GOPO legislative quiz

Senate

100 members, foreign affairs and presidential appointments, equal representation, 6 year terms

House of representatives

435 members, focused on budget and taxes, based on population, 2 year terms

HOR membership

elected from local districts in each state (435)

Senate membership

Members chosen from entire state (2 each and 100 total)

HOR leader

speaker of the house

Senate leader

Constitutional leader- VP only votes in tiebreaker

actual leader: president pro tempore

Gerrymandering

when states divided in odd-shaped districts, strictly for political gain

Senate terms

Senators serve six-year terms, with approximately one-third of the Senate up for election every two years.

HOR membership based on…

pop of state ( from census- population count every 10 years)

Senate membership based on…

2 per state, equal representation

HOR requirements(3)

• 25 years old

• citizen of U.S for 7 years

• resident of state

Senate requirements (3)

• 30 years old

• citizen of the U.S for 9 years

• resident of state

HOR impeachment role

impeaches/ accuses government official of misconduct while in office

Senate impeachment role

acts as jury w/ 2/3 of vote

HOR debates

rules committees sets terms for debates(places time limits on discussion)

Senate debates

• have unlimited debate time

• filibuster- talking a bill to death can end in a filibuster when 3/5 of members vote, stalls legislation

• cloture- no one can speak for more than one hour

bills w/ money in HOR

all the bills having to deal with money have to start in the house.

bills w/ money in Senate

has to approve the $ bills

Authorization bills

creates projects and establishes how money can be spent on them

Appropriations bills

actually provides the $ for each program/ activity

Who approves all presidential treaties?

the senate w/ 2/3 votes required in ratification

Standing committee

permanent committee

select committee

temporary committee that meets for a limited amount of time until their job is done

joint committee

when the senate and house of representatives meet together for a limited time to talk about specific issues

steps for bill to be a law(9)

• introduced to house

• goes to committee in HR(standing)

• goes to HR floor debate

• introduced to senate

• goes to senate committee(standing)

• goes to senate floor debate

• conference committee

• final congressional approval

• president’s approval

Party whips

stirs up party support for piece of legislation (HR floor)

floor leaders

watches parties activities on floor (HR)

conference committee

if 2 houses approve different versions, this is where kinks are worked out

Privileges and penalties of both houses

• franking- free postage

• immunity- freedom from legal prosecution

• censure- formal disapproval for minor offenses

• expulsion- 2/3 votes of HR and Senate for serious offenses