Congress

Question 1

Define Congress

Answer 1

Legislative branch of American government

Powers set out in Article I

Question 2

Powers of Congress

Answer 2

Oversight 
Regulate trade between states
Power of purse
Pass amendments
Raise army
Legislate on implied powers

Question 3

Facts of senate

Answer 3

100 members
Staggered elections
6 year term
Individualistic
Generalists
Use of voice vote
Elected in 1913

Question 4

Facts of House of Representative

Answer 4

435 members
Depends on population size
2 year term

Question 5

Describe process of passing a bill

Answer 5

1st Reading
Committee stage
Timetabling
2nd Reading
3rd Reading (with vote)
Conference Committee
Signed by President

Question 6

Problems with process

Answer 6

5% of bills become law
Process of compromise
Votes aren’t predictable
Fragmentation of power

Question 7

Why is it hard to pass legislation

Answer 7

Party=weak
process= complicated
Super-majority needed
Divided government
Both chambers are equal
Congress vs president

Question 8

What different committees are there?

Answer 8

Conference
Standing
House rules
Select

Question 9

What are select committees

Answer 9

Ad. hoc committees made to scrutinise govt on certain issues

Question 10

What are Conference committee

Answer 10

Bring both the Senate and House bills together into one united bill

Question 11

What is the House Rules committee

Answer 11

Timetabling committee
Decide if amendment is allowed
Sets time limits

Question 12

What are Standing committees?

Answer 12

Permanent
Attached to each department
Congressmen seek appointment

Question 13

Examples of select committees

Answer 13

Hurricane Katrina
Watergate
Benghazi
Iran-Contra

Question 14

When are amendments allowed by the timetabling committee?

Answer 14

When a bill is open

Question 15

What is a closed bill?

Answer 15

One with no amendments allowed

Question 16

How many closed bills were there in 2013?

Answer 16

44

Question 17

Key example of influence of Conference Committee

Answer 17

Obamacare

Question 18

Why are standing committees important?

Answer 18

Scrutiny role- Gitmo
Confirmation- Trump appointment
Strategic in life of a bill- second reading, kill bills
Policy specialists- stay in roles for a long time

Question 19

When have confirmations failed

Answer 19

1989-John Towers (53-47)
1987- Bork
Merrick Garland

Question 20

What is the discharge rule?

Answer 20

Forces through bills
Export-Import Bank
Feingold-McCain
Not common

Question 21

What evidence supports a more partisan congress?

Answer 21

Unanimous votes

Unified votes

Question 22

How have unanimous votes changed?

Answer 22

1960s-70s= not common
2003= 36.5%
2014= 54.2%

Question 23

How have unified votes changed?

Answer 23

1981- 37.4%/47.8%

1995- 73.2%/68.8%

Question 24

Who was the last bipartisan president?

Answer 24

Ronald Reagan

Question 25

Reasons for a more partisan congress?

Answer 25

Contract with America 6 for '06 Divisive Presidents Solid South

Question 26

How was Bill Clinton divisive?

Answer 26

Posterboy of Dems | Sexual misconduct

Question 27

How was George Bush divisive

Answer 27

Iraq War | Illegitimate- 2000 election

Question 28

How was Obama divisive

Answer 28

Charismatic Obamacare Gun control

Question 29

How many governors and senators did Kennedy win in the South

Answer 29

All

Question 30

How many states in the EC did Kennedy win in the South

Answer 30

8/11

Question 31

How many House seats did Kennedy win in the South

Answer 31

99/106

Question 32

2016- Southern Dem governors

Answer 32

0

Question 33

2016- Southern Dem senators

Answer 33

1/22

Question 34

2016- Southern Dem Reps

Answer 34

Small minority

Question 35

Which Dems switched due to the Southern Strategy?

Answer 35

Strom Thurmond | Phil Gram

Question 36

Average age of Senator?

Answer 36

62

Question 37

No. of women in 115th Congress

Answer 37

83 Reps | 21 Sen

Question 38

What helps Democrat women in elections?

