Congress/committees Flashcards
Casework
Activities a member of Congress to help constituents as individuals practically by cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get
What percentage of incumbents win in the house of representatives
60n
Coattails
of predidents
When voters support congressional candidates because of their support for the president
Credit Claiming
Enhancing their standings with constituents through service to individuals and the district can be by
pork or serving the constituency
Porkbarrel
Federal project that’s available to state and local government and other institutions and congressional districts usually passed through a bill
What are some main ways to defeat incumbents
Have a scandal
change in voting districts
a major political title wave
Bicameral legislature
Divided into two houses the Congress and the slate legislator are all bicamerial except nebraska
with bicameral Congress what are the checks and balances
Thinking of Bill needs both the House and the Senate and body can Veto a bill
House rules committee definition
3 main rules
House of Representatives that reviews most of the bills coming from a house committee before they go to the full house
Rules on debate scheduling and investments
Filibuster
Astrology unique to the Senate where opponents of a piece of registration can use their right of unlimited debate to prevent a bill ever Senate from voting on a bill
How many senators have to vote for closure
60
What is a closure
Closing on a filibuster
Who appoints the members of the House rules committee
Speaker of the house
What are some problems with filibusters
Can be used by the minority to defeat the majority
causes gridlock
How many times the senator filibuster of single bill
6
Speaker of the house
Office mandated by the constitution chosen by the majority party has both formal and informal power
Why can’t the majority prevent filibuster
It would need 2/3 of the vote –hard to get
And the fear that they will sometime be in the minority
Who eleccts the speaker of the house and how far they away from presidency
Majority party
Second in line after the vice president
Substantive representation
The interest groups of which themselves are not members
What is the speaker of the house’s formal responsibilities
4
1Per side of the house and he is in session
2plays a major role in making committees
3assigning party legislative leaders
4exercises substantial control over which bills get assigned to which committees
What are the speaker of the house in formal responsibility
Spokesperson of the house
Majority leader
The principal Parmesan alley of the speaker of the house or the parties manager in the Senate
Minority leader responsibilities
Scheduling Billess rounding up votes on behalf of parties position
Whips
Party leaders who work with majority leaders or minority leaders to make sure people are voting with party platform
Why is the house more productive in recent years then the senate
It has more centralized power example the speaker that can sign bills and members to committee and have an extended clip system to advance the agenda
Standing committees
And number in each house
Have a legislative jurisdiction and permanent subject matters
House 20 to senate 16
Joint committees
Made up of members from both houses typically to oversee certain functions of the government
Descriptive representation
Representant constituents by mirroring can bring their personal political relevant characteristics
Conference committees
Third house of Congress with members from both houses the house that pass particular bill in different forms
Conference committees are used when
Each the house and the senate need to iron out the differences of similar bills to make it a single bill
Select committees
Congressional committees appointed to a specific purpose TEMPORARY
Does not introduce legislation
Usually investigation or oversight
What is the main thing all committees do
3
They control the Congressional a general legislation
and oversee the executive branch
Legislative oversight
Congress monitoring the bureaucracy and it’s administrative policy performed mainly through hearings
What is a process for new bill to be proposed in either house
Usually goes through a Subcommittee then a regularcommitee usually rewritten most stepsy
What are some reasons for lack of oversight
seemingly Uneventful action - might not be elected by constituents
fragmentation of committees
The majority party in the house of representatives of the president party
What are the three things members seek committees to to help them achieve
Reelection influence in Congress and the opportunity to create in areas is important
Committee chairs
Most important influences of congressional agenda they played on that rolled in scheduling hearings hiring staff appointing subcommittee bills they are brought before a full house
Seniority system
Until the 1970s the committee chair was always the most senior member of maj party
Congressional caucus
how many
A group of members of Congress Sharing some interest or characteristic can be composed of members of both parties for both houses
500
What are the difference between interest groups and congressional caucuses
Interest groups are outsiders looking in caucuses are the policymakers already that can easily make changes
bill
Proposed law drafted and legalism which only a member of the House of Representatives or the senate can submit a bill for consideration
Confessional research service CRS
Administered by Library of Congress composed of researchers with highly develop expertise they are who you cool if you need information or nonpartisan studies they also track the progression of major bills and prepare summaries
Government accountability office GAO
It helps Congress perform oversight by reviewing the activites of the executive branch and investigating policy information they set government standards for accounting legal options and claims against
What are 4 types of ways congressman can cast their vote
Trustees delegates Partisans politicos
Trustee voting way
delegates voting way
partisans voting way
politicos voting way
Vote based on my opinion
Vote based on constituents wants
vote based on party preferences
all three combined
What committees handle oversight or housekeeping responsibilities
Select and joint
What are the sePacific 4 things the House committee can request or do
Discharge petition
restriction rule
Closed or open rule
What are Germane amendments
Amendment that must pertain to the bill
What is opens rule (House rules committee)
Amendments can be made
Discharge petition
Bills to be released from commitee to be voted on of by floor
Close rule
Set time limits on debate and amendments
What is a simple resolution
So they can be signed without the president and potato only to the house OR senate
Concurrent resolution definition
affects both the House and the Senate voted on by both doesn’t need a president signature
Joint resolution definition
Needs prez signature to solve a certain problem or a procedure of the bill
Presidential action for bills
4
Sign ,veto
pocket veto leave it for 10 days without congress in session so it will die
pocket signature leaves it for 10 days with Congress is in session bill passes without president signature
Warpower resolution
1 prez cant declare war
2must regualy consult congres about war
3 if congress doen’t declare war warmest submit report to Congress with in 48 hours of troop deployment
4 pres. must remove troops after 90 days Congress has not declared war
For Congress Powers
commerce law
tax
coin money
borriw money
Limitations on taxation
Churches exports cant tax for private benefit
What are 5 fringe benefits for congressman
Deduction of taxes travel allowance healthcare offices and Franking
Oversight committee
Legislative overseas executive branch can cut budgets and refined existing policy by reimbursements it reviews bureaucracy
presient pro tempore
Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president.
