House Vs. Senate
How many senators does each state elect?
Two senators per state, regardless of population.
Which article of the Constitution establishes Congress?
Article I.
Who wrote Federalist No. 52 and Federalist No. 62?
James Madison.
A proposed law... aka ... I'm just a _____ yeah I'm only a _______ and I'm sitting here on capitol hill.
A Bill
What is a committee in Congress?
A group of legislators that examines legislation or handles other congressional matters.
How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
435 voting members.
Which section of Article I explains how bills become laws?
Section 7.
Which essay focuses on the House of Representatives and frequent elections?
Federalist No. 52.
What is the first formal step when a member of Congress introduces a bill?
A member of Congress formally introduces it in the House or Senate, where it receives a number.
A smaller group within a committee that focuses on a specific topic.
What is a subcommittee?
What are the minimum age and citizenship requirements for a senator?
At least 30 years old and a U.S. citizen for at least nine years.
What are enumerated powers?
Powers specifically listed in the Constitution.
Which essay focuses on the Senate and its role in promoting stability and careful lawmaking?
Federalist No. 62.
After a bill passes one chamber (let's say the house), where does it generally go next?
To the other chamber for consideration / the senate
True or False? Every piece of legislation must go through a committee to become approved by its chamber of government.
True!
Which chamber has the power to impeach federal officials, and which chamber holds the impeachment trial?
The House impeaches federal officials; the Senate conducts impeachment trials.
What clause allows Congress to pass laws required to carry out its enumerated powers?
The Necessary and Proper Clause, also called the Elastic Clause.
How do two-year House terms help keep representatives accountable to the people?
Voters have frequent opportunities to evaluate their representatives and replace them in elections.
The House and Senate pass different versions of a bill. What may be used to resolve their differences?
A conference committee may negotiate a compromise version. Both chambers must then approve the same final version.
What happens during a committee hearing?
Legislators gather information and hear testimony from experts, officials, or members of the public.
Why did the Founders create two chambers with different term lengths and representation rules?
To balance representation based on population with equal state representation, and to balance responsiveness to voters with stability and continuity.
Congress creates a national agency to help carry out a constitutional power, even though the Constitution does not explicitly name that agency. What type of power might justify this action?
An implied power, supported by the Necessary and Proper Clause.
A critic argues that six-year Senate terms make senators less responsive to voters. Using Federalist No. 62, what is one argument in favor of longer terms?
Longer terms provide stability and continuity and allow senators more time for careful deliberation.
The President vetoes a bill. What must Congress do to override the veto?
Obtain a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.
Why can a bill fail even if a member of Congress introduces it?
It may never advance out of committee or may fail at another stage of the legislative process.