AP Government Topic 2.2: Congress, Committees, Lawmaking & Budgeting

Which party controls both houses of Congress?

Republicans

How many congressional leadership positions are named in the Constitution?

Three

Where are the congressional leadership positions listed?

Article 1 of the Constitution

What are the top leadership positions in the House?

Speaker of the House, Vice President (President of the Senate), President pro tempore

What is the role of the Speaker of the House?

Presides over the House, sets the agenda, assigns bills to committees, appoints party leaders, controls debate

What is the role of the Senate Majority Leader?

Assigns members to committees, schedules legislation, speaks first during debate

Name the four types of congressional committees.

Joint, Select, Conference, Standing

What are standing committees?

Permanent committees that deal with legislation in broad policy areas

What is the function of the Rules Committee?

Decides the time allowed for debate and whether amendments are allowed

What is logrolling in Congress?

An agreement between members to vote for each other's priorities

What is pork barrel legislation?

Money added to a bill for local district benefits, not necessarily needed

Who can introduce a bill in Congress?

Current members of Congress

How many houses of Congress must a bill pass to become law?

Both houses

What is the final stage in the law-making process?

The bill is signed or vetoed by the president, with a possibility of a 2/3 override

What is the first step in the bill to law process?

Assigned a number and sent to a committee

What does it mean for a bill to be pigeonholed?

It is set aside and ignored in committees

What is mandatory spending?

Spending required by law

Who creates the federal budget each year?

The President

Who approves the federal budget?

Congress

What type of spending does the government allocate most of its funds to?

Mandatory spending