Powers
What is the most important power Congress has
making laws
What role does the Speaker of the House have in the presidential succession?
They are the second after the VP in the presidential succession and would assume office if the VP dies/impeached/resigns.
Who is the VP?
Mike Pence
How many members are in the House
435
What is a pocket veto?
if Congress adjourns its’ session within ten days of submitting a bill to the President, and the President does not act, the bill dies.
List one power of Congress
Tax and Spend
Borrow money
Set laws for Naturalization
Coin Money
Set up courts
Declare war
What are the names of the two chambers
House and Senate
How many Senators does each state have?
2
How many representatives does each state have?
It depends on the population
What is an engrossed bill?
the bill is engrossed when it is printed in its’ final form.
Which power is described below?
Power to charge officials (executive and judicial) with wrongdoings and violation of their sworn duties. If proven guilty the terms are terminated of the wrongdoers.
Impeachment Power
Who creates new congressional districts?
State legislators or independent agencies
How many members are in the Senate?
100
Who is the Speaker of the House?
Nancy Pelosi
What is quorum?
a majority of the membership that must be present in chambers to conduct business
What is an enumerated/delegated power?
Powers written explicitly in the US constitution.
What is the title of the person in charge of the Senate?
President of the Senate
How long are the terms for the Senate?
6 years
How many are up for re-election every two years
all of them/435
A Senate rule used to limit debate. At least three-fifths of the senate, or 60 members, must vote to invoke...
Cloture
What is one power the House has that the Senate doesn't
tax/revenue bills start with them
choose the president if there is a tie
What role does the President of the Senate have in the presidential succession
He is the first heir and becomes president because he is the VP
How much of the Senate is up for re-election every 2 years
1/3
What are the qualifications for the House?
25 years old; citizen for 7 years
Once a bill is drafted, it is...
introduced and sponsored
What is the necessary and proper clause
Congress can do anything that is necessary and proper to fulfill their constitutional duties
Who is the chief executive in the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House
Why is the Senate more powerful?
They have more checks on the president and deal more with foreign relations
What is geographic representation?
Constitutional election rules say members must live in the state or district they represent.
Who can sponsor a bill?
Only Congress can sponsor a bill
What part of article one lists Congress' powers
Article 1 Section 8
What is the difference between descriptive and substantive representation?
§Descriptive representation: Race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and/or class are crucial to political representation. “Someone cannot really speak for me if he or she has not experienced the world as I have.”
Substantive representation: It doesn’t matter if someone looks like me as long as he or she effectively represents my views. “Someone who does not share my political outlook is not going to represent me well.”
Who are your federal senators?
Kelly Loeffler
David Perdue
Which supreme court case concluded: "One person equals one vote"
Wesberry v. Sanders
Explain the 3 readings of the bill, when does it happen?
Bill is read, studied, debated, changed (marked up).
1st-committee
2nd-debate
3rd-floor
Which Supreme Court Case supported the concept of implied powers?
McCulloch v. Maryland
Who is the real power in the Senate
Majority Leader
What are the three most important committees in the Senate
Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, Judiciary
What is the majority party?
The political party in the House or the Senate that has more than half of the seats and therefore controls the leadership, rules, and outcome of legislation.
What are the President's 3 options, pertaining to the bill?
A. Sign the Bill
B. Veto the Bill
C. Do nothing at all
1.What is the writ of habeas corpus?
2. Ex post facto laws?
3.Bills of attainder
-must show cause for holding a suspect except in wartime
-cannot punish a person for an act committed before there was a law against it.
-laws that punish people without a trial
What is gerrymandering?
Where districts are created to favor one party over another
Gerrymandering seeks to draw legislative districts that isolate members of a particular political party so that a maximum number of representatives of that party will be elected.
What senate power is involved with the judiciary committee
confirming judges appointed by the president
What congressional district do you live in?
13
What does the conference committee do?
Bill must pass the House and Senate in identical form
Conference committee will “iron out” any differences on the bill before going to the President
Conference Report: Must be voted on again by both chambers of Congress
Which house is considered more powerful
The Senate
Why is apportionment important?
It changes the makeup of congress and increases states powers in presidential elections and influence in congress.
What is filibuster and when is it used
It is when a senator talks continuously until the bill on the floor dies, it is used when a party/person doesn't want the bill to pass but does not have the votes to stop it.
essentially this is the attempt to ‘talk a bill to death’. It is a stalling tactic that is used by a minority of senators seeks to delay or prevent Senate action on a matter. A filibuster can ONLY be used in the Senate.
How many districts does Washington have?
14
Explain the legislative process
1. Bill is drafted
-starts as an idea
-must be sponsored
2. Introduced
-hopper (house)
2.Committee Action
3. Rules in Committee
4.Floor debate
5. Floor vote
6. Conference committee
7. To the President