legislative branch Flashcards
what are midterm elections? why are they important? why do they matter?
midterm elections are elections that occur in the middle of the presidents term, they are important because they have the ability to change the majority vote
what seats are up for election in the midterms?
1/3rd of the senate and all of the house
what is the typical outcome of midterm elections?
the presidents party often loses seats
what does the current presidents approval rating generally play in the midterm elections?
his party might win
define: incumbent
the current holder of a political office
describe the general steps to how a bill becomes a law
A bill becomes a law through proposal, committee review, floor vetos in both chambers, and presidential approval or a congressional override of a veto
what is the difference between a private bill and a public bill?
private bills affect specific individuals or organizations, while public bills adress issues that apply to the general public or the entire nation
where do ideas for bills come from? who can introduce a bill to congress?
ideas for bills can come from anyone and any member of congress can introduce a bill in the house of representatives or the senate
what is the role of a committee in congress ?
they review and analyze proposed bills, conduct hearings, and make recommendation’s2
how much of congress needs to agree with the bill in order for a bill to pass through congress and move to the president for final approval
more than 50% must agree
what options does the president have when they receive a bill
sign the bill and veto the bill
why do so few bills become laws
complex legislative process and limited support
define rider
an additional provision attached to the bill
define filibuster
a tactic in the senate where a member speaks for an extended period to delay or block a vote on a bill or nomination
what is the role of the speaker of the house? who is the current speaker of the house?
they play a role in shaping the legislative agenda, maintaining order and representing the house, the current speaker is mike johnson
what role does the vice president play in the senate?
they preside over the senate and can cast tie breaking votes
what role does a whip play in the house and senate
whips ensure party members vote as the party wants and maintains discipline
who is the representative for your state
Don Byer
who are the 2 senators for your state
Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
what purpose do congressional committees serve
they are experts, compromise, raise awareness, and make amendments
define standing committee
a committee in congress that deals with specific policy areas
define select committee
a temporary congressional committee established for a specific purpose or investigation
define joint committee
a committee with members from both the house and the senate for specific tasks like budget or library management
define conference committee
they resolve differences between the house and senate versions of a bill before it becomes a law
what is a census
a population count
how often is a census conducted
10 years
what does the census determine in regards to congress
the seats in the house of representative’s
define reapportionment
the process of redistributing seats in a legislative body
define redistricting
the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries
define packing
it concentrates a group of voters into a single electoral district to diminish their influence in neighboring districts
define cracking
spreads a group of voters across multiple electoral districts to dilute their voting power
what are some enumerated powers of congress
the authority to tax, coin money, regulate commerce, and declare war
what is the elastic clause/implied powers
it allows congress to make laws deemed necessary for its constitutional duties
what makes a legislator successful
their constituents, builds coalitions, passes meaningful legislation, and maintains public trust
qualifications of house of representatives
25 years old, citizen for 7 years, and a resident of the state they represent
qualifications of the senate
30 years old, citizen for 9 years, and a resident of the state they represent
what is an incumbent
current holder of a political office
what are they advantages of being an incumbent
name recognition, established networks, and access to resources giving them an advantage in elections
how may members of the senate are there and how many for each state
100 total and 2 for each state
how many members of the house of representatives are there
435
how is the number of members for congress determined
each state gets 2
how is the number of house of representatives determined
total population
how long is a senate term
6 years
how long is a house of representatives term
2 years
who does the senate represent
people in the usa
who does the house of representatives represent
the people in each of their states
