Congress
How often are (midterm) elections?
Every 4 years
What is reapportionment?
"The process of dividing seats for the House among the 50 states following the decennial census"
Standing commitee
"A permanent committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to analyse and opine on issues in a specific area of government"
Baker vs Carr
The question of whether people underrepresented in their government were being deprived of the equal protection of the laws was a justiciable one, subject to the jurisdiction of the courts.
What are the 3 main functions of Congress?
Lawmaking, Oversight of the Executive Branch, and the Representation of the people.
If California has 55 electoral votes, how many seats does the state hold in the House of Representatives?
53 seats
What is gerrymandering?
"The political manipulation of electoral district boundaries to advantage a party, group, or socioeconomic class"
Subcommittee
"A subdivision of a United States congressional committee that considers specified matters and reports back to the full committee"
Shaw vs Reno
legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5–4) on June 28, 1993, that electoral districts whose boundaries cannot be adequately explained except as examples of racial gerrymandering, or efforts to segregatevoters on the basis of race, can be challenged as potential violations of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
What is the official role of the Senate pro Tempore in the Senate?
Acts as the Senate president for the time being in the absence of the VP
What is the total amount of representatives in Congress?
535 representatives
What is a filibuster?
A political tactic used to delay or prevent a vote on a bill or other issue in the US Senate
Joint committee
"A committee made up of members of the two chambers of a bicameral legislature"
Sanders vs Wesbury
Congressional districts must be as equal in population as is practical.
What are the whips’s role and why are they important?
Whips are mainly responsible for counting heads and rounding up party members for votes and quorum calls, and they occasionally stand in for the majority or minority leaders in their absence.
How many votes are needed to convict an impeached president in a senate trial?
66 or more
What is logrolling?
"The practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other's proposed legislation"
Conference commitee
"A commitee that is responsible for creating a compromise version of a particular bill when each house has passed a different version"
Bush vs Vera
Supreme Court case that ruled that three Texas congressional districts were unconstitutional due to racial gerrymandering. The case established that race cannot be the primary factor in drawing district lines.
Which chamber of congress starts investigation into the president before they are tried?
The House of Representatives
What kind of congressional model do most senators follow at the beginning of their terms?
Trustee model
What is a caucus?
"A group or meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement"
Select committee
"A committee appointed to perform a special function that is beyond the authority or capacity of a standing committee"
Limits vs Thornton
Supreme Court holding that states cannot impose qualifications for prospective members of Congress stricter than those specified in the Constitution
The House of Representitives