Congressional & Executive Elections, Powers, and Processes

Sixty Question-and-Answer flashcards reviewing congressional elections, presidential elections, constitutional powers, congressional organization, and the legislative process.

How many voting seats are in the U.S. House of Representatives?

435

How many voting seats are in the U.S. Senate?

100

How often are all House seats up for election?

Every two years

What fraction of Senate seats is contested every two years?

One-third

What is the minimum age required to serve in the House of Representatives?

25 years old

How many years of U.S. citizenship are required for a House member?

At least seven years

What is the minimum age required to serve in the U.S. Senate?

30 years old

Since 1950, roughly what percentage of House incumbents seeking re-election have won?

About 90 percent

Since 1950, roughly what percentage of Senate incumbents seeking re-election have won?

About 70 percent

Why does simple name recognition benefit incumbents?

Voters use familiar names as a heuristic, especially if they do not follow politics closely

Why is ample campaign money particularly helpful to incumbents?

It can deter strong challengers and reinforce name recognition through advertising

Why do challengers need large campaign funds?

To purchase the name recognition they lack through advertising and media outreach

In congressional terms, what is a “safe seat”?

A district where one party’s voters are so dominant that the incumbent is very unlikely to lose

What is gerrymandering?

Redrawing district lines to favor one political party

What is congressional "casework"?

Assistance that a member of Congress provides to individual constituents

What is the franking privilege?

Members of Congress can send official mail to constituents free of postage

Which amendment made U.S. senators directly elected by the people?

The 17th Amendment (1913)

What are the two phases of a modern presidential race?

(1) Nomination phase and (2) General-election phase

On what day is the U.S. general presidential election held?

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

Why do candidates often stake out more extreme positions during the nomination phase?

Primary voters tend to be more ideologically extreme than general-election voters

How many total electoral votes exist in the Electoral College?

538

How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?

270

Which two states do NOT use winner-take-all allocation of electoral votes?

Maine and Nebraska

If no presidential candidate wins an Electoral College majority, who decides the election?

The U.S. House of Representatives

Why do presidential candidates focus on battleground states?

They are competitive enough that either party could plausibly win them

List four primary influences on individual presidential voting behavior.

Party loyalty, public policy positions, evaluations of government performance, and candidate qualities

What does the title “Commander-in-Chief” grant the president?

Civilian control of the U.S. military

Whose advice and consent is required for most presidential appointments?

The U.S. Senate

What is the presidential veto power?

Authority to refuse to sign a bill, preventing it from becoming law unless Congress overrides

What congressional vote threshold can override a presidential veto?

Two-thirds of each chamber

When can a pocket veto occur?

If the president takes no action on a bill after Congress adjourns

What happened to the federal line-item veto enacted in 1996?

It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1998

What is an executive order?

A presidential directive with the force of law that does not pass through Congress

What is executive privilege?

The president’s right to keep certain executive communications confidential

What constitutional power allows the president to grant "get-out-of-jail-free" cards?

The power to pardon

What annual message is the president constitutionally required to deliver to Congress?

The State of the Union address

Which phrase describes the president’s public-persuasion platform coined by Theodore Roosevelt?

The "bully pulpit"

In modern politics, what informal role does the president play within his party?

Leader of the party

What 1967 amendment clarifies vice-presidential vacancies and temporary transfers of power?

The 25th Amendment

After the vice president, who is next in line for the presidency under the 1947 Succession Act?

The Speaker of the House

Name the constitutionally listed reasons a president can be impeached.

Treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors

Which chamber of Congress formally votes to impeach a president?

The House of Representatives

Which chamber conducts the impeachment trial?

The U.S. Senate

How many U.S. presidents have been impeached by the House?

Three (Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump)

Which president resigned before likely impeachment?

Richard Nixon

What are the two chambers of the U.S. Congress called?

The House of Representatives and the Senate

Give two examples of Congress’s "power of the purse."

Levying taxes and appropriating money

Give two examples of Congress’s "power of the sword."

Declaring war and raising an army and navy

What clause allows Congress to make laws "necessary and proper" to execute its powers?

The Elastic Clause

What landmark 1819 case upheld Congress’s implied power to create a national bank?

McCulloch v. Maryland

What is an ex post facto law, which Congress is forbidden to pass?

A law that criminalizes an action after it was committed

Who is the presiding officer and typically the most powerful member of the House?

The Speaker of the House

What is a standing committee in Congress?

A permanent committee with fixed jurisdiction that continues from session to session

What is a select committee?

A temporary committee formed to address a specific issue

“Appropriations,” “Rules,” and “Ways and Means” belong to which tier of House committees?

Top (most powerful) committees

What does the House Rules Committee issue to set debate conditions for a bill?

A rule (e.g., closed, open, or restrictive)

What Senate procedure allows quick passage of uncontroversial bills?

Unanimous consent

What is the purpose of a conference committee?

To reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a bill

How many regular appropriations subcommittees exist in Congress?

Thirteen

In legislative politics, what is "logrolling"?

Trading votes or favors among legislators to secure support for each other’s proposals

What is a common criticism of the congressional lawmaking process?

It is slow, complex, and favors status-quo minorities because a bill can be killed at many points

What are the seven Presidential powers enumerated by the Constitution?

Commander-in-chief, Appointment power, Veto power, Chief Executive, Chief of State, State of the Union power, Persuasion power

What three informal powers/expectations does the President have?

Leader of party, leader of the free world, manager of prosperity

What majority is required in the House to impeach a president and then in the Senate to remove them from office?

A simple majority is required to impeach a president in the House and a 2/3 majority is required in the Senate for removal from office.

Who typically begins the impeachment proceedings?

The Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives

What powers are forbidden to Congress?

Ex post facto laws, titles of nobility, bills of attainder

What four types of committees make up the Committee system in Congress?

Standing, Select, Joint, and Conference Committees.

What does “suspension of rules” refer to in the House of Representatives?

A procedural motion that allows the House to quickly pass bills by limiting debate and amendments.

What does the Rules Committee do in the House of Representatives when it comes to the bill passage process?

The Rules Committee in the House of Representatives determines the rules for debate on bills, including the time allocated for discussion and whether amendments can be made. It plays a crucial role in managing the legislative process.