Governemtn Chapter 9 - Congress

Question 1

Caucus (congressional)

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Closed rule

Answer 2

An order from the house rules committee in the House of Representatives that sets a time limit on debate and forbids a particular bill from being amended on the legislative floor.

Question 3

Cloture resolution

Answer 3

A rule used by the senate to end or limit debate. Designed to prevent “talking a bill to death” by filibuster. To pass in the senate, three fifths of the entire senate membership (or 60 senators) must vote for it

Question 4

Concurrent resolution

Answer 4

An expression of congressional opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the house and senate but not of the president. Used to settle housekeeping and procedural matters that affect both houses.

Question 5

Conference committee

Answer 5

Joint committee

Question 6

Congress

Answer 6

A national legislature composed of elected representatives who do not choose the chief executive

Question 7

Discharge petition

Answer 7

A device by which any member of the house, after a committees has had a bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor. If a majority of the members agree, the bill is discharged from the committee. The discharge petition was designed to prevent a committee from holding a bill for too long.

Question 8

Division vote

Answer 8

A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted.

Question 9

Double tracking

Answer 9

Setting aside a bill against which one or more senators are filibustering so that other legislation can be voted on

Question 10

Filibuster

Answer 10

An attempt to defeat a bill in the senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the senate from taking action on it. From the Spanish filibustero which means a “freebooter”, a military adventurer

Question 11

Franking privilege

Answer 11

The ability of members of congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage

Question 12

Joint committees

Answer 12

Committee on which both representatives and senators vote. An especially important kind of joint committee made up of representatives and senators appointed to resolve differences in the senate and house versions of the same legislation before final passage

Question 13

Joint resolution

Answer 13

A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of congress and by the president. Joint resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment need not be signed by the president.

Question 14

Majority leader (floor leader)

Answer 14

The legislative leader elected by kart members holding the majority of seats in the house of representative or the senate.

Question 15

Minority leader

Answer 15

The legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House of Representatives or the senate

Question 16

Open rule

Answer 16

An order from the House rules committee in the House of Representatives that permits a bill to be amended on the legislative floor

Question 17

Parliament

Answer 17

A national legislature composed of elected representatives who choose the cheif executive (prime minister)

Question 18

Party polarization

Answer 18

A vote in which a majority if democratic legislators oppose a majority of republican legislators and vice versa

Question 19

Party vote

Answer 19

There are 2 measures of such voting.
Stricter- the vote occurs when 90% or more of the democrats in either house vote against 90% or more of the republicans.
Looser- counts as a party vote any case where at least 50% of the democrats vote together against at least 50% of the republicans.

Question 20

Restrictive rule

Answer 20

An order rom the house rules committee in the House of Representatives that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made to a bill on the legislative floor

Question 21

Riders

Answer 21

Amendments on matters unrelated to a bill that are added to an important bill so that they will “ride” to passage through congress. When a bill has many riders, it is called a Christmas-tree bill

Question 22

Roll-call

Answer 22

A congressional voting procedure that consists off members answering “yea” or “nay” to their names. When roll calls were handled orally, it was a time consuming process in the house. Since 1973, an electronic voting system system permits each house member to record his or her vote and learn the total automatically.

Question 23

Runoff primary

Answer 23

A second primary election held in some states where no candidate receives a majority if the votes in the first primary, the runoff is between two candidates with the most votes. These are common in the south.

Question 24

Select committees.

Answer 24

Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.

Question 25

Simple resolution

Answer 25

An expression of opinion either in the House of Representatives or in the senate to settle housekeeping or procedural matters in either body. Such expressions are not signed by the president and do not have the force of law

Question 26

Speaker

Answer 26

The presiding officer of the Josie of representatives and the leader of his or her party in the house.

Question 27

Standing committees

Answer 27

Permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within certain subject areas. Examples are the house ways and means committee and the senate judiciary committee.

Question 28

Veto

Answer 28

Literally, “I forbid”. It refers to the power of a president to disapprove a bill; it may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of congress.

Question 29

Voice vote

Answer 29

A congressional voting procedure in which members shout “aye” in approval or “no” in disapproval. Allows members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills

Question 30

Whip

Answer 30

A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what the party members are thinking, rounds up members when important votes are to be taken, and attempts to keep a nose count on how the voting on controversial issues is likely to go.

Question 31

Bicameral legislature

Answer 31

A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts. The us has a congress and House of Representatives.

Question 32

What does the text suggest about party polarization?

Answer 32

Just because it has been like this doesn’t mean it is like this now.

Question 33

What is the most important decision a member of parliament makes?

Answer 33

Whether or not to support the government

Question 34

When does the reapportionment of seats in the House of Representatives occur?

Answer 34

Every ten years

Question 35

How long are the terms of office for a member of the house and a member of the senate?

Answer 35

House- 2 years

Senate- 6 years

Question 36

How is the number of reps and senators determined?

Answer 36

Senators- 2 per state

Reps- by population but there are no more than 435 total

Question 37

Both houses of congress include ____ people

Answer 37

535

Question 38

Today, there is one national legislature for how many citizens?

Answer 38

Every 561,000

Question 39

What has happened to congressional approval ratings in recent years? (The 2000’s)

Answer 39

The rates have lowered to single digits

Question 40

What qualification must a candidate meet to serve in the senate or House of Representatives?

Answer 40

You must get more votes than the other candidates running from your state/district in the election. You don’t need a majority, only a plurality

Question 41

What must a candidate typically do to obtain a party’s no,inaction for congress?

Answer 41

Win a primary election

Question 42

Where should you focus to identify the real leadership office in the senate?

Answer 42

The real leadership is in the hands of the majority and minority leaders

Question 43

President pro tempore

Answer 43

A member from the majority party (usually the most senior member) is chosen to be the presiding officer when the vp of the us is absent

Question 44

The speaker

Answer 44

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of his or her party in the house

Question 45

By strictest measure, a party vote occurs when ____ percent or more of one party vote together against ____ percent of the opposing party

Answer 45

90%

Question 46

What is the main reason members tend to vote with their parties?

Answer 46

-they are in their chosen party because of broad policy agreements, so they can’t just vote against their party. Sometimes the members do not have enough information to vote on a topic, so they just vote how other members of their party are voting.

Supporting the party position can work to the long term advantage of a member interested in gaining status in congress.

Question 47

What is a conference committee?

Answer 47

It is made up of representatives and senators appointed to resolve differences in the senate and house versions of a bill before it passes

Question 48

Shay type of committee is important because they are usually the only ones that can report out bills?

Answer 48

A standing committee

Question 49

How is a committee chairman selected?

Answer 49

It is elected by the majority party, voting by secret ballot

Question 50

What is a joint resolution?

Answer 50

It requires approval by both houses and presidential signature. It is a formal expression of congressional opinion. If they are proposing a constitutional amendment, they do not need to be approved by the president.

Question 51

Under the constitution, bills can originate in either house of congress with the exception of

Answer 51

Bills for raising revenue and appropriation bills

Question 52

Committee of the whole

Answer 52

The members of the house who happen to be on the floor at the time to discuss all revenue and most other bills ( as long as there are at least 100 other people)

Question 53

If a bill passes the house and senate in substantially different forms, now are the differences resolved?

Answer 53

If the differences are minor, the last house to act may refer the bill back to the other house, which accepts the alterations. Major differences must be ironed out by a conference committee, but barely any bills require a conference.