Senate and House of Representatives
What determines how many seats each state gets in the house?
The census every 10 years
What is it called when both congressional houses meet over something?
What does impeach mean?
Accuse an elected official of misconduct
What is a bill?
A proposed law
1/3
caucuses are called after sessions start to:
pick party leaders
What are things congress cannot do?
1.) sentence people without trial 2.) tax exports 3.) pass laws that violate Bill of Rights 4.) Grant titles of nobility 5.) withdraw money without a law
Where can ideas for a bill come from?
Ideas come from U.S. citizens, organized groups, congressional committees, members of congress and the president.
What is gerrymandering?
Drawing district lines to favor one political party
The person who counts votes, ensures party loyalty and encourages members to vote is the:
Party whip
What are implied powers?
Congress has power to do any action that is considered “necessary and proper”
After a bill is introduced it goes to:
The bill is then sent to a standing committee (permanent congressional committee).
25 years old, citizen for 7 years and resident in state they represent
what is it called when the president calls congress back when they are not in session?
Special session
What are the 5 categories of congressional power?
Financing government: raise and collect taxes, borrow money and print and coin money
2.) Regulating trade and industry within states or with foreign countries
3.) Defending the country: power to declare war and maintain armed forces
4.) Creating lower courts: set up a system of national courts
5.) Providing for growth: Congress can pass laws to regular immigration and naturalization. Govern the country’s territories and provide for the admission of new states
What can senators do (that representatives cannot) when trying to stop a bill from being passed?
Senators can talk for hours to prevent a vote in order to kill the bill, this is called a filibuster
What are the requirements for Senate?
at least 30, citizen of the U.S. for at least 9 years and a legal resident of the state you represent
who is the most important person in the house of representatives?
Speaker of the House
What happens after the charges of impeachment are brought up?
The charges must be drawn up in the House and the trial of impeachment is held in the Senate.
What happens when a president does not sign a bill in 10 days and congress is NOT in session?
Bill is killed in what is called a pocket veto