Unit 6 - Chapter 11 Flashcards
Connecticut Compromise
compromise founders made for bicameral legislature (rep. by population in House, equal rep. in Senate, gives smaller states more power)
Requirements to be member of the Senate:
legal resident of state, 30 years or older, have lived in US for 9 years, serve 6 year terms
Requirements to be member of the House:
legal resident of state, 25 years or older, have lived in US for 7 years, serve 2 year terms
Powers unique to the House:
initiates revenue bills, can formally start impeachment accusations, decides president if electoral tie
Powers unique to the Senate:
ratifies treaties, approves presidential nominations, conduct impeachment trials, if president doesn’t get 270 electoral votes Senate chooses president, House choose VP
Part of constitution that lists powers of Congress:
Article 1, section 8, expresses powers of Congress, application of limited government since can only do what is spelled out
elastic clause
gives Congress implied powers to make laws that “necessary and proper” to carry out given powers
McCulloch v. Maryland
court cases that justifies/establishes elastic clause
The 5 types of governmental powers:
expressed, implied, reserved (power just for the states, 10th amendment), concurrent (shared by state and federal), inherent (powers presumed to be the govt’s)
imminent domain
government can take private property for government use (part of inherent powers)
Non-legislative powers (definition and examples in Congress):
powers that don’t require making a law (approving members of cabinet, declaring war, amendment process 2/3 needed to propose, 3/4 state approval to ratify)
Strict Constitutionists
someone that follows exactly what the constitution spells out (doesn’t support elastic clause)
Baker v. Carr
court case that allows fed. courts to take apportionment related cases, says everybody’s vote should be one-to-one
Reno v. Shaw
district drawing can’t be based solely on race but allowed to be considered (states draw districts)
Gerrymandering
drawing congressional districts to benefit certain party, legal but frowned upon by many
Swing Districts
winner gets less than 55% of vote, easier to sway one way or another
Majority/Safe Districts
winner gets more than 55%
Incumbency Advantage
people currently in office running for reelection, highly likely to win, more likely in House than in Senate (sen. rep. more of state, better challengers)
Franking Privelige
allows current congressmen to send ads for free to people in district
Pork Barrel Bill
bill that benefits a particular group of people, congressmen pushes for it so can claim credit w/constituents
Speaker of the House
most powerful seat in House, decides which bills will be brought to floor, makes committee assignments, member of party that has House majority
Majority Leader/Majority Floor Leader
most powerful seat in Senate, member of majority party
VP’s role in Congress
president of the senate, votes if there’s a tie, usually too busy to be presiding president
President Pro Tempore
pres. in place of VP, senior member of majority party, 4th in line of presidential succession, not powerful position