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US Congress Flashcards

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1
Q

2 chambers of Congress

A
  • House of Representatives
  • Senate
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2
Q

How many members are there in the House of Representatives?

A

435

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3
Q

How many members are there in the Senate?

A

100

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4
Q

How often are there elections for the HoR?

A

Every 2 years

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5
Q

How often are Senators up for re-election?

A

They serve 6 year terms
Every 2 years, 1/3 of them are up for election

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6
Q

What was the New Jersey plan?

A

During the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, the New Jersey plan was proposed. It suggested that all states should receive an equal number of representatives to retain small states’ rights.

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7
Q

What was the Virginia plan?

A

During the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, the Virginia plan was proposed. It suggested that states should have a proportional number of representatives to their population.

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8
Q

What was the Connecticut Compromise?

A

A compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey plans: the Senate would have an equal number of senators per state while states would have a proportional number of representatives in the House

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9
Q

Which state has the most representatives?

A

California - 53

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10
Q

Which state(s) have the fewest number of representatives?

A

Montana, Wyoming, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Alaska - 1

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11
Q

3 roles of Congress

A
  • Passing legislation
  • Representing the people
  • Overseeing the executive
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12
Q

Powers of Congress

A
  • Legislative powers
  • Override presidential veto
  • Initiating constitutional amendments
  • Declaring war
  • Oversight
  • Impeachment
  • Electing the president in cases of hung Electoral College
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13
Q

Powers of JUST the Senate

A
  • Ratifying treaties
  • Confirming presidential appointments
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14
Q

How can Congress override a presidential veto?

A

With a two-thirds majority in both houses

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15
Q

How can Congress declare war?

A

Both houses must vote for a declaration of war - this has not been done since 1941

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16
Q

How does the Senate ratify treaties?

A

While they are negotiated by the president, they need to be ratified by 2/3 of the Senate

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17
Q

What are 2 methods of congressional oversight of the executive?

A
  • Congress must approve federal budgets
  • Congressional committees offer oversight and investigate the executive
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18
Q

How can Congress impeach an official?

A
  • The House holds trials of impeachment with a simple majority needed
  • The Senate then tries them, and with a 2/3 majority they can be found guilty and removed from office
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19
Q

What are standing committees?

A

Committees of members of Congress who are experts in a subject
Their role is to scrutinise bills relating to that subject

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20
Q

Legislative process (same in both House and Senate but must pass through both)

A
  • Introduction
  • Committee stage
  • Timetabling
  • Floor debate and vote
  • Conference committee
  • Presidential action
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21
Q

What are conference committees?

A

They reconcile the differences between House and Senate versions of a bill to create a final bill

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22
Q

Requirements to be a member of the HoR

A
  • 25 years old
  • US citizen for 7 years
  • Live in the state they wish to represent
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23
Q

Requirements to be a member of the Senate

A
  • 30 years old
  • US citizen for 9 years
  • Live in the state they wish to represent
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24
Q

Percentage of Hispanics in the US as a whole vs in Congress

A

US population: 18%
Congress: 9%
(117th Congress)

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25
Q

What percentage of Congress is made up of women?

A

24%

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26
Q

Average age of members of Congress

A

59
US average is 38

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27
Q

Advantage of Senators having longer terms than House representatives

A

Senators are more able to take unpopular but necessary decisions as they have 6 years before reelection

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28
Q

What percentage of Americans disapprove of Congress?

A

70%

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29
Q

Why is Congress so unpopular?

A
  • Ineffective and unproductive
  • Government shutdowns becoming more common
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30
Q

What is gridlock?

A

When Congress cannot agree on legislation so they are unable to pass anything
Happens during divided government

31
Q

What is divided government?

A

When different parties hold the two houses of Congress or the presidency

32
Q

What is unified government?

A

When the same party holds both houses of Congress and the presidency

33
Q

What is a filibuster?

A

Tactic used in the Senate to prevent a vote: senators debate until the maximum amount of time has passed for voting

34
Q

What is a cloture?

A

Process for ending a filibuster: 3/5 majority of the senate must vote to stop a senator from talking

35
Q

Does Congress legislate effectively? - YES

A
  • Works well in periods of united government
  • Some bipartisan agreement (e.g. during COVID)
  • Congress can reject legislation proposed by the executive
36
Q

Does Congress legislate effectively? - NO

A
  • Only 2-3% of bills become law
  • Filibuster and divided government cause gridlock
  • Presidential vetoes are rarely overturned
37
Q

Is oversight more effective during untied or divided government?

A

Divided

38
Q

4 methods of oversight over the executive from Congress

A
  • Investigations
  • Confirmation of nominees
  • Impeachment
  • Ratifying treaties
39
Q

Which type of committees investigate the executive?

