Unit 4 review

Question 1

The minimum age to serve is 30 years old

Answer 1

US House of Representatives

Question 2

There are 435 members

Answer 2

US House of Representatives

Question 3

There are 31 members

Answer 3

TX State Senate

Question 4

Texas has 2 of these members

Answer 4

TX State Senate

Question 5

The leader of this chamber is called the Lieutenant Governor

Answer 5

TX State Senate

Question 6

The leader of this chamber is Mike Johnson from Louisiana.

Answer 6

US House of Representatives

Question 7

Ted Cruiz is one of these

Answer 7

TX State Senate

Question 8

Kamala Harris is the official leader of this chamber

Answer 8

US Senate

Question 9

This US chamber of congress serves a smaller constituency

Answer 9

US Senate

Question 10

This US chamber of Congress has the power to hold impeachment trials

Answer 10

US House of Representatives

Question 11

This US chamber of congress has the power to confirm presidential appointments

Answer 11

US Senate

Question 12

This US chamber of Congress has the power to redraw congressional districts

Answer 12

US House of Representatives

Question 13

This State level position is elected every 2 years

Answer 13

TX House of Representatives

Question 14

This level position is elected every 6 years

Answer 14

US Senate

Question 15

There are 150 members

Answer 15

TX House of Representatives

Question 16

Starting in January 2023 with the 118th Congress, How many Representatives does the state of Texas have in the U.S. House of Reps?

Answer 16

The delegation consists of 38 members, with 25 Republicans and 13 Democrats

Question 17

What are the major powers granted to Congress in the Constitution?

Answer 17

Enact legislation, declare war, confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers.

Question 18

Which Article of the Constitution pertains to the Legislative branch?

Answer 18

Article 1

Question 19

What are a few differences in the powers of the House and Senate?

Answer 19

The House has the power to impeach (formally accuse) while the Senate tries impeachments. In addition, the Senate approves treaties and certain presidential appointments, and minutes to be followed immediately by another speaker.

Question 20

What options does the President have when he receives a proposed bill passed by Congress?

Answer 20

Veto, Sign, don’t Sign

Question 21

Who has the power to declare war?

Answer 21

Congress

Question 22

How does Congress override a presidential veto?

Answer 22

Congress can override a veto by passing the act by a 2/3 vote in both the House and the Senate.

Question 23

What did the Supreme Court case of Baker v Carr do?

Answer 23

Baker v. Carr is the U.S. Supreme Court case that held that federal courts could hear cases alleging that a state’s drawing of electoral boundaries, redistricting, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

Question 24

How can the legislative branch check the executive branch?

Answer 24

The President in the executive branch can veto a law, but the legislative branch can override that veto with enough votes. The legislative branch has the power to approve Presidential nominations, control the budget, and impeach the President and remove him or her from office.

Question 25

Who can impeach federal officials? Who holds the impeachment trial?

Answer 25

The House of Representatives impeach the president. The Senate holds the impeachment trial

Question 26

What is required to achieve cloture of a filibuster?

Answer 26

A 2/3 majority of senators present and voting

Question 27

Step 1: The bill is drafted

Answer 27

Any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House or Representatives – who has an idea for a law can draft a bill. These ideas come from the Congress members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the “sponsor”. The other members who support the bill are called “co-sponsors”.

Question 28

Step 2: The bill is introduced

Answer 28

Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

Question 29

Step 3: The bill goes to committee

Answer 29

As soon as a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials and supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be “dead”.

Question 30

Step 4: Subcommittee review of the bill

Answer 30

Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic. Often, committees refer bills to a subcommittee for study and their own hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

Question 31

Step 5: Committee markup of the bill

Answer 31

When the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to “mark up” the bill. They make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the “floor”. If a committee votes not to report legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called “ordering a bill reported”.

Question 32

Step 6: Voting by the full chamber on the bill

Answer 32

Once the bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate, and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then passed or defeated by the members voting.

Question 33

Step 7: Referral of the bill to the other chamber

Answer 33

When the House or Senate passes a bill, it is referred to the other chamber, where it usually follows the same route through committees and finally to the floor. This chamber may approve the bill as received, reject it, ignore it or change it. Congress may form a conference committee to resolve or reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill. If the conference committee is unable to reach an agreement, the bill dies. If an agreement is reached, the committee members prepare a conference report with recommendations for the final bill. Both the House and Senate must vote to approve the conference report.

Question 34

Step 8: The bill goes to the president

Answer 34

After both the House and Senate have approved a bill in identical form, the bill is sent to the President. If the President approves of the legislation, it is signed and becomes law. If the President takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. If the President opposes the bill, they may veto the bill. In addition, if no action is taken for 10 DAYS and Congress has already adjourned, then it becomes law!!!!

Question 35

Step 9: Overriding a veto

Answer 35

If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto. If both the Senate and the House pass the bill by a 2/3 majority, the President’s veto is overruled, and the bill becomes law.

Question 36

Apportionment

Answer 36

Apportionment measures the population so that seats in the U.S. House of Representatives can be correctly apportioned among the states.

Question 37

Redistricting

Answer 37

How and where districts are drawn can shape communities’ ability to elect the representatives of their choice. Districts must be made as equal in population as practicable so that communities have equal access to political representation.

Question 38

Gerrymandering

Answer 38

when those boundaries are drawn with the intention of influencing who gets elected

Question 39

Bicameral

Answer 39

Having two branches or chambers

Question 40

Incumbent

Answer 40

The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election, the incumbent is said to be the person holding or acting in the position that is up for election, whether the said officeholder is seeking re-election or not.

Question 41

President Pro Tempore

Answer 41

In the absence of the vice president, the president pro tempore may administer all oaths required by the Constitution, may sign the legislation, may jointly preside with the Speaker of the House when the two houses sit together in joint sessions or joint meetings, and may fulfill all other obligations of the presiding

Question 42

Filibuster

Answer 42

a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question. ONLY IN THE SENATE. In order to STOP it you need 3/5th and 60 senators