Electing Congress
What is the term for drawing voting districts to favor one political party over another.
Gerrymandering
How long is a single term in office for an elected member of the House of Representatives?
2 years
What is the primary constitutional job and responsibility of Congress?
Making laws
Who are our Senators?
Tammy Baldwin (D) and Ron Johnson (R)
Conducted once every 10 years, what official count of the U.S. population provides the data used for apportioning House seats and redrawing legislative district boundaries?
The census
Because the U.S. Congress is divided into two separate chambers—the House of Representatives and the Senate—it is known by what term. (Bonus points for remembering what this compromise was called during the Constitutional Convention)
Name 3 enumerated powers of Congress (50 bonus points for each extra power)
-power to tax/spend
-borrow money
-regulate trade
-regulate immigration and naturalization
-coin/print money
-establish post offices
-patents/copyrights
-declare war
-establish lower federal courts
-raise army/navy
What is the title given to a member of Congress who officially introduces and authors a proposed bill?
Sponsor
Unique to the Senate, what procedural tactic allows a lawmaker to prolong debate to stall or completely block a vote on a bill?
Filibuster
What are the two primary mapmaking techniques used in gerrymandering? (Bonus points if you can describe each)
Cracking: Splitting up voters of the other party to dilute their vote.
Packing: Concentrating voters of the other party in one district to waste their votes.
In both the House and Senate, how is it decided which political party gets the majority of seats on every single standing committee?
Whichever party holds the overall majority in that chamber gets the majority in every committee
What type of unwritten powers are justified by the "Necessary and Proper" Clause, allowing Congress to stretch its authority beyond explicit text?
Implied Powers
In the House of Representatives, where must a Representative physically drop a bill to introduce it?
The Hopper
What is the total fixed number of voting seats in the U.S. House of Representatives?
435
What are the qualifications to become a member of the House of Representatives?
1. Min. age is 25 yrs.
2. Must be 7 years a citizen
3. Must live in the state you represent
What party leadership officers in Congress are responsible for counting votes, ensuring party members are present, and encouraging party loyalty during key votes?
Majority and Minority Whips
In the system of checks and balances, which house has the sole power to impeach (charge) a federal official, and which house holds the trial?
House of Representatives (impeaches) and the Senate (tries/judges)
What rarely successful procedural mechanism in the House allows an absolute majority of representatives to sign a physical petition forcing a bill out of a stuck committee and onto the floor for a vote?
Discharge Petition
What is a pocket veto?
A pocket veto is when the President ignores a bill for 10 days, and Congress goes home (adjourns) during that time, causing the bill to automatically die.
In the 2023 ruling Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, what state constitutional requirement was violated by district maps containing detached, non-connected land pieces?
Contiguity Requirement
Who is the current Speaker of the House?
Mike Johnson (R)
Which chamber holds the exclusive power to originate all national tax laws and spending bills?
House of Representatives
When the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, what joint committee is formed to negotiate a single, unified version?
Conference Committee
What Senate procedure requires 60 votes (3/5ths of the chamber) to end a filibuster and bring debate to a close?
Cloture.