ap gov ch 11.3

standing committees

separate subject matters in each house of Congress

handles bills in different policy areas

representatives: serves on two committees, four subcommittees

senators: three committees, seven subcommittees

joint committees

exists in policy areas, economy / taxation

membership drawn from House and Senate

conference committees

formed when SENATE and HOUSE pass DIFFERENT VERSIONS of the same bill

appointed by PARTY LEADERSHIP = CONFERENCE COMMITEES have members of each house to iron out  SENATE and HOUSE differences to get a compromise bill

select committees

Temporary OR permanent, HOUSE AND SENATE have a permanent SELECT COMMITEE on INTELLIGENCE

legislative oversight

committees and subcommittees monitor the executive branch bureaucracy and its adminstration of policies (congress gets from passing bills)

committees: handles legislative oversight through hearings, reviews budgets, monitor how burecracy implements a law, agency heads/cabinent secretaries bring graphs,charts,data

refines existing policy: medicare , new regulations offshore drilling for oil

Senate

ratifies all treaties, confirm presidential nominations, try impeached officials, the same party controls both chambers:Senate is more liberal than the House of Representatives, can become chairs of subcommittees,  committees/party leadership determines legislative agenda

filibuster

opponents of a bill use unlimited debate to prevent Senate from voting on a bill, sixty members present, voting can halt a filibuster by voting for cloture-(senators vote to end debate on a bill/nomination, allowing a final vote) senators are reluctant on voting for cloture since it limits the amount of filibuster uses for future debates for blocking legislation

used by a minority to defeat a majority

southern senators prevented civil rights legislation

used for unrelated measures to gain concessions on a bill

speaker of the house (usually senior member of a majority party)

holds the only legislative office (mandated by CONSTITUTION)

majority party selects speaker of the house

before each congress starts, majority party presents candidate for speaker of the house

second in line (after vice president) to SUCCEED A PRESIDENT who resigns, dies in office, convicted after impeachment

presides over house in session, making committee assignments, desired by members for electoral advantage, appoints partys legislative leaders/party leadership staff, exercises control over which bills get assigned to committees

minority party takes over if it wins a majority in the House of Representatives

majority leader

speaker of the house’s principal partisan ally , schedules bills, rounds up votes on behalf of party’s position on legislation

whips

works with majority or minority leaders in counting votes before they are cast

leans on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill,

reports views and complaints of party rank/files to leadership

minority leader

for the minority party in the House of Representatives or Senate

committee chairs

influences committee agenda and congressional agenda. schedules hearings, hires staff, appoints subcommittees, manages committee bills .. before brought to the full house

seniority system

rule to pick committee chairs until 1970, committee members who served the longest/ party controls chamber, regardless of party loyalty, mental state, or competence

caucus congressional

group of members in Congress sharing an interest, has members from both parties and Senate/ House

goal: promote interests around which they are formed, press Committees to hold hearings, push legislation, pull votes they favor

staff members in congress

casework for constituents-residents or voters of a particular district or state who are represented by an elected official,)

answers mail, communicate views to voters, drafting legislation, meeting with lobbyists and administrators, questions for committee hearings, 

committee staff

organize hearings, research legislative options, draft committee reports on bills, writes legislation

bill

a proposed law drafted in legal language, anyone can draft, WHITE HOUSE AND INTEREST groups are common sources, members of the house of representatives and Senate can submit a bill for consideration

members introduce bills as a favor to a constituent

private bills grants citizenships

Substantive representation:

Legislators act for people’s interests and policy preferences, even if they don’t share their identity. 

Congress can sometimes claim substantive representation when members vote in line with what their voters want, but gaps remain on issues where public opinion and congressional action don’t match.”

. Who can officially propose a bill

Only a member of the House or Senate

Ways to improve representation

reduce gerrymandering with independent redistricting commissions, make voting easier —> turnout is higher, encourage more women and minority candidates, reforms like multi‑member districts or ranked‑choice voting, or expand public financing so wealthy donors have less influence.

incumbents

voters do not know about policy instituions

incumbent advantages: high reelection rates, fundraising, and name recognition).

• Name recognition: Voters already know who the incumbent is, from media and previous campaigns.

Why the filibuster may be considered undemocratic

It is used by the minority to defeat the majority.

When the House and the Senate pass different

versions of a bill, these versions are to be reconciled by

a conference committee

Bicameral legislature

A lawmaking body with two separate chambers

Unicameral legislature

A lawmaking body with only one chamber; Nebraska’s state legislature is the main U.S. example.

Connecticut Compromise

Constitutional Convention deal that created a bicameral Congress with equal representation in the Senate (2 senators per state) and population‑based representation in the House.​

House membership

435 voting members, each representing a district within a state; districts are based on population

Senate membership

100 members, two per state, each representing the entire state

House term length

Representatives serve 2‑year terms, reelection occurs

Senate term length

Senators serve 6‑year terms, one‑third of seats are reserved for election every two years

House constituencies

smaller geographic districts within a state, leading members to focus more on local concerns.

Senate constituencies

each senator represents the whole state,

House centralization of power

centralized and hierarchical, with formal rules and leadership control, through the Speaker and the Rules Committee.

Senate centralization of power

Less centralized and less rule‑bound; individual senators are more equal and can more easily affect the agenda.

House prestige

less national prestige than the Senate, partly because of shorter terms and smaller constituencies.

Senate prestige

longer terms, statewide constituencies, and greater media attention.

house of representatives role on policymaking

More influential on budget and revenue issues and more specialized due to members focusing on particular policy areas.

Senate role in policymaking

influential on foreign affairs and national issues like treaties and major nominations

house of representatives small turnover

incumbents are often reelected, though every seat is on the ballot every two years

Senate turnover

Moderate turnover because longer terms protect some incumbents, but statewide races can be competitive.

House seniority

gains power in committee positions and leadershio