The Legislative branch

Question 1

Focusing on the house of reps

Answer 1

435 members

2 year terms

Question 2

Focusing on the senate

Answer 2

100 members

6 year terms

one-third is re-elected every 2 years

Question 3

What did the virginia plan do

Answer 3

Population size shows how many seats a state will have

Question 4

What roles does congress have

Answer 4

Passing legislation

Representing the people

Overseeing the executive

Question 5

The powers of congress (BOTH HOUSES)

Answer 5

Legislative powers

Overriding a presidential veto

Imitating amendments to the constitution

Declaring War

Congressional oversight

Impeachment and removal from office

electing the pres and vice pres if a hung government

Question 6

The powers of only the senate

Answer 6

Ratifying Treaties

Confirming presidential appointments

Question 7

The stages of the legislative process

Answer 7

Introduction

Committee stage

Timetabling

floor debates

conference committee

president check

Question 8

Whats the criteria to be a congress(wo)men

Answer 8

25+

7 years in the US

Must live in the state

Question 9

Whats the criteria to be a senator

Answer 9

30+

9 years in the US

Must Live in state

Question 10

Example of congress being male dominated

Answer 10

until 2009 the senate swimming pool was male only

Question 11

What party do the 2 independents support and who are they

Answer 11

The Democrats

Bernie Sanders and Angus King

Question 12

What is a filibuster

Answer 12

A tactic used in the senate to talk for hours on hours until a bill runs out of time in the debate.

Question 13

What is oversight

Answer 13

When congress oversee’s, investigates and scrutinises the federal government

Question 14

Why is oversight efficient

Answer 14

As Congress has so much power, people are scared to go against congress adding fear making people follow code with punishments of prison time for lying

Question 15

Arguments that congress fulfills its oversight effectively

Answer 15

There is strong oversight when there’s a divided government

Standing and select committees investigations of the executive are high - profile

Congress can impeach president for wrong doing

Senate can refuse appointments

Question 16

arguments against congress being effective

Answer 16

Investigations can be politicised and partisan

Investigations can be costly and expensive yet get no results

The confirmation process is very politicised

The number of employees on oversight has declined over the 50 years

Question 17

Arguments that congress use the power of the purse effectively

Answer 17

The power is one of the best checks on the president

The executive can make changes to stop a shutdown

Government shutdowns are relatively rare.

Question 18

Arguments that congress use the power of the purse ineffectively

Answer 18

Government shutdowns are expensive and can be lengthy

THe threat of a shutdown hovers over every budget

Presidents are unable to reduce the budget causing the US into more debt

Pork barrel funding isn’t a good thing for tax payers money

Question 19

What is a congressional caucus

Answer 19

A group of members of congress who work together to have similar legislative aims

Question 20

Why is the speaker important

Answer 20

They are 3 in line of president after vice

Act as floor leader

Is elected by the house so whoever has a majority will get the speaker.

Question 21

What can the partys do to keep discipline

Answer 21

In the house the speaker decides who gets on the house rules committee.

In the senate party leaders can choose who goes on what committee

The final means is to cut party funding

Question 22

What 4 committees are there

Answer 22

Standing

Select

House Rules

conference

Question 23

Whats the key points of standing committees

Answer 23

20 in the house and 16 in the senate

Permanent

house committees are responsible for holding hearings during the committee stage and carrying out oversight

Senate committees are responsible for the presidential appointments

Question 24

Key info for select committees

Answer 24

They are ad hoc to deal with urgent issues

The House permanent intelligence committee and the senate select committee on intelligence is permanent

Select committees normally focus on investigations not legislation

Question 25

Key info of house rule committee

Answer 25

Sets the rules for bills eg decides if its on open rules (Any congress member can make amendments) or if its closed (No amendments)

has a membership of 13 people in 2:1 ratio of the majority party, decided who is on it by the speaker

Committee decides how long bills are debated on and when they are

In the 115th congress 56% of bills were closed allowing the minority party to make less changes

this makes the chairmen very important

Question 26

Whats a conference committee

Answer 26

A committee that is used to put the two bills from the senate and the house together to create one bill. This has to be agreed on by both houses afterwords

Question 27

How do members of congress represent their constituents

Answer 27

Communicating with constituents

Passing legislation

Committee legislation

Lobbying the Executive

Constituency Casework

Question 28

What is pork barreling

Answer 28

The federal government will send funding to states to make sure they support them. This funding is not needed.

Question 29

The difference in power of the purse in both houses

Answer 29

House - Only initiate money bills

Senate - Can amend money bill

Question 30

The difference in impeachment between the 2 houses

Answer 30

House - decides if they start the process or not

Senate - Decides if their guilty or not

Question 31

The difference’s in career prospects between the houses

Answer 31

House - 335 more members than in the senate, makes it less desirable. More competition to get into the senate

Senate - Higher public profile as less of them
Good leadership roles
16 presidents have been in senate
4 of the last 6 vice presidents have been in the senate

Question 32

is the relationship from congress to the executive good

Answer 32

Yes, the executive will have meetings with congress often to push through their agenda

The president can also use his power to persude to get extra votes in congress.

Question 33

Is the vice president important

Answer 33

yes, they are the president of the senate and in cases like harris when the senate is split 50-50, the vice president will be he tie breaker.

Question 34

Is congress or the supreme court more powerful

Answer 34

The supreme court

They can call laws unconstitutional, the only way for congress to get around this is by constitutional amendments.

Congress can impeach judges, but rarely happens. Last happened in 1811 but the senate acquitted them anyway

Question 35

Arguments for congress being broken

Answer 35

frequent gridlock

2-3% of bills become law

increased partisanship

Gov shutdowns are unpopular

unpopular with public

Investigations are partisan not trying to get the truth

Pork barreling

Trumps impeachment was done on partisan lines

The supreme court has judicial review

Senate presidential appointments are often partisan then actually finding out about them

uncompetitive seats have led ti a polarised and divided congress

Congress hasn’t declared war since 1941

Question 36

Arguments congress is not broken

Answer 36

Major legislation is passed every year

Bipartisan cooperation is still possible eg First step act 2018

The cares act 2020 shows congress can unite

individual members are likely to be re-elected

Investigations provide much-needed scrutiny

The power of the purse keeps the executive into account

Congress has tried to impeach 3 presidents

Senate confirmations means the president has to pick candidates who stand up to public scrutiny

Polarisation in congress is representation to a divided USA