Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

American Government: 2017 > Unit 2: Chapter 5 > Flashcards

Unit 2: Chapter 5 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® U.S. Government flashcards U.S. Government Basics flashcards American Government 101 flashcards
1
Q

What are the two divisions of Congress ?

A

The Senate and the House of Representatives

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What do bicameral and unicameral mean?

A

Bicameral - two house legislature

Unicameral - one house legislature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Is the HoR the upper house or the lower house ? How long is each representative elected for ?

A

The Lower House

Two Years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the legislative branch of American Government called ?

A

Congress

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Because house members represent a particular population group, we say that their representation is …

A

Proportional

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the proportional distribution of congressional seats among the states ?

A

Apportionment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Because representation in the House is based on population _______ is sometimes necessary.

A

Reapportionment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a census ?

A

A counting of the number of people in a specific area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is gerrymandering ?

A

When a state legislature draws its boundaries so as to purposely favor the party in power.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Is the Senate the Upper or lower house ? How long does a representative stay in there ?

A

The Upper house

Six years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is representation in the Senate based upon?

A

Equal representation. Each state has the same no. of representatives.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What Amendment said that senators are no longer chosen by state legislatures ?

A

The 17th Amendment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What term conveys the fact that Senators are now appointed by all of the voters of the state ?

A

At-large

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is General Election Day?

A

The Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What three qualifications does the constitution require that every Congress member must meet ?

A
  1. Age
  2. Citizenship
  3. State Residency
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the three leadership positions in Congress ?

A
  1. Speaker of the House
  2. President of the Senate
  3. President pro tempore
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the party with the most members in the house ?

A

The majority party

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the Rotunda ?

A

The great circular hall beneath the Capitol’s dome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What people lead their party in their house ?

A

Floor leaders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Who assists the floor leader with his responsibilities ?

A

The whip

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is a private meeting of political party members to decide on policy or to choose their party leaders ?

A

A caucus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the system most often used by the party caucuses in assigning committee or subcommittee chairs?

A

The seniority system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

The minority party names their senior member the …

A

Ranking member

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What committees are used for investigation ?

A

Select committees

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are joint committees?

A

Where members from both houses meet in a single committee.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is a common type of joint committee ?

A

A conference committee

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Who is the chief protocol and law enforcement officer for his house ?

A

The sergeant at arms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is the role of the parliamentarian ?

A

To advise house officers on parliamentary rules and house rules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Who are the minister to the spiritual needs of members, staff, and their families ?

A

The Chaplains

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Who is the official record keeper of the house ?

A

Secretary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Who helps maintain much of the operational infrastructure in the House?

A

The chief administrative officer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

How long does a term last in Congress ?

A

Two years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

How many sessions are in each term of Congress ?

A

Two

34
Q

What does the word “adjourn” mean ?

A

Dismiss

35
Q

When does Congress convene ?

A

January 3 of each odd numbered year

36
Q

What Amendment changed both the meeting time of Congress and the day on which members assume their duties ?

A

The 20th Amendment

37
Q

What is a simple majority ?

A

One more than half

38
Q

What word means “the required number to do business” ?

A

Quorum

39
Q

What book holds the records of everything said on the House and Senate floors ?

A

The Congressional Record

40
Q

What Amendment said that any pay raise that Congress gave itself could not go in effect until the next congressional election ?

A

The 27th Amendment

41
Q

What is franking privilege ?

A

It means that Congressmen are not charged postage on their official mail

42
Q

What is congressional immunity ?

A

It means that while on the congressional floor a congressman cannot be held liable for anything he says, and therefore, cannot be arrested.

43
Q

What does censure mean?

A

To officially condemn

44
Q

What is the greatest penalty which either house of Congress may impose on a disorderly member ?

A

Expulsion

45
Q

What is legislating ?

A

Lawmaking

46
Q

What is a proposed new law ?

A

A bill

47
Q

Which bills apply to the nation as a whole and which bills apply only to individual citizens or groups of people?

A

Public bills and Private bills

48
Q

What is a former statement of opinion or determination adopted by a legislative assembly ?

