Structure of Congress
What do we call a legislature made up of two houses?
What is Bicameral
Which chamber has 435 members?
A: What is The House of Representatives.
Who is the most powerful member of the House?
A: Who is The Speaker of the House.
What branch of government is Congress part of?
A: What is The Legislative Branch.
What is the name for a proposed law?
A: What is A bill.
Name the two chambers of the U.S. Congress.
A: What is The House of Representatives and the Senate.
Senators serve how many years per term?
A: What is Six years.
What is the main role of the Majority Leader?
A: What is To plan the legislative agenda and coordinate the party’s strategy.
What is Congress’s primary job?
A: What is To make laws.
Where is a bill origionally introduced?
A: Where is the House of representatives, specifically a committee
According to the Constitution, which chamber was intended to reflect the “will of the people” more directly?
A: What is The House of Representatives.
Name one exclusive power of the Senate.
A: What is Confirming presidential appointments, ratifying treaties, or holding impeachment trials.
What do whips do in Congress?
A: What is they count votes and encourage party members to vote together.
Define “oversight.”
A: What is Congress’s power to monitor and check the actions of the Executive Branch.
What happens after a bill is introduced to a chamber?
A: What is It is sent to a committee for review.
What Article of the Constitution establishes Congress?AND What is one major purpose of having two chambers?
A:What is Article I AND To balance power / prevent domination / allow different perspectives.
Which chamber has more formal rules and limited debate?AND Why does this chamber use stricter rules?
A: What is The House AND Its large size requires tighter structure to stay organized.
A) Who presides over the Senate on a daily basis? AND Why is this person often more powerful than the Vice President?
A: Who is The President Pro Tempore or Senate Majority Leader (depending on context).
AND They actually run daily operations; the VP rarely appears.
What is the “necessary and proper clause”?
A: What is Clause allowing Congress to make laws needed to carry out its duties.
What happens in a conference committee? AND Why is this step necessary?
A: What is Members of both chambers resolve differences between House and Senate versions.
AND Both chambers must pass identical versions of a bill.
Explain how the Connecticut (Great) Compromise shaped Congress AND Why was this compromise essential for the Constitutional Convention to succeed?
A: What is it Created a bicameral legislature: House by population, Senate with equal representation AND It resolved conflict between large and small states and allowed the Constitution to move forward.
Explain one major structural difference in representation between the House and Senate AND How does this difference impact lawmaking styles in each chamber?
A: What is House = proportional to population;
Senate = equal for every state. AND House is fast-moving, majoritarian, and responsive to public opinion; Senate is slower, deliberative, and protective of minority viewpoints.
Identify two major leadership positions found in both chambers. AND Explain how these positions influence which bills move forward.
A: Who are the Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and Whips. AND They control scheduling, prioritize party goals, organize votes, and decide whether bills leave committee.
Distinguish between expressed/enumerated and implied powers AND Provide one example of each.
A: What is Expressed/Enumerated = listed in Constitution; implied = not listed but suggested.
AND Enumerated: declare war / coin money / regulate commerce.
Implied: create an Air Force / establish a national bank / regulate the internet.
Explain the President’s three main options when a bill reaches the White House AND What is a pocket veto
A:What is Sign it, veto it, or let it become law without signing. President ignores it while Congress is adjourned, causing the bill to die.