U.S. Gov Test #3

Why was congress created?

The articles of confederation did not work well. States were in debt and printing money which led to chaos. Shay’s rebellion showed the government was too weak. Leaders met at the constitutional convention and created a new system.

The US moved from a _____ to a _____

weak central government; stronger federal system

What was Congress designed to do?

Balance power between big and small states

what was the Virginia plan?

big states wanted more power (based on population)

What was the New Jersey plan?

small states wanted equal power

What was the great compromise?

senate has 2 per state and the house is based on population.

How many chambers of congress are there?

there are 2. the senate focuses on equality. the house focuses on representation.

Explain the house of representatives

435 members, based on population, 2 year terms, must be 25 years old and a citizen for 7 years. The house is more partisan.

explain the senate

100 members 2 per state, 6 year terms, must be 30 years old and a citizen for 9 years. Originally chosen by states now elected by people in the 17th amendment.

what is redistricting and gerrymandering?

every 10 years, districts are redrawn. Gerrymandering is drawing districts to favor a political party. This affects who wins elections and weakens democracy by letting politicians choose voters instead of voters choosing politicians

What are the powers of congress?

The enumerated powers (meaning powers written In the constitution) taxing, borrowing money, declaring war, regulating trade, creating courts

what is the necessary and proper clause

congress has the ability to make laws needed to carry out its powers.This create implied powers and allows the government to grow like the minimum wage and highways.

what are inherent powers?

powers the government has just because it exists, such as defending itself.

what are checks and balances

congress can impeach officials (house), remove officials (senate), approve treaties and appointments, override presidential veto

What is the delegate model of representation?

The people vote how they want. The representative act like a voice for the people.

what is the trustee model?

The representatives use their own judgement to focus on the best decision for the country

what is the politico model?

it is a mix of the trustee and delegate model. It combines direct pressure from the people and judgement of the representative.

what is descriptive representation?

the representatives share traits like race and gender with the people. Affects fairness and inclusion in government

Are campaigns expensive? what are incumbents?

yes. incumbents are people already in office.

Explain leadership in congress.

the house has a very powerful speaker. the centralized leadership allows for faster decisions

Explain leadership in the senate

no speaker and led by majority leaders. vice president is official leader but rarely participates. Senators can block laws

what are committees?

small groups that review bills. committee chairs have lots of power. they decide what laws even get considered.

what caused presidents to gain power?

Great Depression, ww2, war on terror. Congress tries to limit their power by making term limits.

What did U.S. term limits define?

It said that there were no term limits for congress

what was congress designed to do?

balance power, represent people, make laws

What does article 1, section 8 of the us constitution say?

details the enumerated powers of the legislature. These include the power to levy and collect taxes, declare war, raise an army and navy, coin money, borrow money, regulate commerce among the states and with foreign nations, establish federal courts and bankruptcy rules, establish rules for immigration and naturalization, and issue patents and copyrights.

what is a unitary government system?

most nations have this system where power is centralized.

What is a bicameral legislature?

created by the U.S. constitution —>two chambers: the house and senate

what are enumerated powers?

powers specifically listed in article 1 of the constitution

what is the necessary and proper clause? where is it found

it is found in the Article I, Section 8, Clause 18. It is powers specifically listed in Article I of the constitution

what are the roles of congress?

acting in the interests of constituents. includes keeping campaign promises. Also creating policies and laws for the nation; balancing local vs national interests

What is parochialism?

members prioritizing their district/state over national good. Demonstrates why Americans dislike congress but like their own representatives.

What are the different types of representation?

• Policy Representation: Advancing constituents’ beliefs/issues

• Allocative Representation: Bringing money/resources to district

• Symbolic Representation: Standing for shared values

• Casework: Helping individuals with government problems

What are pork barrel/earmarks

funding specific local projects

what is partisanship and polarization?

Loyalty to a political party is partisanship. Polarization is the degree of ideological division between parties. Currently high —>hyperpartisanship

What are the term years, minimum age, citizenship, and amount of members for the house of representatives?

The term is 2 years, the minimum age is 25, you need to have 7 years of citizenship, and there are 435 members.

explain representation, impeachment, treaties, appointments, debate limits, and filibuster for the house

The representation is by population, can impeach, no roles in treaties or appointments, there is a debate limit, and no filibuster

What are the term years, minimum age, citizenship, and amount of members for the senate?

6 years, minimum 30 years of age, need 9 years of citizenship, and there are 100 members

explain representation, impeachment, treaties, appointments, debate limits, and filibuster for the senate

every state has 2 senators, they try for impeachment, for treaties you need 2/3 approval, for appointments you need a majority approval, there are no debate limits but a filibuster.

Referring to the cloture, how many votes does the senate need?

60

For checks and balances, explain the congress v presidency

• Congress → passes laws

• President → signs/vetoes

• Congress → oversight of executive branch

• Senate → approves appointments

for checks and balances explain congress vs the judiciary

• Congress creates laws

• Courts interpret laws

• Congress:

  • Creates lower courts

  • Sets salaries

  • Controls jurisdiction

what are congressional elections and their components?

• Reapportionment: Redistributes seats every 10 years (after census)

• Redistricting: Redrawing district boundaries

• Gerrymandering: Manipulating districts for advantage

What are the types of gerrymandering?

• Pro-incumbent

• Partisan

• Racial

  • Allowed after Voting Rights Act (1982)

  • Majority-minority districts are constitutional

What are people’s motivations for running for congress?

duty, ideology, policy goals, pay, power, perks

What are the downsides for running for congress?

expensive, hard work, job insecurity

who gets elected to congress?

mostly white males. It is not demographically representative.

What is the party control and structure of the 119th congress?

for the house there are 218 +1 republicans and 214 democrats. for the senate there are 52 republicans and 45 democrats and 2 independents (with democrats)

How does leadership work in the house?

Speaker of the House:

• Most powerful

• Third in line for presidency

• Example: Mike Johnson

How does leadership work in the senate?

• President of Senate: Vice President → JD Vance

• President Pro Tempore: Senior majority member → Charles Grassley

• Majority Leader → John Thune

• Minority Leader → Chuck Schumer

Describe the committee systems

• Standing Committees: Permanent, handle legislation

• Select Committees: Temporary, special issues

• Joint Committees: House + Senate cooperation

• Conference Committees: Resolve bill differences

• House Rules Committee controls debate

How does a bill become a law?

the bill gets introduced, the committee reviews it (this is where most bills die), there is a debate (house strict, senate flexible), vote in both chambers, reconciliation (if needed), president signs or vetoes

what is a filibuster?

Unlimited debate to block bill

what is a cloture?

60 votes to stop filibuster

Why does congress have such a low approval rating? <1/3?

negative media, gridlock, money in politics

Who are the three representatives to know?

French Hill (Financial Services Chair and intelligence committee), John Boozman (agricultural chair and on appropriations committee), Tom Cotton (intelligence chair) and judiciary armed services