Legislative Flashcards
Who may suggest a bill?
Any concerned citizen
Representatives must live in the state they represent and meet what two other requirements?
- must be at least 25 years old
- must have been a U.S. citizen at least 7 years
Senators must live in the state they represent and meet what two other requirements?
- must be at least 30 years old
- must have been a U.S. citizen at least 9 years
How many senators are there?
100
How long is a senator’s term of office?
6 years
Which house represents the states?
Senate
What number is a “quorum” in the Senate?
51
How many senators does Minnesota have?
2
Who is in charge of the Senate?
The Vice President
Where do most bills die?
In committee
What is the minimum number of representatives a state must have in the House of Representatives?
1
What rule stops a filibuster?
Cloture
Can there be a filibuster in the House of Representatives?
No
When the V.P. is not available, who is in charge of the Senate?
President Pro Tempore
Who is the current President of the Senate?
JD Vance
What does it mean to convene?
To assemble
With only a few exceptions, a bill may be started in either house. Bills involving money must begin in which house?
House of Representatives
If a state has 29 electoral votes, how many representatives does the state have in the House of Representatives?
27
What are the three branches of government?
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
Our government is unique because it is both _____ and _____.
Flexible and stable
What is the job of the Legislative Branch of government?
To make laws
What is a one-house legislature called?
Unicameral
When does Congress convene?
January 3rd
How do we decide how many representatives each state will have?
By the population
Is there a limit on debate in the Senate?
No
According to our founding fathers, if your government isn’t serving your needs you have the duty to ______.
Change it
Who is in charge of the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House
Who is the current Speaker of the House?
Mike Johnson (R) LA
Who are the current CA senators?
Adam Schiff (D)
Alex Padilla (D)
What number is a quorum in the House of Representatives?
218
Who is the current President Pro Tempore of the Senate?
Chuck Grassley (R) Iowa
How does the President Pro Tempore get his job?
Must be the senior senator of the majority party
Can the Speaker of the House vote on issues in the House?
Yes
Our government is self-governing so we call this country a ______.
Democracy
What do the initials “P.L.” stand for on a former bill?
Public Law
What is a two-house legislature called?
Bicameral
Can the President Pro Tempore vote on Senate issues?
Yes
Who succeeds the Vice President as President of the United States?
Speaker of the House
What is a filibuster?
When a senator talks endlessly to delay action on a bill.
What does the rules committee do?
- Sends a bill to its proper committee
- Makes specific rules for individual bills
Can the Vice President vote on Senate issues?
No-unless there is a tie
What is a “quorum”?
The number necessary to legally do business (in our government 1 more than half)
Is there a limit on debate in the House of Representatives?
Yes-1 Hour
How many representatives are in the House of Representatives?
435
What are the two major political parties in the U.S.?
Democrats and Republicans
A representative’s term of office is ____ years.
2
What are the names of the two houses in our federal government?
House of Representatives and Senate
How do we decide how many senators a state has?
Each state has 2
The Speaker of the House must always be a member of the ______ party.
Majority
Which house represents the people?
House of Representatives
Does the U.S. Constitution say that we have two political parties?
No
For a bill to become a law it must pass both houses, true or false?
True
Who elects the Speaker of the House?
Direct vote of the House
To keep one branch from gaining too much power, we have a system of ______ and ______.
Checks and balances
What fraction of our senators is elected every 2 years?
1/3
When the population of the U.S. is officially counted, we call that count a _____?
Census
A committee consisting of members from both houses is called a ______ committee.
Joint or conference
When a vetoed bill is re-passed by 2/3 of both houses, this is called a veto _________. The bill then becomes a law.
Override
If Congress adjourns before the President acts on a bill, he may refuse to sign it. This is called a _____ veto.
What majority is required to override the President’s veto?
2/3 majority in both houses
Neither house may adjourn for more than 3 days without what?
Permission of the other house
What is a “caucus”?
A meeting of members
What is the supreme law of the land?
The U.S. Constitution
A record of what goes on in Congress is printed in the _____ _____?
Congressional Record
The U.S. Constitution grants all law making powers to whom?
Congress
In our system of government, the U.S. Constitution gets authority from _____?
The people
What is the minimum number of representatives each state must have in Congress?
3 (1 representative and 2 senators)
When are elections held for representatives and senators?
The 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November of even numbered years
This gives Congress the power to make all necessary and proper laws.
The elastic clause
Which article, section, and clause states the House of Representatives will break a tie in the electoral college?
Article II Section 1 Clause 3