A

A resolution

49
Q
  1. What type of resolution was passed by one house dealing only with that house ?
  2. What type of resolution is passed by both houses and signed by the President ?
  3. What type of resolution is passed by both houses and deals with matters that need joint action but no formal law?
A
  1. Simple Resolution
  2. Joint Resolution
  3. Concurrent Resolution
50
Q

What word means “act together”?

A

Concur

51
Q

What is the box on the side of a Clerk’s desk called ?

A

A hopper

52
Q

What type of bill is sponsored by members from both parties ?

A

A bipartisan bill

53
Q

Much of the action on a bill takes place in the _____?

A

Committee

54
Q

What does pigeonholed mean?

A

A bill that has been purposely put aside and forgotten about

55
Q

Where do bills go to undergo hearings ?

A

A subcommittee

56
Q

What rule says that if a member can get 218 signatures on a petition, he can get his bill out of committee and onto the floor ?

A

A discharge petition

57
Q

What is a filibuster ?

A

An attempt to kill a bill by stalling the vote on it

58
Q

What is the Cloture Rule ?

A

It says that if three fifths of the senators vote to invoke cloture, then each senator is limited to a maximum of one hour to speak on a bill under consideration.

59
Q

What happens when the house expedites legislation by resolving itself into the Committee of the Whole ?

A

At that point, the entire House sits as one committee; the house is not at session during this time.

60
Q

Name three ways a Congressional vote may be taken.

A
  1. Voice
  2. Standing
  3. Roll-call
61
Q

List the steps on how a bill becomes a law

A
  1. Drafted
  2. Introduced
  3. Read by title, numbered, registered, and printed
  4. Referred to a committee
  5. Referred to a subcommittee
  6. Reported by the full committees
  7. Reported to the whole house
  8. Acted upon by the entire house
  9. Acted upon by the opposite house
  10. Examined by a conference committee
  11. Delivered to the President
62
Q

What is a temporary committee composed of members of both houses for the purpose of working out a compromise on a bill ?

A

A conference committee

63
Q

What is a “pocket veto”?

A

The practice of killing a bill by not signing it when Congress adjourns

64
Q

A President can ____ a bill if he wants to stop it from passing.

A

Veto

65
Q

A President’s veto can be over thrown if ___ - ______ majority vote in each house says so.

A

Two - thirds

66
Q

What is the most important quality of a good representative ?

A

His character

67
Q

What is the job of the trustee ?

A

The representative (acting as the trustee) votes according to his personal judgement rather than the views of his constituency.

68
Q

What is the job of the delegate ?

A

The representative (acting as a delegate) votes according to the desires of his constituency rather than his personal judgement.

69
Q

What is the congressional monitoring of the bureaucracy to make sure that the laws are being faithfully executed?

A

Oversight

70
Q

What are sunset laws?

A

Laws that give a termination date for a bureaucratic agency or program.

71
Q

What is Congress forbidding the impeachment of an agency’s policy without the President’s consent ?

A

Legislative Veto

72
Q

What does “delegated” mean?

A

Granted

73
Q

What are expressed powers?

A

Powers that are granted explicitly to Congress in Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution.

74
Q

What are implied powers ?

A

Legislated powers which are not specifically stated in the Constitution but have been implied in the expressed powers.

75
Q

What clause gives Congress the authority to put into operation Borge the expressed and implied powers ?

A

The “necessary and proper” clause

76
Q

What are the special powers of the House of Representatives?

A
  1. Originating all revenue bills
  2. Selecting a president from the three top candidates if the Electoral College has not given a majority to any candidate
  3. Conferring charges of impeachment against a federal official
77
Q

What are the special powers of Congress ?

A
  1. Choosing a Vice President from the top two candidates if no candidate has received a majority of the electoral vote
  2. Approving all presidential appointments
  3. Trying all cases of impeachment
  4. Approving all presidential treaties
78
Q

What is observed whenever the President nominates a federal officer who is to serve in a particular state ?

A

Senatorial Courtesy

79
Q

What is impeachment ?

A

Means that the House has the power to formally accuse a federal official of some wrongdoing.

80
Q

What do managers do ?

A

They present the impeachment case to the Senate, where the trial is conducted.

81
Q

What two presidents were impeached and what president was almost impeached ?

A

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached.

Richard M. Nixon was almost impeached but resigned prior.

82
Q

What are limitations on Congress called ?

A

Denied powers

American Government: 2017 (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions