Congress
2 bicameral houses names
Number of people in house of reps
435 members
Number of people in senate
100 members
Necessary and proper clause gives congress the power to make laws
Define Censure
Formally reprimand, written in the record
Reapportionment act of 1929
Kept house at set number of 435 reps and the census is taken every 10 years
What is the number of reps based on?
Based on state population
What is the number of members based on?
Each state is given 2 senators regardless of size/population
Powers of congress
- Raise and collect taxes
- Borrow money
- Naturalization
- Declare war
Define expulsion
Members with gross misconduct may be thrown out of office
17th amendment
Allows voters to elect senators
Length of term
Elected for terms of 2 years
Length of terms
Elected to 6 year terms
Elastic clause is also known as _____. (2 parts)
Necessary or proper clause
Gerrymandering
The act of purposely drawing voting district boundaries to favor 1 political party (rigging of elections)
Perks of being in congress
- Salary $147,000 per year
- Medical and dental benfits
- Free office, parking, and trips to home state
- State budget
- Tax break on second home
Qualifications of House of Representatives
- 25 years
-Citizen for last 7 years
-Live in state you’re runnng for
Qualifications of senators
- 30 years
- Citizen for 9 years
- Live in state that you’re running for office
- Viewed as more important (Big brother to the HoR)
Powers denied congress
- Cannot make laws concerning slave trade until 1808
- Cannot suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus (must show cause for holding a suspect except in wartime)
- No tax on exports
- No aired tax (16th amendment allows income tax)
Filibuster
Process of delaying or blocking legislative action usually done by the minority of senators.
Free postage on all mail to constituents
Powers if the House
-All money bills start here
- Write the article of impeachment with non increasing rate officials
Powers of the senate
- Approves all treaties
- Approves all appointments
- Chooses Vice President in electoral college
- Acts as jury in all trials of impeachment
Congress can’t have . . .
- Can’t make treaties
- No ex post facto laws
- Can riots suspend writ of habeas corpus
Define pigeonhole
To set congressional bill aside in committee without considering it