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U.S. Govt/Econ > Legislative Branch Study Guide > Flashcards

Legislative Branch Study Guide Flashcards

1
Q

Expressed/Enumerated Powers?

A

National Powers: coin $, raise an army, punish counterfeiting

Concurrent Powers: collect taxes, enforce laws, fund & regulate education

State Powers: license professionals, regulate marriage & divorce, 10th amendment

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2
Q

Inherent Powers?

A

Assumed to be powers of the national government

Ex: foreign affair

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3
Q

Reserved/Police Powers?

A

10th amendment, unclear (allow for interpretation)
Not given to federal government or denied to states (“reserved to states”)

Ex: marriage & divorce, license professionals

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4
Q

Concurrent Powers?

A

Shared with federal govt
States can’t use reserved or concurrent powers to us up power of national govt

Ex: tax & borrowing

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5
Q

Denied Powers?

A

National Powers: suspend writs of habeus corpus (brought in front of judge & what their crime was), tax on exports, grant titles of nobility

Powers Denied by Both: pass bill of attainder, change state boundaries w/o consent, abridge bill of rights

State Power: enter into treaties, tax exports & imports, tax federal govt agencies

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6
Q

Implied Powers?

A

Congress has power to make laws that are “necessary & proper”
Relate laws to expressed powers

Ex: regulate commerce, declare war

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7
Q

Elastic Clause/Necessary and Proper Clause

A

Congress has power to make laws that are NECESSARY and PROPER with enumerated power & act where constitution doesn’t give Congress the authority to act

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8
Q

Gerrymandering?

A

Deliberate re-arrangement of boundaries of Congressional district in favor of a political party (Republican or Democrat)

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9
Q

Reapportionment?

A

Constitution requires that representative in House is reappointed every 10 yrs
Population of each state determines new # of representatives it’s entitled
Census counts EVERYONE

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10
Q

Redistricting?

A

Redrawing of district boundary lines done by each state legislature after Congress reappoints, with MANY GUIDELINES

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11
Q

Senate Basics (Requirements/Term/#) ?

A

30 yrs old
U.S. citizen for 9 yrs
Legal resident of state they are representing
Re-election every 2 yrs
TOTAL of 100 MEMBERS!!!!!
Term is 6 yrs long

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12
Q

House Basics (Requirements/Term/#)?

A

25 yrs old
U.S. citizen for 7 yrs
Legal resident of state they’re representing
Live in district they’re representing
Re-election every 2 yrs
TOTAL OF 435 MEMBERS!!!
Term is 2 yrs long

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13
Q

Congressional Basics?

A

Bicameral legislature (Senate and House of Representatives)
435 Reps, 100 Senators
Have ALL legislative power
President of Senate = Vice President (replacement is President Pro Tempore)
Presider of House of Reps = Speaker of the House

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14
Q

President of the Senate

A

Second person in presidential succession line
Presides over office
Responsible for breaking a TIED vote in Senate
Receive/count electoral ballots in election
Vice President who becomes President in emergencies (assassination, untimely death)

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15
Q

President Pro Tempore

A

“For the time being”
Senate elects this leader
Has to be from majority party
Most SENIOR member

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16
Q

Senate Majority Leader

A

Steer party’s bills through Senate
Plan’s Senate work schedule & agenda
Responsible for making CERTAIN majority parties attend Senate sessions
Organize their support on KEY BILLS

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17
Q

Senate Minority Leader

A

Develops criticism of majority party’s bills
Tries keeping senators in minority party working together

18
Q

Speaker of the House

A

Appoint members of SOME committees
Schedule bills for action
Follows Vice president in line of succession
Sends bills to committees to study/discuss/review them

19
Q

House Minority Leader

A

Promote & publicize party’s agenda
Confers with President & aides regularly about Congress issues, agenda, & political events

20
Q

Committee Make-Up/Chairs

A

Committee Make-up: majority of member from majority party so they will ALWAYS win a vote
Chairperson: always for majority party

21
Q

Committees (key committees and importance)

A

House Judiciary Committee
House Rules Committee
Senate Judiciary Committee
Senate Appropriations Committee

22
Q

Standing Committees

A

“Stand” = exist all the time
Regular committee

Ex: Senate Judiciary Committee

23
Q

Joint Committees

A

Includes members of BOTH houses
Debate and report on matters concerning the Congress rather than issues of public policy.

24
Q

Select Committees

A

Created for special functions
They research specific issues or oversee government agencies.

25
Q

Senate Judiciary Committee

A

Confirms federal judges

26
Q

House Judiciary Committee

A

Impeachment

27
Q

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

A

Deliberate/report treaties submitted by President for the Senate to consider
Conducts public hearings for EACH treaty

28
Q

House Ways and Means Committee

A

Taxation (ways to have means to pay for things)
Increase revenue to finance federal govt
Individual & corporate income tax
Excise/estate/etc
Bonded debt to the U.S.

29
Q

House Rules Committee

A

Traffic cop
Decides what goes to the floor for discussion
How long debates last for

30
Q

House and Senate Appropriations Committees

A

House: spending bills, budget

Senate: sending bills, taxation

31
Q

Joint Conference Committee

A

Work out differences in bills between the House of Reps & Senate
A different committee for EACH bill

32
Q

Seniority

A

Certain positions available to the most senior/most experienced in House of Reps & committees
Appoint own committee staff to deal with ONLY committee stuff

33
Q

Powers of Congress

A

Make laws
Declare wars
Raise & provide $
Impeachment
Approve presidential appointment
Approve treaties from executive branch
Oversight & investigations

34
Q

How a Bill Becomes a Law (ALL STEPS)

A

1) There’s an idea
2) Creates a bill
3) Bill goes to committee
4) Public hearings
5) House committee debate & vote
6) House for debate & vote (majority)
7)Senate committee debate & vote
8) Senate debate & vote
9) Conference committee
10) House & Senate vote on Compromise Bill
11) Speaker and Vice President sign FIRST
12) President signs/vetoes bill
13) Bill becomes law
14) IF BILL IS VETOED it goes to House of Reps and Senate for a ⅔ majority vote
14a) Bill becomes law W/O president signature
14b) IF THAT DOESN’T WORK!!!! Bill goes to court system all the way to supreme court

35
Q

Public Bills

A

Measures applying to the nation (everyone)
Becomes Public Laws, or Acts, if approved by Congress and signed by the President.

36
Q

Private Bills

A

Measures applying to CERTAIN people or places
After a bill is enacted, these bills become public acts and private acts, respectively

37
Q

Simple Resolutions

A

Concerns 1 house of Congress
Adopt new rules
No force of law, no president signature

Ex: House of Res. 660 (authorize hearings on impeachment authority)

38
Q

Joint Resolutions

A

Adopted by House together
Force of law UNLESS challenged
Deal with unusual/temporary matters

Ex: pull troops out of conflict situations (War Powers Act)

39
Q

Concurrent Resolutions

A

1 house writes/passes while the other “concurs”
No force of law, no president signature
Set date for adjourning Congress
Used to state a position

Ex: foreign affairs

40
Q

Filibuster

A

Attempt to block/delay Senate action on bill or other matter by debating long hrs, offering MANY procedural means, hold floor/talk/quorum calls/parliament maneuvers

41
Q

Cloture Rule

A

Only procedure where Senate votes to place time limit on bill
Consideration or other matter
Overcoming a filibuster (signed by a minimum of 16 people with 60 Senators voting ⅗ vote)

42
Q

Quorum

A

Minimum # of people who MUST be present to permit a legislative body to take official action

U.S. Govt/Econ (1 decks)

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