The framers sought to compromise on the issue of state representation
100
What is the single most important and basic power of Congress?
To make laws
100
What are age requirements for each house of Congress?
House of Representatives: at least 25 years old
Senate: at least 30 years old
100
What is the difference between a Public Bill and a Private Bill
Private Bills concern individual people or places
Public Bills concern the entire nation
100
What happens when the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill?
It goes to Conference Committee
200
How many total members of Congress are there?
There is a total of 535 members of Congress
100 in the Senate (Equal Representation)
435 in the House (Representation based of population)
200
What is the difference between the expressed powers and implied powers?
Expressed powers are those powers directly listed out in the Constitution and implied powers are the powers that are understood to be there.
200
Enacting a draft during war time is an example of
Implied powers
200
What are the steps in order of a bill becoming a law?
Proposal, Committee , Floor , Other house, to the POTUS Passage/Veto
200
The power to declare war, and to collect taxes are examples of?
Expressed powers
300
How long are the terms for a member of the Senate and the House of Representatives?
Senate is 6 year term
House of Representatives is a 2 year term
300
Proposing Constitutional amendments, impeaching officials, and approving or rejecting presidential appointments for various offices are all examples of what?
Checks and balances
300
Why are HOR members up for reelection every two years?
Because they have the power of taxation/money
300
Which congressional committee is responsible for working out a compromise of a bill between the HOR and the Senate?
The Conference Committee
300
What is a pocket-veto by the president?
The ability of the President to kill a bill, if Congress is not in Session, by not signing it for 10 days
or
Congress is in session and he doesn't sign it for ten days it becomes a law
400
Why is only 1/3 of the Senate up for reelection at any given point?
To shield the Senate from a sharp change in Public Opinion and to ensure that the Senate is stable through the election
400
Writs of habeas corpus, bills of attainder, and ex post facto laws are all examples of what?
Due process
400
How can an individual Senator kill a bill?
Filabuster
400
Why is the process of making laws so difficult?
Because our Founding Fathers wanted a limited government
400
What is cloture?
A time limit the Senates sets on the debate of a bill
500
Who are the leaders of each respective house of Congress?
House of Representatives= The Speaker of the House
Senate= the Vice President and President Pro Tempore
500
What is the purpose of the elastic clause?
It allows Congress to stretch the implied powers to meet new needs
500
What is a rider?
An unpopular piece of legislation that is attached to a bill that will probably pass
500
What is the reasoning behind most bills not becoming law?
They never make it past the committee stage
500
In Congress, where does a majority of the work take place on a bill?