Congress Structure
The political institution that serves the people closest and is voted in every 2 years
House of Representatives
The power to ratify treaties is held by...
Senate
The Supreme Court's ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo in 2024 ended this 40-year-old doctrine that required judges to defer to agency interpretations of the law.
The Chevron Deference
All politics is collective action
The collective action principle
The apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one political party
Gerrymandering
A representative who votes according to the preferences of their constituency
delegate
The person who holds the most power in the Senate
Majority leader
In 2023, Congress passed only this number of laws, the lowest since at least the start of the Nixon administration.
30
Institutions structure politics
The institution principle
Congressional districts are redrawn every ____ years
Ten
A permanent legislative that considers legislation within its designated subject area; the basic unit of deliberation in House and Senate
Standing committee
Fill in the blanks. The _____ (HoR/Senate) is much more deliberative than the _____ (HoR/Senate).
Senate, House of Representatives
According to the Loper Bright decision, judges can still look to these groups for help in interpreting ambiguous laws, but the extent of their influence remains uncertain.
Federal Agencies
How we got here matters
The history principle
The tendency of Congress to spread the benefits of a policy over a wide range of members’ districts.
Distributive tendency
Representatives are held accountable to make constituents happy or they can elect someone else to office through what relationship?
Principal-agent relationship
Ability for members of congress to send mail to their constituents free of charge (with minimal exemptions)
Franking privilege
This hard-right group of Republicans, often compared to a mafia family, repeatedly derailed the GOP agenda in 2023.
Political outcomes are the products of individual preferences, institutional procedures, and collective action
The policy principle
Where in the Constitution can the "necessary and proper clause" be found? (Article and Section)
Article I, Section 8
Legislation that representatives introduce to favor their constituents, not necessarily because they’re needed
Pork-barrel legislation
Rule that allows ⅗ majority of U.S. Senators to set a time limit on debate over a bill
Cloture
Ending Chevron deference may make it easier for these groups to challenge federal regulators, potentially affecting rules designed to protect the environment and public safety.
Industry Litigants
All political behavior has a purpose
The rationality principle
A communications network in each House of Congress; ____ poll representatives to learn their intentions and assist the majority/minority leaders
Whip system