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Vocabulary
Bills & Laws
House of Representatives & Senate
Congress
Legislative Questions
100

What is a veto?

The act of a president striking down a proposed bill

100
What is a bill?
Proposed laws presented to the House or Senate for enactment
100

How is each state represented in the House of Representatives?

Each state has a number of representatives proportionate to that state's population

100
What is Congress' major function?
Their major function is to make laws.
100
What is a bicameral legislature?
It is a legislature made up of two houses.
200
What does it mean to impeach?
To bring charges
200

Where does an idea for a bill go after it is introduced into Congress?

Committee

200
How is each state represented in the Senate?
Each state is represented equally with two senators each.
200
How long does each term in Congress last for?
Each term in Congress lasts for two years and numbered consecutively.
200

True or False: A bill can become a law even if it only passes one chamber of Congress

False, a bill has to pass both chambers in the same form to have a chance of becoming a law.

300

What is a committee?

A Committee is a group of representatives or senators tasked with drafting and reviewing ideas for laws in a specific category

300

True or False: It takes both chambers AND the president to turn a bill into a law

True

300
What is the role of the “Speaker of the House”?
He/she is the elected presiding officer of the House and the acknowledged leader of its party.
300

What are three (3) powers that Congress has?

Taxes and revenue, declare war, impeachment, make laws, approve presidential appointments, approve treaties, raise and support an army and navy

300
A committee composed of members from both houses is called?
Joint Committee
400
What is filibuster?
The tactic to delay or prevent Senate action on a bill
400

Not only do both houses have to pass a bill for it to move to the president, the bill has to pass both houses in the same what?

Form, wording, structure, etc.
400

How long do representatives serve for and why?

They serve for 2 years and that is supposed to make them work quickly and be responsive to their constituents.

400

What does Power of the Purse mean?

It means that the Legislative Branch is the only branch with the power of taxes and revenue

400

What is the last step of the legislative process?

The bill goes to the president's desk for signing, veto, or acquiescence. 

500
What is gerrymandering?
A practice that aims to establish a political advantage for a certain party by dividing geographic areas into voting districts
500
What does the conference committee do?
The conference committee produces a compromise bill to the president when the bills both houses pass are not identical.
500

How long do Senators serve for and why?

Senators serve for 6 years and that is supposed to deliberately slow down the Legislative Process so lawmakers take their time to make sure they pass good laws.

500

What are two reasons the Congress may choose to conduct investigations?

1) gather information useful to Congress in the making of some legislation; 2) oversee the operations of various executive branch agencies; 3) focus public attention on a particular subject; expose the questionable activities of public officials and/or private persons; 5) promote the particular interests of some members of Congress

500

What is the first step of the legislative process?

An idea for a bill/law gets introduced into Congress/that idea gets sent to a committee