Qualifications and more spending
How old must you be to be a member of Congress?
25 in the House and 30 in the Senate
the most powerful person in the House of Representatives is the
Speaker of the House
a permanent committee divided by policy area and where most of the work gets done, many are broken into subcommittees
Standing committee
What is true about mandatory spending?
it does not need to be voted on each year and is about 2/3 of the federal budget.
In many states, the belief is that political districts have been drawn to the political advantage of the political party in power, which is called
Gerrymandering
When the Senate votes to invoke cloture, it
limits the amount of time that may be spent debating a bill
In the congressional setting, casework refers to
members helping constituents with problems.
agreement between the parties to work together to pass legislation
bipartisanship
The power to declare war resides with the
House and Senate together
What is the name of a current office holder?
An incumbent
How many years must you be a U.S. citizen to be elected to Congress?
7 years in the House and 9 years in the Senate
An honorary position for the most senior member of the majority party to preside over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President.
president pro tempore
What type of committee (relatively weak) has members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate and gathers information for Congress?
Joint committee
What is the amount that the government spends more than it collects in taxes in one year?
budget deficit
Bodies of voters in an area who elect a representative or senator
constituencies
What role does Congress have in appointments by the President in positions such as members of the Cabinet and Supreme Court justices?
Must be confirmed by majority of the Senate
Suppose astate of California has a representative to who has suggested that he knows what is best for the citizens in his district and will use his experience and knowledge to achieve his goals. This representative is playing the
trustee role
when party control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress is split
divided government.
Which role does Congress perform in committees by ensuring laws are being followed as originally intended or investigating members of executive branch
oversight
What is the name of the political party with the second-highest number of members?
Minority party
What was created as a payment to senior citizens or those with other qualifying criteria in the 1930s that was supposed to be self-funded through a payroll tax, but has major concerns about its long-term solvency?
Social Security
The most powerful person in the Senate is the
majority leader
What is the name of the person in charge of a standing committee in Congress
Committee Chair
What is national debt?
The total amount of money owed by the federal government.
Supreme Court decision that required congressional districts to have roughly the same number of constituents.
Baker v. Carr
What procedural move on a Senate bill happens when a member delays passage of a bill by objecting to part of it
a hold
usually have greater name recognition than their challengers.
usually have more money on hand than their challengers.
have engaged in constituent services, such as casework, that help them win.
parts of the incumbency advantage
the effects of increased partisan polarization, which prevents many bills from being passed in a divided government
gridlock
When all 100 Senators agree on the terms for consideration for a specified bill, it is done by:
unanimous consent agreement
What are the name of districts where a majority of voters are of minority ethnicity within a district?
Majority-minority district
What is the name entitlement spending such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that is promised to its citizens and must be included as part of the federal budget?
mandatory spending
Which position keeps track of vote count and rallies for support for legislation on the floor
Whip
Members of both chambers sit when there are differences between House and Senate versions of a bill and breaks up once a common bill is created
A conference committee
(about 1/3 of the federal budget) on items such as defense spending and education that must be voted on each year.
discretionary spending
Supreme Court decision that states can no longer use race as the sole factor when creating a congressional district.
Shaw v. Reno
What happens after articles of impeachment have been successfully passed in the House of Representatives?
A trial is held in the Senate to convict or acquit the accused official.
Suppose a state elected a senator who has advocate for her constituents by proposing legislation that is supported by a majority of her constituents, what role is she serving
The delegate role
President of the Senate, but is rarely there
Casts tie-breaking vote
Vice president
What happens if the President vetoes a bill passed by both chambers of Congress?
Congress can override the President’s veto with a 2/3 majority in both chambers, but it otherwise dies
Members of Congress trading votes to get their earmarks passed is known as
Logrolling
Programs that provide benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income are known as
Entitlement programs
A member of the House of Representatives who is responsible for the opposition strategy and coordinating party activity when the opposite party controls House would be known as the
House minority leader.
Which committee would be formed to investigate specifics related to a scandal or to handle a crisis within the federal government and then to disband the committee afterwards
select committee
Which of the following is true about setting the federal budget each year?
The budget is submitted to Congress by the President and is sent back to the President to sign after it is amended and passed by Congress
The process of deciding on the number of representatives each state gets every ten years after collecting census data is known as
apportionment
To force a bill out of committee, a member of the House can file a
discharge petition
An incumbent advantage that permits members of Congress to keep in touch with constituents by sending mailings free of charge to the legislator is called
the franking privilege.
Every two years, _____ of the Senate must stand for reelection.
one-third
using unlimited debate in the Senate with the intention of talking a bill to death
filibuster
What is the name for the political party with the most seats in that chamber?
majority party
What is the difference between how members of the House and members of the Senate have been selected?
Members of the House of Representatives have always been elected by the people while members of the Senate were appointed by state legislatures until the 17th Amendment in 1913.
responsibilities of party leaders in Congress
How does the process of a bill becoming a law differ if it is introduced in the House compared to if it is introduced in the Senate?
If a bill is introduced in the House, it must be presented to the Rules committee before it can move to the floor for consideration
Suppose a senator has proposed a budget measure that would direct money to his district for the purpose of improving parks. This would be an example of
earmarks or pork barrel spending
What is the name for states redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts, usually after receiving census data?
Redistricting
What is true about all bills to raise revenue?
It must be generated by the House of Representatives
What role is a member of Congress taking if they are trying to balance their personal beliefs, their constituents wishes, and the expectations of the member’s political party?
politico role
Every two years, how many of the 435 House seats are up for reelection?
All
After a bill has been first introduced in either the House or the Senate, it will be
referred to a committee and subcommittee to be amended and debated
If government spending is less than government revenue
surplus