4.1 - The Constitution and Congress

Article 1

where the congress is outlined in the constitution

Chambers

Either the House or Senate in congress (they check and balance within congress!)voters in districts

voters in districts

how do representatives get elected (previously there were rules to benefit white men)

2 years

term of representatives (short = keep accountable to the people of the united states)

Purpose of house

to be close to the people and their needs/ know people’s preferences

25 years old, resident of their state, citizen 7 years

requirements for representatives

impeachment

the house issues the articles of…

raise taxes/ revenue

the bills to __________ start in the house

voters in state

how are senators elected?

17th

amendment that changed senators from being elected by state legislatures to by actual voters

6 years

term of senators

Staggered

senator elections are… (divide into 3 classes, 1/3 of senators reelected every 2 years)

435

the house has ____ members

100

the senate has ___ members

Stability

purpose of senate (insulated from voter’s preferences)

30 years old, resident of their state, citizen 9 years

requirements for senators

the senate

who confirms the prez, propose budgetary amendments, and ratify treaties/ confirm ambassadors for foreign policy?

powers of congress

lawmaking, budgeting, and overseeing officials

Enumerated Powers (of congress)

collect taxes, coin/ borrow $, regulate commerce, declare war/ raise army, create levels of judiciary below supreme court

federal budget

congress sets the _____ (then gives fund to agencies/ programs and listens to prez suggestions for funding)

Bureaucratic Agency

funded and elected by congress; nonelected officials in government

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

regulates information about congress’ spending

Pork barrel spending

funding specific projects in districts/ states (narrow interest v. whole country, done through earmarks)

log rolling

when members of congress in one state trade votes for another states’ earmarks to get their own passed (BANNED in 2011 by the house)

Earmarks

allocation of money to specific projects in states or districts (similar to categorical grants)

criticism of earmarks

benefit only a few people versus the whole country (more specific)

Frost and Davis

people who argued that earmarks help limit executive power over the budget and motivate representatives and senators to work/ be productive for their own state

Oversight

efforts by congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinets are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals

Hearing

Congress can call ___ when there is perceived failure of the executive/ investigation needed (ex. fraud or when didn’t respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina)

2/3 of senate

Must approve for an impeachment to occur

Nixon

who resigned before impeachment was finished?