Legislative Foundation and Presidential Powers Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering congressional powers, committee procedures, demographic trends, house versus senate comparisons, and presidential press conference historical trends from AMSCO Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 materials.

Power to Declare War

An institutional constitutional power of Congress highlighted in Senator Rand Paul's 2014 speech, where he argued that military intervention decisions should be debated as an independent, free-standing bill rather than as part of a spending bill.

Senate Judiciary Committee

A standing congressional committee that evaluates legislation; when it passes a proposed bill (such as a crime bill by an 11 to 10 vote), the next step in the legislative process is for the full Senate to consider the bill.

Congressional Age Demographics (112th–115th Congress)

Data from 2011 to 2018 demonstrating that newly elected senators were on average older than newly elected House members, reflecting that serving in Congress often occurs following other successful careers.

House Lawmaking Process

The lawmaking system of the U.S. House of Representatives, which relies on having more procedural rules guiding its lawmaking process compared to the U.S. Senate.

Senate Treaty Authority

The exclusive constitutional authority granted to the U.S. Senate over the ratification of treaties with other nations.

Presidential News Conferences Trend

The executive communication pattern showing that the average number of press conferences per year dropped in the 1970s and 1980s, as recent presidents began communicating in various alternative ways.

Twenty-Second Amendment (1951)

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1951 that formally limited the President of the United States to two terms in office.

War Powers Act (1973)

A federal law passed in 1973 designed to check the president's power to initiate or escalate military actions abroad without congressional approval.