Responsibilities &
Authority
Authority
This part of the Constitution gives Congress its powers.
What is Article I of the Constitution?
A legislature with two chambers like the House and Senate.
What is a bicameral legislature?
Permanent committees that handle specific policy areas.
What are standing committees?
Strong loyalty to one political party.
What is partisanship?
When Congress checks and monitors the executive branch.
What is legislative oversight?
The most powerful leader in the House of Representatives.
Who is the Speaker of the House?
This House committee controls debate rules and timing.
What is the Rules Committee?
When the government struggles to pass laws due to disagreement.
What is gridlock?
A representative who votes based on their own judgment, not just what voters want.
What is a trustee?
This House leader helps plan party strategy and legislation.
Who is the House Majority Leader?
A temporary committee made of both House and Senate members.
What is a joint committee?
When different parties control different branches of government.
What is divided government?
A representative who strictly follows what their voters want.
What is a delegate?
Officials who make sure party members vote the right way.
Who are the whips?
A committee that resolves differences between House and Senate bills.
What is a conference committee?
A long speech used to delay a vote in the Senate.
What is a filibuster?
A mix of trustee and delegate styles of representation.
What is a politico?
The leader of the majority party in the Senate.
Who is the Senate Majority Leader?
The leader of a committee, usually from the majority party.
Who is the committee chair?
The vote needed to end a filibuster.
What is cloture?