US Congress Flashcards
2 chambers of Congress
- House of Representatives
- Senate
How many members are there in the House of Representatives?
435
How many members are there in the Senate?
100
How often are there elections for the HoR?
Every 2 years
How often are Senators up for re-election?
They serve 6 year terms
Every 2 years, 1/3 of them are up for election
What was the New Jersey plan?
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.
What was the Virginia plan?
During the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, the Virginia plan was proposed. It suggested that states should have a proportional number of representatives to their population.
What was the Connecticut Compromise?
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
Which state has the most representatives?
California - 53
Which state(s) have the fewest number of representatives?
Montana, Wyoming, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Alaska - 1
3 roles of Congress
- Passing legislation
- Representing the people
- Overseeing the executive
Powers of Congress
- Legislative powers
- Override presidential veto
- Initiating constitutional amendments
- Declaring war
- Oversight
- Impeachment
- Electing the president in cases of hung Electoral College
Powers of JUST the Senate
- Ratifying treaties
- Confirming presidential appointments
How can Congress override a presidential veto?
With a two-thirds majority in both houses
How can Congress declare war?
Both houses must vote for a declaration of war - this has not been done since 1941
How does the Senate ratify treaties?
While they are negotiated by the president, they need to be ratified by 2/3 of the Senate
What are 2 methods of congressional oversight of the executive?
- Congress must approve federal budgets
- Congressional committees offer oversight and investigate the executive
How can Congress impeach an official?
- 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
What are standing committees?
Committees of members of Congress who are experts in a subject
Their role is to scrutinise bills relating to that subject
Legislative process (same in both House and Senate but must pass through both)
- Introduction
- Committee stage
- Timetabling
- Floor debate and vote
- Conference committee
- Presidential action
What are conference committees?
They reconcile the differences between House and Senate versions of a bill to create a final bill
Requirements to be a member of the HoR
- 25 years old
- US citizen for 7 years
- Live in the state they wish to represent
Requirements to be a member of the Senate
- 30 years old
- US citizen for 9 years
- Live in the state they wish to represent
Percentage of Hispanics in the US as a whole vs in Congress
US population: 18%
Congress: 9%
(117th Congress)
What percentage of Congress is made up of women?
24%
Average age of members of Congress
59
US average is 38
Advantage of Senators having longer terms than House representatives
Senators are more able to take unpopular but necessary decisions as they have 6 years before reelection
What percentage of Americans disapprove of Congress?
70%
Why is Congress so unpopular?
- Ineffective and unproductive
- Government shutdowns becoming more common
What is gridlock?
When Congress cannot agree on legislation so they are unable to pass anything
Happens during divided government
What is divided government?
When different parties hold the two houses of Congress or the presidency
What is unified government?
When the same party holds both houses of Congress and the presidency
What is a filibuster?
Tactic used in the Senate to prevent a vote: senators debate until the maximum amount of time has passed for voting
What is a cloture?
Process for ending a filibuster: 3/5 majority of the senate must vote to stop a senator from talking
Does Congress legislate effectively? - YES
- Works well in periods of united government
- Some bipartisan agreement (e.g. during COVID)
- Congress can reject legislation proposed by the executive
Does Congress legislate effectively? - NO
- Only 2-3% of bills become law
- Filibuster and divided government cause gridlock
- Presidential vetoes are rarely overturned
Is oversight more effective during untied or divided government?
Divided
4 methods of oversight over the executive from Congress
- Investigations
- Confirmation of nominees
- Impeachment
- Ratifying treaties
Which type of committees investigate the executive?
Standing and select committees
How can the Senate prevent a president from appointing their nominee?
They can refuse to hold hearings
Example of someone who faired badly in their Senate appointment hearings
Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos lacked knowledge on basic education policy. While she was approved, two Republicans broke ranks and voted against her.
Example of a treaty which the Senate rejected
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2012)
Does Congress perform oversight effectively? - YES
- Standing and select committees investigate the executive
- Strong during divided government
- Presidents can be impeached
Does Congress perform oversight effectively? - NO
- Weak during unified government
- Investigations are politicised and partisan
- Impeachment has never removed a president from office
What is the power of the purse?
Only Congress has the ability to raise/lower taxes
Why do government shutdowns occur?
Both houses of Congress must pass the federal budget. If the budget does not pass in time due to gridlock, the government stops functioning.
How did Trump bypass Congress’s power of the purse?
In 2019 he declared a national emergency so that he could use federal funding towards his border wall
When was the longest government shutdown?
35 days in 2018/19
What are congressional caucuses?
Groups in Congress with similar aims who work together to pass legislation
Example of a bipartisan caucus
Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force
Role of the majority/minority leaders
- Plan the legislative agenda
- Coordinate their party for votes and debates
Powers of the Speaker of the House
- Choose who goes on select/standing committees
- Determine legislative agenda for the house
Why is the whipping system weak?
Due to the separation of powers, the whips cannot offer executive positions in exchange for support
What are some tactics whips use?
- Deciding who sits on the House Rules committee
- Deciding who chairs select/conference committees
4 types of committees
- Standing committees
- Select committees
- House Rules committee
- Conference committees
What are standing committees?
- Permanent
- Focus on a specific area of policy
What are the roles of standing committees?
- 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
What are select committees?
- Temporary (usually)
- Set up to deal with an urgent issue
Example of a permanent select committee
Senate Committee on Intelligence
Role of select committees
To investigate an issue
Example of a recent select committee investigation
The Senate Committee on Intelligence investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election
Case study: House Select Committee on Benghazi
- 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.
What is the House Rules Committee?
Sets the ‘rules’ for bills, such as how much time they will have on the floor and whether amendments will be allowed
Who is on the House Rules Committee?
13 members, split in favour of the majority party in a 2:1 ratio
Why is being on the House Rules Committee an influential position?
Allows great influence over the legislative agenda. Often members receive lots of funding from pressure groups.
Example of a House Rules Committee chair receiving funding from pressure groups
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
5 roles of members of Congress
- Communicating with constituents
- Passing legislation
- Committee membership
- Lobbying the executive
- Constituency casework
Example of pork-barrelling
The infamous ‘bridge to nowhere’ in Alaska which would’ve connected a 50-person island to mainland Alaska for a cost of $400m
What percentage of incumbent House representatives are re-elected?
Average 90%
How do Congress and the executive interact?
- President relies on Congress to pass legislation
- Cabinet members are often selected from Congress
Who is the tie breaker in the Senate in the case of a tie?
The VP (shows there isn’t full separation of powers)
1996 Defence of Marriage Act
Passed by Congress and gave states the right to not recognise same sex marriage. Ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2015.
Weaknesses of Congress
- Only 2-3% bills become law
- Gridlock is common
- Government shutdowns are costly
Strengths of Congress
- Major legislation still passed every few years
- Bipartisan compromise is still possible
