Unit 4 - Legislative Branch

Question 1

Define:

Bicameral

Answer 1

Congress is a bicameral; this means that it is made up of two chambers, these chambers include the senate and the house of representatives. Each states has these two components as well.

Question 2

Define:

Legislative

Answer 2

*Adjective that means “Lawmaking”. The legislative branch in our government is the lawmaking branch.

Question 3

Define:

District

Answer 3

A district is represented by the house of representatives. Rather than focusing on the whole states like a Senate, the house of reps work for the people in a specific section of their states called a district.

Question 4

Define:

Enumerated

Answer 4

The constitution has a list of powers that congress has individually. This list is the list of powers that no other branch or individual state can control. These are called enumerated, expressed, or listed powers.

Question 5

Define:

Legislate

Answer 5

A verb that means to make laws.

Question 6

Define:

Legislator

Answer 6

A person who makes laws

Question 7

Define:

Legislation

Answer 7

A written document that is or may become law.

Question 8

What is the function of the legislative branch?

Answer 8

The legislative branch …

Question 9

Legislation branch

Answer 9

See a problem, tries to fix an issue with laws.

Question 10

Executive branch Purpose with law

Answer 10

Execute the law

Question 11

“Pork barrel” spending

Answer 11

pool of federal money available for appropriation

Wasting federal money

Question 12

“Pork”

Answer 12

The government projects that benefit only a specific locale, specifically the sponsors’ voters.

Question 13

How long is a House of representative elected for?

Answer 13

Elected every 2 years

Question 14

How many members are in the House of reps?

Answer 14

435 voting members - 6 non voting

Question 15

What are the requirements to be part of the house of reps?

Answer 15

25 years old
7 years citizen
Resident of state

Question 16

people in house of reps?

Answer 16

220 democrats, 212 republicans, 3 vacant seats

119 women - 313 men

Question 17

How many members are in the Senate?

Answer 17

100 members

- approx. 1/3 up for election every 2 years ( six year terms)

Question 18

What are the requirements to become part of the Senate?

Answer 18

30 years old
9 years citizen
Resident of state

Question 19

People in the Senate

Answer 19

50 republic 48 democrats 2 independent

24 women 76 men

Question 20

Salary for the House of reps and Senates

Answer 20

$174,000 per year

Question 21

Otto von Bismarck Quote

Answer 21

“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made,” quipped Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), the famous Prussian statesman and architect of German unification.

Question 22

Types of powers

Answer 22

Formal, expressed, Enumerated powers

Implied powers

Question 23

Formal, expressed, Enumerated powers

Answer 23

Found in the constitution

taxes, currency

Question 24

Implied powers

Answer 24

Elastic clause:”Make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers”- Assumed to exist

• Powers created by using the elastic clause
• Powers gained by stretching the commerce clause

Question 25

What Congress cannot do

Answer 25

Article 1, Section 9

Cannot suspend writ of habeas corpus 
May not pass bills of attainder
May not pass ex post facto laws
Cannot tax exports 
Can't issue titles of nobility

Question 26

What congress can do

Answer 26

• Power to tax/spend
• Power to borrow
• commerce power
• Currency power
• Bankruptcy power
• Approve Treaties
• Declare War
• Maintain armed forces
• Regulate foreign commerce
• Naturalization Process
• Admit new states and govern territories
• Manage federal lands
• Create and regulate postal service
• Copyrights and patents (copyright lifetime+70)(20 years)
• Establish standard system of weights and measures
• Create courts
• Set criminal laws

Question 27

Congressional staff- Personal staff

Answer 27

• Administrative Assistants (manage office, schedule, visitors)(AA)
• Legislative Assistants (inform boss on bills, research and draft legislation, attend meetings, negotiations)(LA)
• Caseworkers (Directly work with constituents in home district.
• Committee Staff (Draft bills, plan hearings, write memos, prepare committee reports)
• Supports (Congressional Research Service, Government accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office)

Question 28

Descriptive vs Substantive representation

Answer 28

Descriptive - Representing constituents by mirroring personal, politically relevant characteristics.

Substantive - Representing constituents interests, regardless of descriptive discrepancies

Question 29

Getting into congress

Answer 29

• Having more money
• Looking the parts
• Biggest indicator of electoral success is being the incumbent
• 80-90% of sen/reps seeking re-election get it

Question 30

Incumbent Advantages

Answer 30

• Advertizing, more visibility if already in congress, free mailing to constituents (can’t do it 60/90 days before elections)
• Credit Claiming, Service to the constituents, casework
• Position-taking, Build a record, make/fulfill promises
• Weak Opponents, because incumbents are so powerful good opponents might not join till there is an open seat.
• Gerrymandering (

Question 31

cp

Answer 31

Cracking vs packing