A

Standing and select committees

40
Q

How can the Senate prevent a president from appointing their nominee?

A

They can refuse to hold hearings

41
Q

Example of someone who faired badly in their Senate appointment hearings

A

Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos lacked knowledge on basic education policy. While she was approved, two Republicans broke ranks and voted against her.

42
Q

Example of a treaty which the Senate rejected

A

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2012)

43
Q

Does Congress perform oversight effectively? - YES

A
  • Standing and select committees investigate the executive
  • Strong during divided government
  • Presidents can be impeached
44
Q

Does Congress perform oversight effectively? - NO

A
  • Weak during unified government
  • Investigations are politicised and partisan
  • Impeachment has never removed a president from office
45
Q

What is the power of the purse?

A

Only Congress has the ability to raise/lower taxes

46
Q

Why do government shutdowns occur?

A

Both houses of Congress must pass the federal budget. If the budget does not pass in time due to gridlock, the government stops functioning.

47
Q

How did Trump bypass Congress’s power of the purse?

A

In 2019 he declared a national emergency so that he could use federal funding towards his border wall

48
Q

When was the longest government shutdown?

A

35 days in 2018/19

49
Q

What are congressional caucuses?

A

Groups in Congress with similar aims who work together to pass legislation

50
Q

Example of a bipartisan caucus

A

Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force

51
Q

Role of the majority/minority leaders

A
  • Plan the legislative agenda
  • Coordinate their party for votes and debates
52
Q

Powers of the Speaker of the House

A
  • Choose who goes on select/standing committees
  • Determine legislative agenda for the house
53
Q

Why is the whipping system weak?

A

Due to the separation of powers, the whips cannot offer executive positions in exchange for support

54
Q

What are some tactics whips use?

A
  • Deciding who sits on the House Rules committee
  • Deciding who chairs select/conference committees
55
Q

4 types of committees

A
  • Standing committees
  • Select committees
  • House Rules committee
  • Conference committees
56
Q

What are standing committees?

A
  • Permanent
  • Focus on a specific area of policy
57
Q

What are the roles of standing committees?

A
  • Hold hearings during the committee stages of bills before voting on whether they should continue into the House/Senate
  • In the Senate they hold hearings on executive appointments
58
Q

What are select committees?

A
  • Temporary (usually)
  • Set up to deal with an urgent issue
59
Q

Example of a permanent select committee

A

Senate Committee on Intelligence

60
Q

Role of select committees

A

To investigate an issue

61
Q

Example of a recent select committee investigation

A

The Senate Committee on Intelligence investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election

62
Q

Case study: House Select Committee on Benghazi

A
  • Set up in 2014 to investigate the 2012 terrorist attack on the US embassy in Libya
  • Questioned Hillary Clinton for 11 hours
  • Results were partisan and unclear. Republicans blamed Clinton’s weak leadership while Democrats suggested the situation was out of her control.
63
Q

What is the House Rules Committee?

A

Sets the ‘rules’ for bills, such as how much time they will have on the floor and whether amendments will be allowed

64
Q

Who is on the House Rules Committee?

A

13 members, split in favour of the majority party in a 2:1 ratio

65
Q

Why is being on the House Rules Committee an influential position?

A

Allows great influence over the legislative agenda. Often members receive lots of funding from pressure groups.

66
Q

Example of a House Rules Committee chair receiving funding from pressure groups

A

Republican Chair Pete Sessions (2013-19) received donations from Conservative groups which allowed him to use his position to prevent amendments which would’ve relaxed marijuana legislation

67
Q

5 roles of members of Congress

A
  • Communicating with constituents
  • Passing legislation
  • Committee membership
  • Lobbying the executive
  • Constituency casework
68
Q

Example of pork-barrelling

A

The infamous ‘bridge to nowhere’ in Alaska which would’ve connected a 50-person island to mainland Alaska for a cost of $400m

69
Q

What percentage of incumbent House representatives are re-elected?

A

Average 90%

70
Q

How do Congress and the executive interact?

A
  • President relies on Congress to pass legislation
  • Cabinet members are often selected from Congress
71
Q

Who is the tie breaker in the Senate in the case of a tie?

A

The VP (shows there isn’t full separation of powers)

72
Q

1996 Defence of Marriage Act

A

Passed by Congress and gave states the right to not recognise same sex marriage. Ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2015.

73
Q

Weaknesses of Congress

A
  • Only 2-3% bills become law
  • Gridlock is common
  • Government shutdowns are costly
74
Q

Strengths of Congress

A
  • Major legislation still passed every few years
  • Bipartisan compromise is still possible

Gov & Politics (23 decks)

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