Unit 2A Exam Flashcards
Senators are elected to ___-year terms
6
House of Representatives are elected to ___-year terms
2
A proposed law is a ___?
Bill
The order of presidential succession is what?
President, vice president, speaker of the house, majority leader, secretary of state.
Porkbarelling
a bill that only helps your state.
State legislatures lost control to select senators from the ___ amendment in 1913.
17th
Congress can determine the number of judges and the boundaries of federal judicial districts and circuits because…
The US constitution authorizes it.
What best maximizes the opportunities for members on both sides of the aisle to air views?
Subcommittee meetings
Framers of the Constitution were most concerned that members of Congress…
Represent their constituents
Franking privilege
allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without a stamp.
A new Congress is seated every…
2 years
House of Reps and Senate combined are how many people?
535
The senate has no counterpart to the House committee on…
Rules
How are bills introduced?
Members of Congress
Appropriation
the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using censes data.
Authorization
a document giving permission or authority.
bicameral
a two-house legislature
caucuses
a process through which a state’s eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process.
closed rules
You cannot consider any amendments other than ones brought up by the standing or sub-committees.
cloture
a procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action, provided three-fifths of senators gree to it.
Committee of the Whole
consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but It is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation.
committee system
16 standing committees, four special or select committees, and four joint committees
conference committees
temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers.
discharge petition
a motion filed a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote.
constituency service
Members of Congress represent the people of their district in the United States Congress by holding hearings, as well as developing and voting on legislation.
Easley v. Cromartie
The Supreme Court of the United States reviews a district court’s findings only for clear error. In applying this standard, the court, like any reviewing court, will not reverse a lower court’s finding of fact simply because it would have decided the case differently. Rather, a reviewing court must ask whether on the entire evidence, it is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.
elastic clause
Congress can make all laws that are “necessary and proper” for carrying out its duties.
filibuster
a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation.
germane amendments
amendments directly related to the bill.
gerrymandering
the redrawing of districts to benefit one candidate based on race, gender, money, political party affiliation, or all four.
incumbency
a political official who is currently in office.
iron triangle
coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals.
joint committees
A committee composed of both members of the House of Reps and Senate.
legislative veto
when Congress overrides the president’s veto.
logrolling
promising to vote for someone’s bill if they in turn will promise to vote for yours.
majority leader of the House
schedules legislation to be considered on the House floor; organizes daily, weekly, and yearly legislative plans; consults with Members to understand how party members feel about issues; and works to advance the goals of the party.
quorum
the minimum number of a governmental body’s membership necessary to act.
majority leader of the Senate
schedules business on the floor by calling bills from the calendar and keeps members of his or her caucus advised about the daily legislative program.
mal-apportionment
the uneven distribution of the population between legislative districts.
marking up
The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.
minority leader of the Senate
develops the minority position; negotiates with the majority party; directs minority caucus activities on the floor; directs floor activity for the minority party; leads floor debate for the minority party.
president pro tempore
a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president.
minority/majority districting
a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district.
oversight
efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals.
party whips
responsible for assisting the party leadership in bringing the party’s bills to the House floor, maintaining communication between the leadership of the party and its members, counting votes on key legislation, and persuading Members to vote for the party position.
pigeonholing
to set a congressional bill aside in committee without considering it.
pork barrel legislation
Legislation that gives tangible benefits (i.e. highways, post offices, etc.) to constituents in several districts or states in hope of winning their votes in return.
reapportionment
the gaining or losing of seats in the House of Reps.
redistricting
the redrawing of boundaries by state legislature every ten years.
resolution types
simple, concurrent, joint
revenue bills
any bill, except the Budget Bill(s) and debt bills, that increases or decreases the total revenues available for appropriation, including any sales tax exemption bill.
select committees
Is used to discuss and create laws for “hot topics” (TEMP)
senatorial courtesy
refers to a tacit agreement among senators not to vote for any presidential nominee who is opposed by the senators from the nominee’s home state.
seniority system
The practice of ranking senators based on length of service
Speaker of the House
the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members.
standing committees
permanent committees established under the standing rules of the Senate and specialize in the consideration of particular subject areas.
term limits
a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office.
votes
teller, voice, division, roll call, electronic
War Powers Resolution
a law passed over President Nixon’s veto restricts the president’s power to maintain troops in combat for more than 60 days without congressional authorization.
Open rules
permit the offering of any amendment that otherwise complies with House rules, and allows debate under the 5-minute rule.
