Legislative Branch - congress

Flashcards covering the Legislative Branch, Congress, representation, and challenges of representation.

Congress Jobs

The two main jobs of Congress are representation and lawmaking.

Bicameral Legislature

Congress is a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

House of Representatives

The House of Representatives has 435 members, with representation based on population.

Senate

The Senate has 100 members, with each state having equal representation (2 senators).

House Representation

Representation in the House is based on population size of a state.

Senate Representation

Representation in the Senate is based on state equality.

Census

The census is conducted every 10 years to determine representation in the House.

Apportionment

Apportionment is the process of divvying up seats in the House around the country.

Redistricting

Redistricting is the process of carving a state up into districts after the census.

Sociological Representation

Sociological representation is based on shared personal characteristics between the representative and constituents.

Agency Representation

Agency representation is when a member represents the views, needs, and wants of their constituency.

Casework

Casework involves helping constituents with problems.

Pork Barrel Projects

Pork barrel projects involve securing money for local/district projects.

Majority Party Power

The majority party has the power to organize the chamber, set schedules, and legislative priorities.

Congressional Leadership

Leadership positions in Congress include the Speaker of the House and Majority Leader.

Seniority

Seniority refers to the length of uninterrupted service in a particular chamber.

Committees

Committees are specialized groups that handle specific policy areas for reviewing legislation.

Subcommittees

Subcommittees break down broad policy areas into smaller, more specific areas.

Compromise

Compromise is key to building majority support for legislation.

Rules Committee

The Rules Committee decides the rules for considering, debating, and accepting a bill in the House.

Filibuster

A filibuster stops consideration of a bill in the Senate.

Conference Committee

A conference committee is needed to compromise differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Veto Override

A presidential veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress.

Oversight

Oversight is when Congress oversees the activities of the executive branch.

Advice and Consent

The Senate confirms top-level executive appointments, ambassadors, and federal judges.

Impeachment

Impeachment is for high officials who have committed treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.