congress Flashcards
Constitutional Requirements for House Members
25 years old
7 years a citizen
Inhabitant of state from which they are chosen
Constitutional Powers of the House
Power to Impeach
Bills for raising Revenue originate here
Constitutional Requirements for Senate Members
30 years old
9 years a citizen
Inhabitant of state from which they are chosen
Constitutional Powers of the Senate
Trying impeachments (⅔ vote to impeach) Confirming cabinet members
Constitutional Powers of Congress as a Whole
Power to lay and collect taxes (16th amendment)
Power to borrow money on the credit of the US
Power to regulate commerce
Power to establish post offices and post roads
Power to declare war
Power to raise and support armies
Power to provide and maintain a navy
Constitutional Limits on Congress
Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended
No Bill of Attainder of ex post de Facto law shall be passed
No tax on exports by any state
No title of Nobility shall be granted
Amendments re: Congress
16th amendment (taxes) 17th amendment (senators) 20th amendment, section 2 (congress shall assemble at least once a year) 27th amendment (no law varying the pay of Congressmen shall take effect until an election of representatives shall have intervened
Benefits of Members of Congress
~$169,000 a year
Retirement benefits
Staff
Franking privileges
Franking privileges:
allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage.
descriptive representatives:
mirroring constituents personal and politically relevant characteristics
Substantive representation:
representing interests of groups
why do incumbents usualyl win
credit claiming, position taking, weak opponents, campaign spending
Credit claiming:
enhancing standing with constituents through service
Casework:
activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals (“Cutting the Red Tape”
Pork Barrel:
list of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to cities, businesses, and colleges
Bicameral legislature:
legislature divided into two houses due to the Connecticut Compromise
House of Reps is
More institutionalized, hierarchal, and centralized
House Rules Committee:
reviews all bills before they go into the full House; can set rules for debate on the Floor
Majority leader:
responsible for scheduling bills, rounding up votes for party
Filibuster:
where opponents of a bill talk it to death; requires 60 members to stop it (cloture)
Whips:
party leaders who work to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers
Four Types of Committees
standing, joint, conference, select
standing committee
Standing: handle bills in different policy areas; each House has its own
joint
Joint: made up of members of both chambers of a bicameral legislature
conference
Conference: formed when House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill
select
Select: focused responsibility e.g. intelligence
The Speaker of the House has a great deal of influence in
appointing Committee Chairs
Examples of House Committees:
House Agriculture Committee
House Ways and Means Committee
House Judiciary Committee
Examples of Senate Committees:
Senate Agriculture Committee Senate Judiciary Committee Oversees Justice Department Holds confirmation hearings for attorney general, FBI director Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
Legislative oversight:
Legislative oversight: congress’ monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy
ex of legislative oversight
Ex: Determining federal budget, holding hearings to question agency officials
Caucus:
informal group of members of congress sharing some interest or characteristic
caucus examples
blue dog coallition, congressional progressive caucus
Staff Agencies:
Congressional Research Service, Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office
Bill:
proposed law drafted in legal language
How A Bill Becomes Law
Bill Introduced Bill assigned to Committee Amendments Offered Bill Goes to Rules Committee (House) or assigned for Debate (Senate) Bill brought to floor for Debate Amendments Offered Bill Voted On
Open/Closed Rule:
if open, amendments can be added to a bill; if closed, amendments cannot be added
politicos:
both trustees and delegates
Lobbyists provide
crucial policy info, political intelligence, and assurances of financial aid for campaigns
Logrolling:
Process of a congressperson trading his or her vote on a bill for a promise from another member to support the first member’s bill
Rider:
additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill.
•Discharge Petition
– can be filed by a majority in the House / Senate to get a bill out of a reluctant committee and get to the floor (needs a majority)
quorom
minimum number needed for a vote (HR = 218; S = 51)
•Concurrent resolutions
– nonbinding (and therefore no presidential signature – more a statement of intent or expressing a view)
•Simple resolutions
– passed by only one house of Congress deal with operations of congressional business (think rules)
A committee of the whole is
a device in which a legislative body or other deliberative assembly sits as a single committee with all assembly members being committee members.
An omnibus bill is
a proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics
Sunset Clause:
is a provision the causes parts, or all, of a law to expire unless reauthorized
