Leadership in Congress
House of Representatives
Lawmaking Process
The Senate
Vocabulary
100

The presiding officer in the House of Representatives.

What is the Speaker of the House?

100

Currently the number of voting memebrs in the House.

What is 435?

100

Bills are sent to this leader after passing through both houses of Congress.

What is the President?

100

The fraction of senators who are elected every 2 years.

What is one-third?

100

The drawing of legislative district boundaries with the purpose of benefiting a political party or incumbent.

What is Gerrymandering?

200

Elected by the Senate to act as presiding officer when the Vice President is absent.

What is the President Pro Tempore?

200

The term length for House of Representatives members.

What is two-years?

200

Presidential vetoes can be overridden by Congress with what fraction majority vote in both the House and the Senate.

What is two-thirds?

200

Strategy used by senators that can delay or impede a bill.

What is a filibuster?

200

The relationships between Congress, bureaucracies, and interest groups. Helps create policy with the goal of protecting their self interests.

What is an Iron Triangle?

300

Party officials who ensure attendance, count votes, and communicate party positions to members. The party's "enforcers".

What are the Whips?

300

Determines how many representatives each state gets.

What is population of state?

300

Conclusion to a bill when the President leaves it unsigned for 10 days after Congress adjourns.

What is a pocket veto?

300

This leader votes ONLY to break ties in the Senate.

What is the President of the Senate?

300

The clause in the Constitution that grants Congress implied powers.

What is the Necessary and Proper Clause?

400

Responsible for ensuring that committees finish their work on bills. This leader also helps plan the party's legislative agenda.

What is the Majority Party Leader?

400

The type of bills that must always originate in the House.

What are revenue bills?

400

This is where most bills die in Congress.

What is Committee?

400

A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate.

What is a cloture?

400

Committee which contains members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

What is a Joint Committee?

500

The start date of each congressional term.

What is January 3rd of every odd year?

500

All three formal qualifications of being a House of Representatives member.

What is 25 years old, US citizen at least 7 years, and resident of state and district?

500

A committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to address differences on a bill passed by each in different form.

What is a conference committee?

500

This Amendment changed the election of Senators from indirect to direct election.

What is the 17th Amendment?

500

The constitutional power given to the legislature to control government spending, typically through the power to tax and appropriate funds.

What is the power of the purse?

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