Chapter 5: The Structure of Congress

Census

Complete count of a population, including place of residence.

Reapportionment

The process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census.

Redistrict

To set up new district lines after reapportionment is complete.

Gerrymander

To draw a district’s boundaries to gain an advantage in elections.

At-large

As a whole; for example, statewide.

Censure

A vote of formal disapproval of a member’s actions.

Incumbent

Elected official who is already in office.

Constituent

A person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent.

Caucus

An event held before an election where members of a political party select delegates to send to the national party convention, where they will also vote to nominate a candidate.

Majority Leader

The Speaker’s top assistant whose job is to help plan the majority party’s legislative program and to steer important bills through the House.

Whip

An assistant to the party floor leader in the legislature.

Bill

A proposed law.

Calendar

A schedule that lists the order in which bills will be considered in Congress.

Concurrent Jurisdiction

Authority shared by both federal and state courts.

Quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action.

President Pro Tempore

The Senate member, elected by the Senate, who stands in as president of the Senate in the absence of the vice president.

Filibuster

A method of defeating a bill in the Senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote.

Cloture Resolution

A procedure that allows each senator to speak only one hour on a bill under debate.

Caseworker

A member of a lawmaker’s personal staff who handles requests for help from constituents.

Senators enjoy____________ terms of office and represent their _______________, while representatives have ____________ terms and are elected from______________.

six-year, entire state, two-year, districts

It is quite common for the House to ______________________and the Senate to pass a ___________ bill on the same subject, but with some________________. Before either version can be sent to the president, the House and Senate must ___________________to reach _________________ on the_____________________of the bill.

pass one bill, similar, variations, work together, agreement, exact wording

Each term of _______________ begins on_____________ in years ending in an odd number and lasts for______ years.

Congress, January 3, two

Each congressional term is______ sessions, or meetings. A session lasts _______ year and includes_____________________________.

two, one, breaks for holidays and vacations

With _______ members, the House of Representatives is much______________ than the Senate.

435, larger

Representatives must be at least _____ years old, be citizens of the United States for at least ___________ years, and be legal residents of the___________ that elects them.

25, seven, state

More than ___ percent of all representatives are______________.

90, reelected

In order to assign representatives on the basis of population, the _____________________ takes a ________________, or population count, every____ years.

Census Bureau, national census, 10

___Current U.S. House of Representatives Districts in_____________.

38, Texas

Our current Representative 

For District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

The Constitution provides that senators must be at least ____ years old, citizens of the United States for_______ years before election, and legal residents of the state they represent. All voters of each state elect senators_______________________—they have no particular district.

30, nine, at-large, or statewide

Current Texas Senators:

Ted Cruz (R)

John Cornyn (R)

The committees of Congress perform ___________________ activity. Because of the_______ of the House, committee work is_____________________________ than in the Senate.

most legislative, size, even more important

Because members represent districts, they_______________________ that are important to their _______________.

serve on committees, constituents

In each house, the___________________ has the power to _______________________of that body, to _________________________________, and to_____________ the chairs of all the committees.

majority party, select the leaders, control the flow of legislative work, appoint

The Speaker of the House is the______________________ and its____________________leader.

presiding officer, most powerful

The Speaker can __________________________ by deciding which members to recognize _______. The Speaker also____________the members of _______committees, _________________ for action, and refers bills to the proper______________________. Finally, the Speaker of the House follows the ___________________in the line of succession to the presidency.

influence proceedings, first, appoints, some, schedules bills, House committee, vice president

Current Speaker of the House

Mike Johnson (R) LA

The Speaker’s top assistant is the ____________________. The majority leader’s job is to help plan the party’s ______________________, __________ important bills through the ___________, and make sure the __________________ of the many committees__________________ on bills that are important to the party.

majority leader, legislative program, steer, House, chairpersons, finish work

All laws start as _____. A proposed law is called a bill until both houses of Congress _________________________________.

bills, pass it and the president signs it

All states are________ in the Senate. ________________, with the largest population, and________________, with the smallest population, each has______senators.

equal, California, Wyoming, two

The Senate is called a_______________ body because it ________________, or formally discusses, __________________.

deliberative, deliberates, public policies

In the Senate, the rules are more ____________ than in the House to give all senators ________________freedom to express their ideas.

flexible, maximum

The vice president___________ over the Senate but cannot ________ except to __________ a tie.

presides, vote, break

Current Vice President

JD Vance (R) Former 

Senator from Ohio

In the _____________of the vice president, the ______________________—“pro tem” for short—_____________.

absence, president pro tempore, presides

Current President Pro Tempore

Charles Grassley (R) IA

The Senate’s most important officers are the _.

majority and minority leaders

Current Majority Leader

John Thune (R) SD

Current Minority Leader

Chuck Schumer (D) NY

The Constitution requires a supermajority of_____________ of the Senate to approve treaties, ____________presidential vetoes, and ____________ federal officials from office if they have been _______________ in the House. Technically, the vote of a simple majority, __________________________, is required to _______ a proposed bill.

two-thirds, overturn, remove, impeached, fifty senators plus one, pass

Today many important ______ really need the votes of_________________ to pass the Senate. The reason is a tactic called the _______________.

bills, sixty senators, filibuster

Senators can end a ____________ by voting for a_______________________. _______senators must ________ for cloture.

filibuster, cloture resolution, sixty, vote

T/F
Both the Senate and House of Representatives contain the same number of members from each state.

false

T/F
Someone who was born outside of the United States but becomes a U.S. citizen can become eligible to run for the U.S. Senate.

true

Which of these statements is true for both the House of Representatives and the Senate?
A. Members get allowances to visit their states.
B. Members must be at least 30 years old.
C. Members represent a particular district.
D. Population dictates the number of members.

A. Members get allowances to visit their states.

Which two individuals share the duty of presiding over the Senate?
A. Majority leader and majority whip
B. Majority leader and minority leader
C. Vice president and majority leader
D. Vice president and president pro tempore

D. Vice president and president pro tempore

A Florida House member representing Cap Canaveral and other areas where NASA is active is most likely to request membership on which of these standing committees?

Science, Space, and Technology