Making Laws
The House
What type of committee is the House Foreign Affairs Committee?
A standing committee
How old must you be to serve in the House?
25 years old.
How old must you be to serve in the Senate?
30 years old
What is the act of drawing congressional boundaries within states?
Redistricting
What do you call a bill that establishes a program and a limit for how much money could be spent on that program?
An authorization bill.
What is the "seniority rule" and name one advantage of the rule.
Seniority rule means the senior person on the committee from the majority party runs the committee. And it eliminates fighting within the party.
How many congresspersons serve in the House?
435
This word, derived from Dutch for "pirate," is used to describe a method in the Senate to stall progress on legislation.
Filibuster
What do you call a private meeting of party leaders who get together to choose candidates for office?
A caucus
A party whip
These committees can be either temporary or permanent.
Joint Committees
Who is the most powerful person in Congress?
The Speaker of the House
The word used to describe the motion to end a filibuster.
Cloture
What is the act of drawing a congressional district to create an advantage for a group of voters?
Gerrymandering
In what part of the legislative process is a bill most likely to die?
In Committee
What type of committee might be formed to investigate a national emergency like a terrorist attack that kills thousands of Americans?
A Select Committee
Who is the person who assigns bills to House committees?
The Speaker of the House
What is the name of the position responsible for presiding over the Senate?
President Pro Tempore
What do you call a paid representative of an interest group who contacts government officials on behalf of those interest groups.
A lobbyist
Name the committee that determines how long a bill is allowed to be debated on the floor of the House.
The Rules Committee
What is the name of the House Committee responsible for tax policy?
The Ways and Means Committee
Name an exclusive power belonging to the House.
1. Impeachment
2. Initiating revenue bills
3. Electing the President when no one wins a majority of electoral votes.
Name an exclusive power belonging to the Senate.
1. Conducting impeachment trials
2. Ratifying treaties
3. Confirming or rejecting the President's nominees for leadership positions in the executive branch
What is the act of drawing a congressional district to favor a political party called?
Partisan gerrymandering