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Politics Paper 2 > Congress > Flashcards

Congress Flashcards

1
Q

Define Congress

A

Legislative branch of American government

Powers set out in Article I

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2
Q

Powers of Congress

A 
Oversight 
Regulate trade between states
Power of purse
Pass amendments
Raise army
Legislate on implied powers
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3
Q

Facts of senate

A 
100 members
Staggered elections
6 year term
Individualistic
Generalists
Use of voice vote
Elected in 1913
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4
Q

Facts of House of Representative

A

435 members
Depends on population size
2 year term

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5
Q

Describe process of passing a bill

A 
1st Reading
Committee stage
Timetabling
2nd Reading
3rd Reading (with vote)
Conference Committee
Signed by President
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6
Q

Problems with process

A

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

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7
Q

Why is it hard to pass legislation

A 
Party=weak
process= complicated
Super-majority needed
Divided government
Both chambers are equal
Congress vs president
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8
Q

What different committees are there?

A

Conference
Standing
House rules
Select

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9
Q

What are select committees

A

Ad. hoc committees made to scrutinise govt on certain issues

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10
Q

What are Conference committee

A

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

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11
Q

What is the House Rules committee

A

Timetabling committee
Decide if amendment is allowed
Sets time limits

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12
Q

What are Standing committees?

A

Permanent
Attached to each department
Congressmen seek appointment

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13
Q

Examples of select committees

A

Hurricane Katrina
Watergate
Benghazi
Iran-Contra

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14
Q

When are amendments allowed by the timetabling committee?

A

When a bill is open

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15
Q

What is a closed bill?

A

One with no amendments allowed

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16
Q

How many closed bills were there in 2013?

A

44

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17
Q

Key example of influence of Conference Committee

A

Obamacare

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18
Q

Why are standing committees important?

A

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

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19
Q

When have confirmations failed

A

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

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20
Q

What is the discharge rule?

A

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

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21
Q

What evidence supports a more partisan congress?

A

Unanimous votes

Unified votes

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22
Q

How have unanimous votes changed?

A 
1960s-70s= not common
2003= 36.5%
2014= 54.2%
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23
Q

How have unified votes changed?

A

1981- 37.4%/47.8%

1995- 73.2%/68.8%

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24
Q

Who was the last bipartisan president?

A

Ronald Reagan

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25
Q

Reasons for a more partisan congress?

A

Contract with America
6 for ‘06
Divisive Presidents
Solid South

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26
Q

How was Bill Clinton divisive?

A

Posterboy of Dems

Sexual misconduct

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27
Q

How was George Bush divisive

A

Iraq War

Illegitimate- 2000 election

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28
Q

How was Obama divisive

A

Charismatic
Obamacare
Gun control

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29
Q

How many governors and senators did Kennedy win in the South

A

All

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30
Q

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

A

8/11

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31
Q

How many House seats did Kennedy win in the South

A

99/106

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32
Q

2016- Southern Dem governors

A

0

33
Q

2016- Southern Dem senators

A

1/22

34
Q

2016- Southern Dem Reps

A

Small minority

35
Q

Which Dems switched due to the Southern Strategy?

A

Strom Thurmond

Phil Gram

36
Q

Average age of Senator?

A

62

37
Q

No. of women in 115th Congress

A

83 Reps

21 Sen

38
Q

What helps Democrat women in elections?

A

EMILY’s List

39
Q

Which states have all women senators?

A

California
New Hampshire
Washington

40
Q

How many Jews are there in Congress

A

30

41
Q

How many Muslims are there in Congress

A

2

42
Q

How many Hindus are there in Congress?

A

4

43
Q

How many Buddhists are there in Congress?

A

3

44
Q

How many Hispanics are there in Congress?

A

34/4

45
Q

How many African Americans are there in Congress

A

46/3

46
Q

How many Asians are there in Congress?

A

12/7

47
Q

How many Hispanics in 111th Congress

A

25/2

48
Q

How many African Americans in 111th Congress

A

42/1

49
Q

How many Asians in 111th Congress

A

5/2

50
Q

How many congresspeople have Bachelor degrees?

A

94%/100%

51
Q

How many Congresspeople have Master degrees

A

64%/74%

52
Q

Who is John Conyers?

A

Longest serving Chair

53
Q

Reasons for being a senator?

A

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

54
Q

Reasons against a Senator?

A 
Overturning vetoes is same
Same legislative power
Same committees
Paid same
Both create amendments
Both scrutinise
Both paid the same
55
Q

What national interests do Congresspeople have?

A

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

56
Q

What constituent interests do Congresspeople have?

A

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

57
Q

What issues are there in Congress

A 
Pork barrel
Filibuster
Work 3 days
Diffusion of power
Gerrymandering
Polarisation
Ineffective oversight
58
Q

What was the Big Dig

A

1995-2007
$14.6 billion
Boston
Redevelopment and road works

59
Q

Define pork barrel politics

A

Using federal funds for the employment of your constituents

60
Q

Define Gerrymandering

A

Redrawing boundaries so that certain groups are concentrated in areas

61
Q

What are the effects of gerrymandering?

A

Less competitive seats

Currently only 23 are competitive

62
Q

Define filibuster

A

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

63
Q

When was the last use of filibuster?

A

2017, Dem try to filibuster the Neil Gorsuch appointment

64
Q

What 24 hour filibusters have there been?

A 
Strom Thurmond (civil rights)
Ted Cruz (Obamacare)
65
Q

Define impeachment

A

Removing official from office

66
Q

What is needed for an impeachment?

A

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

67
Q

Examples of presidential impeachment

A 
Andrew Johnson
Bill Clinton
Richard Nixon (threat_
68
Q

Examples of judicial impeachment

A 
Samuel Chase (1804- not impeached)
Thomas Porteous (Eastern District of Louisiana 2010, perjury)
69
Q

Age of Dianne Feinstein

A

83

70
Q

Who proposed the trustee model in America?

A

Madison

71
Q

Who proposed the delegate model in America?

A

Jefferson

72
Q

Who proposed the elitist view of democracy?

A

Hamilton

73
Q

What is the resemblance model?

A

That Congress should “look like America”

74
Q

How many Congressional members were in public service?

A

271/60

75
Q

How many Congressional members were in business?

A

231/42

76
Q

How many Congressional members were in law

A

151/51

77
Q

How many Congressional members were in education?

A

80/25

78
Q

Which theory is centered around the party?

A

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

Politics Paper 2 (2 decks)

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