Senate
How many years does a senator serve?
6 years
How many years does a Representative serve? How many terms can a Representative serve?
Two-year terms
No limit on terms
Name at least one EXPRESSED Power of Congress
Finance the National Government: levy taxes, borrow money
Regulate Commerce: coin money, issue patnets and copyrights, establish post offices
Defend the Nation: declare war, maintain armed forces
Enact/Pass Laws
Establish Federal Courts
Naturalization
What are Ex Post Facto Laws? Can Congress pass them?
A law that makes an act illegal that was not illegal when the crime was committed - Congress can not pass Ex Post Facto Laws
Ex: A person robs a gas station, at the time the person robbed the store it was not illegal. 3 weeks later, Congress passed a law making robbery illegal. The person who robbed the gas station cannot be arrested because the law was written after the crime.
What is the President Pro-Tempore?
Lead the Senate whenever the Vice President is absent
True or False: Senators can only run for three terms
Answer: False
Senators have unlimited terms in office. They can serve for as long as possible. This sometimes leads to the Senior Senator, the person in the Senate that has had their seat the longest.
There are 435 Representatives in Congress. This number is divided among the states. How is the number of Representatives in a state decided?
Answer: Based on the population of the state.
This means the bigger states, such as California, are going to have more representatives than a small state, such as Rhode Island. The number of representatives is always going to remain the same. So if a state needs more representatives, another state will lose some.
What is an IMPLIED power in Congress?
Things the government can do that are not specifically laid out in the Constitution
Necessary and Proper Clause: gives Congress to do anything necessary that is expressed in the Constitution
What are Bills of Attainder? Can Congress pass them?
Bill of Attainders is any act of a legislative body declaring a person or group of persons guilty of a crime and assessing a punishment without the benefit of trial. - Congress can not pass them
Example-In 1778, Thomas Jefferson drafted, and the Virginia House of Delegates enacted, a bill of attainder targeting a man accused of offenses including treason, murder, and arson.
What is a party whip?
Helps the floor leader (majority/minority leaders) persuade party members to support the party's policy
What are the three requirements to becoming a Senator?
1. Live in the state which you are elected
2. Be at least 30 years old
3. Been a US citizen for at least 9 years
What are the requirements for becoming a representative?
1. They must live in the state which they represent (although they do not have to live in the district)
2. Be at least 25 years old
3. Be a citizen in the US for at least 7 years
What is Strict Construction? Which president and party led it?
Congress can only exercise the expressed powers and those implied powers absolutely necessary to carry them out
Led by Thomas Jefferson and the Anti-Federalists
Habeas Corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee before the court to determine if the person's imprisonment or detention is lawful - Congress cannot suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus
Example: If an individual was convicted on the basis that their skin color matched that of the perpetrator according to an eyewitness, but there is no other evidence against them, then an individual can appeal for Habeas Corpus to be freed from imprisonment.
What is the Speaker of the House?
Leader of the House (must be elected by House members)
Which plan (from the last unit) led to the creation of the Senate?
Hint: Equal representation for all states
New Jersey Plan
What is a Congressional District?
The area which a member of the House is representing
What is Loose/Liberal Construction? Which founding father and political party ran it?
Congress has a broad range of power to do its job
Led by Alexander Hamilton and Federalists
Give at least ONE example of something Congress CANNOT do
Tax Exports
Favor the trade with one state over the trade with another state
Withdraw (spend) money from the treasury without law
Grant titles of nobility
What is a standing committee?
Permanent Committee which specialize in a certain area (EX: finance)
When do we vote for Senators? How often is the Senate up for reelection?
1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection every 2 years.
We vote for Senators every 2 years in November. (The first Tuesday after the first Monday)
What is Gerrymandering?
Briefly explain the Supreme Court Case - McCulloch v. Maryland and the courts' decision
Chief Justice John Marshall wrote the court opinion
The court decided that the state of Maryland could not impose a tax on the federal bank. State action can not impede the federal government/ the Constitution.
The 9th and 10th Amendments also limit the power of Congress, what are the amendments?
9th - Power is reserved to the people
10th - Power is reserved to the states
What is a House Rules Committee?
"Traffic Cop"
Considers all bills reported from committees and determines whether, and in what order, to schedule their consideration on the floor of the House