motion is relevant to the business at hand
• he decides the committees to which new bills shall be assigned
• controls some patronage jobs in the capitol building and the assignment of extra office space