Two Are Better Than One
A two house legislature
What is bicameral?
lasts two years, and each of those years is numbered consecutively
What is a term?
What is apportioned?
districts drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the State's legislature
What is gerrymander?
all of the Senate's seats are never up for reelection at the same time
What is a continuous body?
see themselves as agents of the people who elected them
What are delegates?
historical reason for a two-house legistlature
What is the British Parliament?
What are colonial legislatures?
the period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business
What is a session?
House seats are reapportioned every 10 years, after this national event
What is the US Census?
putting as many members of one party into one district to limit the amount of seats they win
What is packing?
the people and interests the senators represent
What are constituencies?
believe they owe full allegiance to their political party
What are partisans?
practical reason for a 2-house legislature
What is to settle the conflict between the New Jersey and the Virginia Plans?
begins, as in a session of Congress
What is convenes?
voters in each district elect one of the State's representatives from a field of candidates
What is a single-member district?
splitting the voters of the minority party into different districts, limiting their ability to win seats
What is cracking?
person currently holding office
What is incumbent?
the difference between a bill and a law
What is a proposed law and a law that has passed both houses of Congress and been signed by the President?
In a bicameral legislature, each house of Congress serves as this to the other
What is a check?
What is adjourns?
all of the State's seats are filled by election by the State constituents as a whole, rather than from particular districts
What is at-large?
drawing two incumbent candidates into the same district so they must run against each other, effectively eliminating one of their seats
What is kidnapping?
three qualifications for senator enumerated in the Constitution
What are
1. 30 years old
2. US citizen for at least 9 years
3. inhabitant of the State where elected?
when bills pass congressional committees, the debate in the full Congress is called
What is floor consideration?
To convince Jefferson of the theoretical importance of a bicameral legislature, Washington did this when Jefferson visited him at Mount Vernon.
What is pour coffee into a saucer to "cool it"?
only the President can call these rare meetings of Congress
Double Jeopardy: Which President last called this kind of congressional meeting?
What is a special session?
Double Jeopardy: Harry Truman
This Act passed by Congress fixed the number of representatives in the House at 435.
What is the Reapportionment Act of 1929?
In 1812, this Massachusetts governor redistricted the State to benefit his Democratic-Republican Party.
Double Jeopardy: the animal his districts were said to resemble
Who is Elbridge Gerry?
Double Jeopardy: What is a salamander?
This Amendment changed the selection of senators from the State legislatures to popular vote.
What is the 17th Amendment?
the Chamber that holds the power to impeach and the Chamber that tries impeachments
What are the House and the Senate?