Powers of Congress
Another name for the Necessary and Proper Clause that expands the powers of Congress is....
The elastic clause
Who can write a bill?
Any member/Congressperson of the House of Representatives or Senate.
435 members based on population
House of Representatives
Administered every 10 years to count the U.S. population.
Census
This influence on Congress frames the issues for millions of people and presents to the public what is most important. Plays an important watchdog role.
News media
The most important power of Congress is....
The power of the purse!! Congress controls all the money!
True or False: Only one chamber of Congress has to pass a bill for it to be sent to the President.
False - both chambers of Congress must pass the EXACT SAME BILL for it to be sent to the President.
All revenue and spending bills must begin in which chamber of Congress
House of Representatives
Tool used by the minority party in the U.S. Senate to stall or block legislation.
Filibuster
What is the process through which a person develops their political beliefs and ideology called?
Political socialization.
The 10th Amendment states that powers not given to the federal government are reserved for state governments...this illustrates the important constitutional principle of...
Federalism
To pass - assuming both chambers are at full attendance, a bill must get how many votes in each chamber of Congress?
218 in the HOR
51 in the Senate
The Senate's power of "advice and consent" applies to which executive actions.
Ratifications of Treaties (with foreign powers)
Confirmation of presidential appointments including judges, cabinet members, foreign ambassadors etc.
What is the difference between reapportionment and redistricting? (What do they have to do with gerrymandering?)
Reapportionment is the process of assigning the 435 seats in the House of Representatives to each state following changes in the population measured by the census.
Redistricting is the redrawing of congressional boundaries BY STATE LEGISLATURES to reflect population changes. (This is where gerrymandering occurs - redrawing congressional districts to benefit one political party.)
Name 3 examples of interest groups.
Answers will vary but can included AARP, NAACP, NRA, NEA, etc.
Name as many enumerated powers of Congress as you can...
Collect taxes, coin money, regulate commerce, borrow money, establish post offices, bankruptcy laws, establish process of naturalization, establish copyright laws, set standards of measurement.
In the Senate, who breaks a tie vote?
The Vice President breaks tie votes in the Senate.
This chamber is responsible for holding an impeachment trial that with a 2/3's guilty vote, results in removal from office.
The Senate
What is the silliest sounding vocabulary word that we've gone over this year?
Answers may vary but should include filibuster and gerrymandering.
Why are political parties and interest groups different?
Political parties focus on recruiting, nominating, and electing political candidates. Interest groups focus on lobbying politicians to support specific issues.
Give an example of checks and balances that Congress holds over either the executive or judicial branches.
Congress controls the budget
Congress (The Senate) must confirm executive appointments and judicial nominees.
Impeachment and removal from office.
Congress has the sole power of declaring war.
Others...
What happens after a president vetoes a bill?
A) The bill gets sent back to Congress which can override the veto with a 2/3's vote.
B) The bill gets sent back to Congress where it can be changed/altered and passed again.
C) The bill dies.
What is the significance of the 17th Amendment?
The 17th Amendment (1913) changed the election of Senators to being a direct election by the people instead of Senators being chosen by state legislatures.
What the positions of leadership in the House and Senate respectively?
House of Representative: Speaker of the House, Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and Majority and Minority Whips
Senate: Majority Leader and Minority Leader ; Presiding Officer: Vice President of the United States, President Pro-Temp - Senior Member of the Majority Party
Why are PACs controversial?
They allow individuals with excessive resources to exert greater control over the political process.