PLS 101 Congress

The Great Compromise

created a bicameral legislature

The Three-Fifths Compromise

settled how slaves would be counted for representation

The Sectional Compromise

Gave Congress the power to regulate commerce with a simple majority vote in exchange for permitting the slave trade for at least 20 years

How many senators are in Congress?

100, two from each state

Senators serve _______ year terms

six

Originally, senators were selected by __________ legislatures, however, the _________ amendment change this to popular election

state; 17th

There are _________ representatives in the House of Representatives

435

The House of Representatives serve ______ year terms

two

Reapportionment

redistribution of representatives among the states, based on population change, occurs every 10 years

What are the shared duties of House of Representatives and Senate?

Make laws, declare war, raise a army/navy, borrow and coin money, regulate interstate commerce, create federal courts

What are the House Duties

Originate revenue bills, power to impeach

Impeach

formally charge a government official with “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”

What are the Senate duties

approve presidential appointments, approve treaties with foreign nations, act as a court to try impeachments

How much of the senate must approve treaties and conviction with impeachment

2/3

What does the 17th Amendment state

popular election of senators

Incumbents

current officeholders are reelected at a high rate (Reps: 90%, Senate: 85%)

Redistricting

the process of redrawing legislative districts to reflect population change

Baker v Carr

set the standard that House districts must contain equal number of constituents

Gerrymandering

redrawing a congressional district to intentionally benefit one political party

Franking privlege

the right to send mail free of charge

Casework

solving problems for constituents, especially problems involving government agencies

Descriptive representation

the view that a legislature should resemble the demographic characteristics of the population in represents

Racial gerrymandering

drawing legislative districts to maximize the chances of a minority candidate to win an election

Veto

president’s disapproval of a bill that has been passed by both houses of Congress (requires 2/3 vote in each house)

Pocket veto

the president does not sign the bill and Congress adjourns within ten days of the bills passage

Standing committees

a permanent congressional committee that specializes in a particular legislative area

Joint committee

made of up members of both the Senate and the House

Select committee

a temporary committee created for specific purposes

Conference committee

temporarily created to work out differences between House and Senate versions of a bill

Legislative Reorganization Act (1946)

reduced the number of standing committees

Seniority

years of consecutive service on a committee (usually are committee chairs of the majority party)

Markup sessions

the meetings at which subcommittees and committees actually debate and amend legislation

Oversight

the process of reviewing the operations of an agency to determine whether it is carrying out policies as Congress intended

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer of the House of Representatives (Mike Johnson)

Minority Leader

not a constitutionally created post, but an important political position

President pro tempore

president “for the time” of the Senate in the vice-president’s absence

Senate Majority leader

the head of the majority party in the Senate

Unanimous consent agreements

used in the Senate to determine the length and nature of debate

True or False: impeachments means removal from office

False

Filibuster

used as a distraction in the senate, it delays a vote or ruling

Cloture

the mechanism by which a filibuster is cut off in the Senate, a vote of 60 senators is necessary to invoke cloture

Logrolling

supporting a legislator’s bill in exchange for support of one’s own bill

Pork-barrel legislation

legislation that benefits one state or district

Political parties

party leaders can help or hinder success of rank-and-file members and their appointment to committees

The President

uses national endorsement to influence legislative process, seen as the country’s chief legislator

Constituents

people who live and vote in a government officials district or state

Interest groups

forward a particular issue and are valued by legislators

Trustee

a representative who is obligated to consider the views of constituents but is not obligated to vote according to those views if he/she believes they are misguided, regardless of his/her own view

Informed Voter Law

instruct members of Congress to support 3 term limit; procedure for informing voters if their instructions are disregarded