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American Politics > Legislative Branch > Flashcards

Legislative Branch Flashcards

1
Q

How do you qualify for the Senate?

A
  • 30 years old
  • Citizen for 9 years
  • Live in the state they are representing
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2
Q

How do you qualify for the House?

A
  • 25 years old
  • Citizen for 7 years
  • Live in the state and district they are representing
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3
Q

How large is the Senate?

A

100 people

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4
Q

How do we get the size of the Senate?

A

2 people per state - 50 states = 100 people

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5
Q

How large is the House?

A

435 people

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6
Q

How do we get the size of the House?

A

Proportionate to the population per state

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7
Q

What is a Continuous Body?

A

1/3 of the Senate is up for election every 2 years

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8
Q

What is the term length of the Senate?

A

6 years

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9
Q

What is the term length of the House?

A

2 years

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10
Q

Why is there different term lengths between the House and the Senate?

A

They are different because the Senate is state-centered, meaning that the policies that they enact have a larger, national impact so, they take longer. In the House, they have a lot more people, and they are more district-centered which means policies can be passed quicker, meaning they don’t need longer terms.

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11
Q

What is Expelling?

A

Voting out a senator via a 2/3 vote if they are unconstitutional.

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11
Q

What is Excluding?

A

Refusing to seat a newly-elected Senator w/ a majority vote

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12
Q

What is mandatory spending?

A

Spending that is dictated by law

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13
Q

What are examples of mandatory spending?

A
  • Medicare
  • Social Security
  • Businesses
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14
Q

What is discretionary spending?

A

It is spending approved by Congress and the President during annual appropriations (must be approved by Congress every year)

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15
Q

What are examples of discretionary spending?

A
  • Military
  • agencies
  • administrations
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16
Q

What is supplemental spending?

A

It is similar to discretionary spending but, it doesn’t come during annual appropriations due to and urgent situation.

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17
Q

What is an example of supplemental spending?

A
  • Covid-19 recovery
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18
Q

What is the Power to Investigate?

A

Congress can inquire into any matter that falls within its scope of lawmaking authority.(Implied)

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19
Q

Which part of Congress can investigate?

A

Both

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20
Q

Why are these investigations held?

A

they are mainly to…
1. gather information on the framing of legislation
2. watch operations in the executive branch (Oversight function)
3. divert public attention to an issue
4. reveal unconstitutional activities of a group or person
5. Help promote the interest of another member of Congress

21
Q

What is the Congressional Budget Office?

A

Handles taxes, spending, and other monetary matters.

21
Q

What are the 3 agencies in the Legislative Branch?

A
  1. The Congressional Budget Office
  2. The Congressional Research Service
  3. The Government Accountability Office
22
Q

What is the Congressional Research Service?

A

Provide members with information on any subject.

23
Q

What is the Government Accountability Office?

A

Has authority to monitor the work of the Federal Government and report this to Congress.

24
Q

What role does the Senate play in major appointments?

A

A major appointment by the President must be confirmed by the Senate with a majority vote.

25
Q

What role does the Senate play in treaties?

A

A treaty must be consented to by a 2/3 vote in the Senate.

26
Q

How does Congress propose amendments?

A

They can if 2/3 of each house votes in favor

27
Q

How does the House play a role in Elections?

A

If no one receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College, each State’s house delegation much choose a candidate and whichever candidate has 26 states wins.

28
Q

How does Congress play a role in war?

A

Congress has to declare war before the US fights.

29
Q

How does the House of Rep. play a role in Impeachment?

A

The House of Rep can vote to oust the president from office if the president, vice president, or other civil official acts unconstitutional or breaks a law with a majority vote.

30
Q

How does the Senate play a role in Impeachment?

A

The Senate convicts/ conducts a trial to determine if guilty. 2/3 of the Senate must vote in favor of conviction.

31
Q

Party Caucus

A

Closed meeting of members for each party in each house.

32
Q

Policy Committee

A

Executive committee for each party’s caucus
- Party’s top leadership

33
Q

Floor Leaders(Majority and Minority)

A

Legislative Strategists (Both Houses)
- Push decisions of party’s caucus

34
Q

Whips (Majority and Minority)

A

Assistants to the leaders (Both Houses)
- Talk to members and gather intel
- Report back stats

35
Q

Sub-Committees

A

The subdivisions of committees. Target more specific areas.

36
Q

House Rules Committees

A

Controls the Flow of Bills and sets conditions for its consideration

37
Q

What is Step 1 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the House of Rep?

A

Proposal
a. Gain sponsors/support
b. Gets put into Hopper (box on clerks desk)
c. Clerk assigns the bill a number (Format: H.R#)
d. Speaker assigns the bill to a committee

38
Q

What is Step 2 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the House of Rep?

A

Committees
a. After deliberation in subcommittee
b. Committees make 1 of 5 options
- Report Favorably (Pass it)
- Refuse to Report (pigeonhole/ dies in committee)
- Report Amended Bill (Put out tweaked bill)
- Report Unfavorably (Report but, don’t like)
- Report Committee bill (Bill with bigger changes)

39
Q

What is Step 3 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the House of Rep?

A

Scheduling Floor Debates
a. Rules Committee schedules floor debate
- If don’t like the bill
- Not scheduled
- Schedule at a bad time

40
Q

What is Step 4 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the House of Rep?

A

Floor Debate in House of Rep.
a. Debate the Bill
- Limitations in House
- No member can have floor for over an hour w/o unanimous consent
- Party Leaders decide how to allocate time

41
Q

What is Step 5 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the House of Rep?

A

House of Rep. Vote
- Vote in favor or against

42
Q

What are the Major Differences in the Process of a Bill Becoming a law in the House and Senate?

A

Senate is much less strict nor formal
- Only 1 calendar
- Unrestrained debate in Senate
- Any Senator can speak for as long as needed
- Talk about anything they want to
Senate has a “two-speech rule”
- A senator cannot speak more than twice on a question on the same legislative day (this can last forever is they go on recess instead of adjourned)

43
Q

What is a filibuster?

A

It is a stalling tactic where a minority of senators delays Senate action by talking a lot but there are other methods such as, quorum calls, and other parliamentary maneuvers

44
Q

What is Step 1 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the Senate?

A

Proposal
- Senator reads Bill 2x
- Clerk assigns Bill number

45
Q

What is Step 2 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the Senate?

A

Committee
- 5 ways to report

46
Q

What is Step 3 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the Senate?

A

Floor Debate
- Informal
- 2 speech rule
- Can’t take floor more than 2 twice
- No time limit
- Filibuster
-

47
Q

What is Step 3 in a Bill Becoming a Law in the Senate?

A

Vote

48
Q

What is the Cloture Rule?

A

Limits debate
- Must be enacted before debate with vote
- Many senators are hesitant to enact cloture

49
Q

What happens if both chamber pass different versions of the same bill?

A

If they don’t compromise then…
- Sent to House-Senate Conference Committee
- Temporary Joint Committee

50
Q

What is a pocket veto?

A

If Congress goes out of session within 10 days, if the president doesn’t sign, it dies.

American Politics (8 decks)

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