Congress

Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. democratic republic, responsible for creating public policy through __________.

laws and programs

The powers of Congress are derived from enumerated and implied authorities, including the __________.

Necessary and Proper Clause

The Founders considered Congress the __________ branch, holding significant power.

most important

Congress holds the ultimate authority to __________.

declare war

The U.S. adopted a __________ legislature to prevent the concentration of power.

bicameral

In the House of Representatives, the representation is proportional, while the Senate provides __________ representation.

equal

Members of the House of Representatives must be at least __________ years old.

25

Members of the Senate must be at least __________ years old.

30

Public approval ratings for Congress have been consistently low, often around __________ of the population.

one-third

Despite disapproval of Congress as an institution, incumbents enjoy very high __________ rates.

reelection

Before __________, Congress focused on making deals and bipartisan coalitions.

1970

Post-1970, Congress became highly __________ by partisanship.

polarized

The __________ established the popular election of Senators in 1913.

17th Amendment

Historically, the typical representative or Senator was a middle-aged white __________ male lawyer.

Protestant

The 117th Congress was the most __________ in American history.

diverse

Incumbents in the House have a very high reelection rate of __________ between 1964-2010.

93%

Members vote to please constituents in the __________ Model.

Delegate

In the __________ Model, members vote based on their own ideology.

Trustee

The __________ serves as the President of the Senate and votes only to break ties.

Vice President

The __________ of the House is the presiding officer and most powerful figure.

Speaker

Committees are the most important organizational feature in Congress, with the majority party holding __________.

control

A __________ is a temporary committee formed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Conference Committee

If a bill is not passed within a session, it __________.

dies

A unique Senate power allowing prolonged debate to delay or block action is known as a __________.

filibuster

The __________ process includes committee hearings, confirmation of appointments, and investigations.

oversight

Reapportionment is determining the number of representatives per state based on the __________ every 10 years.

U.S. Census

Gerrymandering is manipulating district boundaries to increase the representation of one party at the expense of __________.

another