Congressional Membership
The House
The Senate
Congressional Committees
How a Bill Becomes a Law
100
Congress is a __________ legislature, meaning that it is made up of two houses.
What is bicameral.
100
The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is _____________.
Who is the Speaker.
100
The Constitution requires that a candidate for the Senate must be at least _____ years old, a US citizen for at least ____ years, and a legal resident of the state of election.
What is at least 30 years old, and a US citizen for at least 9 years.
100
These committees act as study groups for the House and Senate.
What is joint committees.
100
This item requires the action of both houses, but not law is needed.
What is a concurrent resolution.
200
How many sessions of Congress are held each year?
What is two.
200
The formal name given to the people whom each representative represents.
What is constituents.
200
The leader/presiding officer over the Senate is __________ (title), ______________ (name)
What is the Vice President, Joe Biden.
200
The budget making work in Congress is coordinated by which of the following: a. the Congressional Budget Office b. the vice president c. the library of Congress d. the General Accounting Office
What is a. The Congressional Budget Office
200
This action by the president often has the power of a law, but it has no review or oversight by Congress, and the Constitutionality of it is increasingly being raised.
What is an executive order.
300
Every ten years following the national census, a process called __________ allows for the adjustment of the number of members of the House of Representatives, based upon population shifts.
What is reapportionment.
300
____________ make sure that representatives are present for important votes.
What is whips.
300
A filibuster can be stopped when 3/5 of the Senate votes for ________.
What is cloture.
300
The power to write rules in Congress is controlled by ______________.
What is the majority party.
300
This action could allow the president to remove individual spending items on a bill to be signed.
What is a line-item veto.
400
The illegal process of ____________ allows district boundaries to be changed in order to give one party or the other a tactical advantage in the House.
What is gerrymandering.
400
The current speaker of the house, and a "long shot" possibility for president.
Who is Rep. Paul Ryan (R), Wisconsin.
400
This action by a Senator or Representative could cause a vote of censure.
What is bribery.
400
"Packing and Cracking"
What is other terms for gerrymandering.
400
This type of bill involves an individual's claim against the government, and is rare.
What is a private bill.
500
Nearly half of all members of Congress have career backgrounds in this area.
What is law.
500
This well-known African American Representative from New York became the first woman to run for president in 1972.
Who is Shirley Chisholm.
500
This Senator from the South set a record for the longest filibuster in history, when he spoke for 24 hours against important Civil Rights legislation.
Who is Strom Thurmond.
500
This type of committee is not permanent, but is established to study a specific issue and to report back to Congress.
What is a select committee.
500
A ___________ is a provision attached to a bill that deals with a subject other than the one the bill covers.
What is a rider.
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