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U.S. History Basics > Legislative > Flashcards

Legislative Flashcards

0
Q

Representatives must live in the state they represent and meet what two other requirements?

A
  1. Must be at least 25 years old

2. Must have been a U.S. citizen at least 7 years

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1
Q

Who may suggest a bill?

A

Any concerned citizen

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2
Q

Senators must live in the state they represent and meet what two other requirements?

A
  1. Must be at least 30 years old

2. Must have been a U.S. citizen at least 9 years

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3
Q

How many senators are there?

A

100

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4
Q

How long is a senator’s term of office?

A

6 years

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5
Q

Which house represents the states?

A

Senate

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6
Q

What number is a “quorum” in the Senate?

A

51

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7
Q

How many senators does Minnesota have?

A

2

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8
Q

Who is in charge of the Senate?

A

The Vice President

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9
Q

Where do most bills die?

A

In committee

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10
Q

What is the minimum number of representatives a state must have in the House of Representatives?

A

1

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11
Q

What rule stops a filibuster?

A

Cloture

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12
Q

Can there be a filibuster in the House of Representatives?

A

No

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13
Q

When the V.P. is not available, who is in charge of the Senate?

A

President Pro Tempore

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14
Q

Who is the current President of the Senate?

A

Joe Biden

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15
Q

What does it mean to convene?

A

To assemble

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16
Q

With only a few exceptions, a bill may be started in either house. Bills involving money must begin in which house?

A

House of Representatives

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17
Q

If a state has 29 electoral votes, how many representatives does the state have in the House of Representatives?

A

27

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18
Q

What are the three branches of government?

A

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

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19
Q

Our government is unique because it is both __________ and __________.

A

Flexible and stable

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20
Q

What is the job of the Legislative Branch of government?

A

To make laws

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21
Q

What is a one-house legislature called?

A

Unicameral

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22
Q

When does Congress convene?

A

January 3rd

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23
Q

How do we decide how many representatives each state will have?

A

By the population

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24
Q

Is there a limit on debate in the Senate?

A

No

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25
Q

According to the founding fathers, if your government isn’t serving your needs you have the duty to __________.

A

Change it

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26
Q

Who is in charge of the House of Representatives?

A

Speaker of the House

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27
Q

Who is the current Speaker of the House?

A

John Boehner (R) Ohio

28
Q

Who are the current CA senators?

A 
Diane Feinstein (D)
Barbara Boxer (D)
29
Q

What number is a quorum in the House of Representatives?

A

218

30
Q

Who is the current President Pro Tempore of the Senate?

A

Patrick Leahy (D), Vermont

31
Q

How does the President Pro Tempore get his job?

A

Must be the senior senator of the majority party

32
Q

Can the Speaker of the House vote on issues in the House?

A

Yes

33
Q

Our government is self-governing so we call this country a __________.

A

Democracy

34
Q

What do the initials “P.L.” stand for on a former bill?

A

Public Law

35
Q

What is a two-house legislature called?

A

Bicameral

36
Q

Can the President Pro Tempore vote on Senate issues?

A

Yes

37
Q

Who succeeds the Vice President as President of the United States?

A

Speaker of the House

38
Q

What is a filibuster?

A

When a senator talks endlessly to delay action on a bill

39
Q

What does the rules committee do?

A
  1. Sends a bill to its proper committee

2. Makes specific rules for individual bills

40
Q

Can the Vice President vote on Senate issues?

A

No–unless there is a tie

41
Q

What is a “quorum”?

A

The number necessary to legally do business (in our government 1 more than half)

42
Q

Is there a limit on debate in the House of Representatives?

A

Yes–1 hour

43
Q

How many representatives are in the House of Representatives?

A

435

44
Q

What are the two major political parties in the U.S.?

A

Democrats and Republicans

45
Q

A representative’s term of office is __________ years.

A

2

46
Q

What are the names of the two houses in our federal government?

A

House of Representatives and Senate

47
Q

How do we decide how many senators a state has?

A

Each state has 2

48
Q

The Speaker of the House must always be a member of the __________ party.

A

Majority

49
Q

Which house represents the people?

A

House of Representatives

50
Q

Does the U.S. Constitution say that we have two political parties?

A

No–there is no mention of political parties in the U.S. Constitution

51
Q

For a bill to become a law it must pass both houses, true or false?

A

True

52
Q

Who elects the Speaker of the House?

A

Direct vote of the House

53
Q

To keep one branch from gaining too much power, we have a system of __________.

A

Checks and balances

54
Q

What fraction of our senators is elected every 2 years?

A

1/3

55
Q

When the population of the U.S. is officially counted, we call that count a __________.

A

Census

56
Q

A committee consisting of members from both houses is called a __________ committee.

A

Joint or conference

57
Q

When a vetoed bill is re-passed by 2/3 of both houses, this is called a veto __________. The bill then becomes a law.

A

Override

58
Q

If Congress adjourns before the President acts on a bill, he may refuse to sign it. This is called a __________ veto.

A

Pocket

59
Q

What majority is required to override the President’s veto?

A

2/3 majority in both houses

60
Q

Neither house may adjourn for more than 3 days without what?

A

Permission of the other house

61
Q

What is a “caucus”?

A

A meeting of members

62
Q

What is the supreme law of the land?

A

The U.S. Constitution

63
Q

A record of what goes in Congress is printed in the __________.

A

Congressional Record

64
Q

The U.S. Constitution grants all law making powers to whom?

A

Congress

65
Q

In our system of government, the U.S. Constitution gets authority from __________.

A

The people

66
Q

What is the minimum number of representatives each state must have in Congress?

A

3 (1 representative and 2 senators)

67
Q

When are elections held for representatives and senators?

A

The 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November of even numbered years

68
Q

This gives Congress the power to make all necessary and proper laws.

A

The elastic clause

U.S. History Basics (7 decks)

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