Answer 38

EMILY's List

Question 39

Which states have all women senators?

Answer 39

California New Hampshire Washington

Question 40

How many Jews are there in Congress

Answer 40

30

Question 41

How many Muslims are there in Congress

Answer 41

2

Question 42

How many Hindus are there in Congress?

Answer 42

4

Question 43

How many Buddhists are there in Congress?

Answer 43

3

Question 44

How many Hispanics are there in Congress?

Answer 44

34/4

Question 45

How many African Americans are there in Congress

Answer 45

46/3

Question 46

How many Asians are there in Congress?

Answer 46

12/7

Question 47

How many Hispanics in 111th Congress

Answer 47

25/2

Question 48

How many African Americans in 111th Congress

Answer 48

42/1

Question 49

How many Asians in 111th Congress

Answer 49

5/2

Question 50

How many congresspeople have Bachelor degrees?

Answer 50

94%/100%

Question 51

How many Congresspeople have Master degrees

Answer 51

64%/74%

Question 52

Who is John Conyers?

Answer 52

Longest serving Chair

Question 53

Reasons for being a senator?

Answer 53

People go from House to Senate Exclusive powers of senate Senator=generalist Most presidential candidates are senators/governors

Question 54

Reasons against a Senator?

Answer 54

``` Overturning vetoes is same Same legislative power Same committees Paid same Both create amendments Both scrutinise Both paid the same ```

Question 55

What national interests do Congresspeople have?

Answer 55

Maintain oversight? Work on long term basis Require strong policy Deliverance fails

Question 56

What constituent interests do Congresspeople have?

Answer 56

Pork-barrel politics Adopt local issues Will join specific committees Will be punished by constituents- Tom Foley

Question 57

What issues are there in Congress

Answer 57

``` Pork barrel Filibuster Work 3 days Diffusion of power Gerrymandering Polarisation Ineffective oversight ```

Question 58

What was the Big Dig

Answer 58

1995-2007 $14.6 billion Boston Redevelopment and road works

Question 59

Define pork barrel politics

Answer 59

Using federal funds for the employment of your constituents

Question 60

Define Gerrymandering

Answer 60

Redrawing boundaries so that certain groups are concentrated in areas

Question 61

What are the effects of gerrymandering?

Answer 61

Less competitive seats | Currently only 23 are competitive

Question 62

Define filibuster

Answer 62

An act of speaking in unlimited debate, leaving insufficient room for the topic at hand to be debated

Question 63

When was the last use of filibuster?

Answer 63

2017, Dem try to filibuster the Neil Gorsuch appointment

Question 64

What 24 hour filibusters have there been?

Answer 64

``` Strom Thurmond (civil rights) Ted Cruz (Obamacare) ```

Question 65

Define impeachment

Answer 65

Removing official from office

Question 66

What is needed for an impeachment?

Answer 66

Majority in House Trial in Senate 2/3 Majority in Senate

Question 67

Examples of presidential impeachment

Answer 67

``` Andrew Johnson Bill Clinton Richard Nixon (threat_ ```

Question 68

Examples of judicial impeachment

Answer 68

``` Samuel Chase (1804- not impeached) Thomas Porteous (Eastern District of Louisiana 2010, perjury) ```

Question 69

Age of Dianne Feinstein

Answer 69

83

Question 70

Who proposed the trustee model in America?

Answer 70

Madison

Question 71

Who proposed the delegate model in America?

Answer 71

Jefferson

Question 72

Who proposed the elitist view of democracy?

Answer 72

Hamilton

Question 73

What is the resemblance model?

Answer 73

That Congress should "look like America"

Question 74

How many Congressional members were in public service?

Answer 74

271/60

Question 75

How many Congressional members were in business?

Answer 75

231/42

Question 76

How many Congressional members were in law

Answer 76

151/51

Question 77

How many Congressional members were in education?

Answer 77

80/25

Question 78

Which theory is centered around the party?

Answer 78

The mandate theory- vote for the policies of the party.