Terms
Making a Bill
Congress
Misc
Misc Cont
100
Casework is an activity that is taken by members of Congress and Congress’s staff to solve constituents’ problem with government agencies.
What is Casework
100
Filibuster is the same as “talking a bill out” to stale for time to prevent a vote on the bill.
What is Filibuster
100
Wesberry vs Sanders was a case that involved the congressional district of Georgia that was brought to the Supreme Court which issued a ruling on Feb 17, 1964 that stated districts have to be close to equal in population.
What is Wesberry v. Sanders
100
They have more incentive to be individually responsive because they work on projects or tax breaks for constitutes instead of a broad spectrum of projects for the greater good.
What is What does it mean when we say that members of congress have more incentives to be individually responsive than collectively responsible?
100
House districts are lines drawn by each state that divides its territory into districts. They change to keep equal population, race cannot be a predominate consideration.
What is What are House districts and when and why do they change?
200
The conference committee is a temporary committee of both the House and the Senate appointed to fix the issues between the 2 chambers on one piece of legislation.
What is Conference committee
200
Cloture is set in place to stop filibusters and close the debate. Senate rules that 3/5th of senators must vote for cloture.
What is Cloture
200
The committee chairs have more control over smaller committees and have authority to appoint the smaller committees chairs which gives them control over the work of the majority’s staff. Before, the committees where controlled by the Speaker of the House.
What is Why are committees powerful? What powers do committee chairs have that make them powerful?
200
This has a negative outcome because revenues fall and spending rises. They use their power to help themselves without worrying about people as a whole.
What is And what are the negative outcomes of this?
200
Senator’s districts are the whole states. There are 2 senators per state.
What is What about the Senate? Do Senators have a district?
300
The standing committee is a permanent committee that has stable membership and jurisdiction that specializes in a specific legislative area.
What is Standing committee
300
For both the Senate and House, both start with a drafting of a bill. Then each is introduced to their perspective side, the Senate and the House, where they are referred to a committee within each. Then each do mark ups and report it out.
What is How does a bill become a law?
300
The majority party basically holds all the cards to power. They set rules and pick leaders and they decide how their “house” will be run. This creates a motive for members of Congress to join these parties.
What is What role does “party” play in the House and the Senate?
300
Congressional candidates still hope their party’s presidential candidate wins because when this happens they have a higher chance of getting in by “riding in on the coattail of the president”.
What is How do national politics affect congressional races? (note: coattails)
300
Congress is more based on the person that you vote on not on the party due to this system, because this system requires a plurality vote.
What is How does the electoral system (separate elections for president and congress and voting in congressional districts by plurality vote) affect the politics of Congress?
400
A close rule is an order from the House Rules Committee that limits the floor debate on a particular bill disallowing or limiting the amendment.
What is Closed rule
400
in the Senate it goes directly to the Senate floor. Then both go to a Conference Committee to reconcile the House and Senate differences. Finally, both go to the President for signing or veto.
What is how does a bill become a law? Cont. (senate)
400
Some problems Congress has to overcome are the need for information, collective action (working for the whole vs individual), resolving conflicts, problems with coordination, time constraint, and transactions cost.
What is What problems does Congress have to overcome in order to be an effective law-making body?
400
Incumbency does not guarantee reelection for the House or the Senate. There are 3 types’ of candidates. Incumbents, challengers, and open seat candidates.
What is Does incumbency guarantee reelection to the House or Senate?
400
The power is divided between the federal government and the states. Enough power had to be left to the states for them to allow the ratification of the Constitution. Congress’s powers include declaring war, dealing with foreign affairs, and making any necessary laws. The two chambers are the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate ratifies treaties and confirms presidential appointments of the Supreme Court. The House of Representatives takes care of bills that raise revenue however the Senate has an unrestricted right to amend them.
What is What are the powers of Congress? How does each chamber differ in terms of its powers?
500
An open rule is a debate of a pending bill and permitting any amendment to be offered on the floor of the House.
What is open rule
500
In the House it is then sent to the rule committee before heading to the House floor
What is how does a bill become a law? Cont. (House)
500
They have almost all graduated from college and most from law school or a business school. Almost all are white males because white males are still predominate in the lower offices.
What is What are the characteristics of those who serve in Congress?
500
Incumbency gives benefits for the candidate and hurdles for the challengers but still does not guarantee reelection.
What is Why or why not (Misc 400)
500
The constitutional structure of Congress was a product of the Great Compromise. Delegates that attended came from different places and cultures and political backgrounds. Bicameral legislature was designed to fix the struggle of the smaller states favoring the New Jersey Plan and the larger states favoring the Virginia Plan.
What is Explain how the constitutional structure of Congress emerged during the Federal Convention.
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