Congress

Define bicameral

Congress is made up of two houses - the Senate and the House of Reps.

What is the election cycle of the House of Reps?

Every 2 years.

What is the election cycle for the Senate?

Every 6 years.

What are the powers of the House of Reps?

* Beginning consideration of all money bills
* Bringing charges of impeachment e.g. Trump 2021
* Choosing a president in the event of electoral college deadlock

What are the powers of the Senate?

* Ratifying treaties e.g. Refused to ratify Versailles 1919
* Confirming presidential appointments e.g. SCOTUS justices like Amy Coney Barrett
* Trying cases of impeachment
* Choosing a vice president in the event of electoral college deadlock

What are the concurrent powers of Congress?

* Creating legislation
* Oversight of the executive
* Overriding presidential veto
* Initiating constitutional amendments
* Declaring war - after the War Powers Act 1973
* Confirming a VP

Define gerrymandering

The act of redrawing electoral district lines for political advantage, done by both parties.

What factors affect voting in Congress?

* Political parties
* Congressional caucuses
* Their constituency - ‘folks back home’
* Pressure groups
* Lobbyists

What is the legislative process?

1. Introduction
2. Committee stage
3. Timetabling
4. Floor debate and vote
5. Optional conference committee
6. Presidential action

Define filibuster

Talking for any amount of time as a means to delay a bill e.g. Ted Cruz 2013, spoke for 21 hours against the Affordable Care Act, read ‘Green Eggs & Ham’

What factors affect the relationship between Congress and POTUS?

* Party control
* Partisanship, either hyper or bi
* Policy area
* Election cycle
* Presidential approval rating
* Congressional approval rating
* National events

How does Congress check POTUS?

* Standing committees
* Conducting investigations
* Confirming presidential appointments
* Impeachment

What variables change the effectiveness of Congress in their oversight function?

* Unity of government
* Congressional popularity
* Presidential popularity
* The size of the presidential mandate
* A national crisis e.g. 9/11

How does Congress check the judiciary?

* Constitutional amendments
* Impeachment
* Size of SCOTUS

Why is Congress successful in its representative role?

* It has never been more representative
* Frequent elections ensure good representation
* Use of both the delegate and trustee model

Why is Congress unsuccessful in its representative role?

* Congress is not representative of the entire USA
* Gerrymandering undermines representation
* FPTP and the two-party system limit representation