Quiz

Question 1

bicameral legislature

Answer 1

A legislature with two houses. Such as U.S. Congress with the house of representatives and Senate

Question 2

Constituency casework

Answer 2

helping constituents solve individual problems with the government, is a vital part of what senators and representatives do.

Question 3

careerism

Answer 3

the tendency for legislatures to serve in CONGRESS as life time career- still exists

Question 4

U.S. Term Limits V Thorton (1995)

Answer 4

rejecting term limits by the states because they added to the qualifications for office and thus needed an amendment to the constitution.

Question 5

Malapportionment

Answer 5

An outlawed practice of drawing legislative districts of grossly unequal population for political advantage.

Question 6

gerrymandering

Answer 6

drawing district boundaries for partisan advantage- was practiced

Question 7

“Packing” and “Cracking”

Answer 7

packing- value other districts and more favorable to your party. Also involves drawing up a district so that it has supporters, to ensure a “safe” seat.
Cracking- splitting up opponents supporters into minorities in a number of districts to weaken their influence.

Question 8

Baker v Car

Answer 8

legislative districts must be a close to equal in populations as possible.

Question 9

Speaker of the House

Answer 9

In the House of Representatives, the majority party- the republicans chooses the speaker from among its members. Presidency office
– The head of the house of Representatives and the leader of majority, currently Democrat ?John Bochurer.

Question 10

House and Senate Leadership structures

Answer 10

senate majority leader who is the closest equivalent to the speaker of the house.
Speaker - majority and minority_-
senate, Vp, Presidency, majority & minority

Question 11

President pro tempore

Answer 11

for the time meaning. A high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president

Question 12

Grand Old Party (GOP)

Answer 12

Republican Party

Question 13

Standing Committee

Answer 13

A permanent committee that meets regularly.

are the basic working units of congress= 1 congress to next consider legislature

Question 14

Seniority

Answer 14

the chair of any committee is typically the majority party member who has served longest on the committee.

Question 15

Franking Privilege

Answer 15

official mailing enjoyed by congress, under which 200,000,000 pieces of mail, much of it quite partisan, are sent free every year.

Question 16

Conference Committee

Answer 16

is set up in the final stages of legislation to reconcile differences between the two house in passing

Question 17

select or special committee

Answer 17

temporary panels set up to do specific jobs and usually dissolved after they have completed them

Question 18

joint committee

Answer 18

are permanent bodies including both senators and representatives, usually setup to coordinate policy on routine matters

Question 19

senility system

Answer 19

came from seniority system and this mocked it.Attacked as undemocratic, it has allowed members who are reelected to accumulate national power.

Question 20

specialization and reciprocity

Answer 20

they are closely related. Specialization means that once assigned to a committee or subcommittee, a member of congress is expected to specialize in its work and become an expert in that area.
Reciprocity- the congressional practice of members looking for guidance on legislation to members of their party on committees specialization in that area.

Question 21

filibuster

Answer 21

the right under senate rules to delay action by speaking for an unlimited amount of time, only stopped by a cloture requiring 60 votes.

Question 22

senate Foreign Relations Committee

Answer 22

a watch dog over the presidents dominant position in foreign policy

Question 23

Senate Finance Committee

Answer 23

the senates equivalent to ways and means in the house. TAXES

Question 23

Senate Rules Committee

Answer 23

Does not need ‘traffic cop”. less coordination.

Question 23

House Rules Committee

Answer 23

if the committee approves a bill for transmisson to the house floor, it assigns to that bill, setting the terms of a debate. Acts as a traffic cop. Has the power to delay or even stop legislation.

Question 23

House Ways and Means Committee

Answer 23

deals with tax legislation, or the raising of revenue for the government

Question 23

House Appropriations Committee

Answer 23

deals with how the government spends that money.

Question 23

Authorization and Appropriations

Answer 23

Authorization- authority to spend

Appropriations- overall spending

Question 24

pork barrel bills

Answer 24

to produce visible local benefits

Question 25

discharge calenders

Answer 25

used to force a bill out of committee against the committee wishes- almost never works

Question 26

Congressional override

Answer 26

to override a veto it requires two-thirds approval of each house of congress

Question 27

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Answer 27

the nonpartisan CBO’s experts analyze the presidents budget proposals and match congress’s spending decisions with the budget target

Question 28

cloture

Answer 28

voting to end filibuster (debate) - 60 votes

Question 29

legislative oversight and investigation

Answer 29

oversight of the executive branch investigation- congress has the power to investigate and if something they think is not being done properly and investigation will be launched.

Question 30

General Accounting Office (GAO)

Answer 30

An agency created by congress to help with its oversight function Congress. Uses GAO to examine certain government programs or departments.

Question 31

Impeachment

Answer 31

House of Representatives which is the majority can impeach. This process is difficult, slow and cumbersome. trial on senate 2/3