Civics: Congress, House, Senate

Bicameral

2 houses

Bill

proposed law

Why do congressional districts matter only for the House, not the Senate?

House: elected by population

Senate: represents states equally

Constituent

people who live in a representatives district

Compromise Bill

created when both sides don’t fully agree and blend into one bill

Reapportionment

adjusted to even population (after census)

Redistricting

redrawing the lines of congressional districts (after reapportionment)

Gerrymandering

manipulating the drawing of districts to favor a political party

What are the two strategies used for gerrymandering?

cracking & packing

What political party has a geographical advantage to gerrymandering? 

republican

Cracking

split up a concentrated blue or red area to dilute it

Packing

all blue or all red into one district

Filibuster

delaying tactic, doesn’t work with 60+ votes

Cloture

motion needed to end debate, 60 votes needed

Incumbency Advantage

time, money, name advantage

Political Socialization

a person aquires a sense of political ideology

Major influences of political ideology

demographic, media, experiences

Strongest influence of political ideology

family & friends

Conference Committee

members of both parties, house and senate

Standing Committee

first to vote after hearing, majority party

Which type of committee did we simulate in class?

standing

How many members are in the entire US Senate?

100 members

How many Senators are chosen from each state?

2 per state

Senate term length

6 years, 1/3 seats open

Minnesotas 2 US Senators

Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith

How many representatives are in the entire house of Representatives? 

435 members

How does the census matter to the house?

it depends on population

Repesentative term length

2 years, all seats open

What district do you live in?

district 2

Who is your rep?

Angie Craig

Why are congressional districts different sizes?

population

Why do house districts have an A or B after them?

each senate district is split into two smaller houses

Why is is easier to change the majority party in the house rather than the senate?

every midterm the entire house is up for re-election, the senate has only 1/3 of the seats open for re-election

What party is the speaker always from? 

majority party

What party currently holds the majority? and who is the current speaker?

republicans

Mike Johnson

Who is the official leader of the senate?

vice president

What party holds majority in the senate?

republican

Who is the current senate majority leader?

John Thune

Liberal

modern, flexible, broad-based

Republican

traditional, cautious, old-fashioned

Why is is more difficult to pass an amendment than a bill?

amendments permanently change the constitution, broader agreement needed

How a bill becomes a law

Idea → standing committee → house floor → senate floor → conference committee → compromise bill → president