Congress Test Study

Great Compromise

Created bicameral Congress: House by population, Senate equal representation

Federalist 51 on Congress

Legislature should be strongest branch in a republic

Enumerated powers

Powers directly listed in Article I, Section 8

Implied powers

Powers not listed but derived from Necessary & Proper Clause

Necessary & Proper Clause

Allows Congress to make laws needed to carry out enumerated powers

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress power to regulate interstate and foreign trade

Logrolling

Trading votes between members of Congress

Casework

Helping constituents with federal problems

Pork barrel spending

Money for local projects to help a member’s district

Delegate model

Representatives vote how constituents want

Trustee model

Representatives use their own judgment

Politico model

Mix of trustee and delegate roles

Oversight

Congress monitoring the executive branch through hearings

Subpoena power

Congress can compel testimony or documents

Agenda setting

Deciding which issues Congress will consider

Incumbency advantage

Benefits current officeholders have in elections

Name recognition

Voters know incumbents from media exposure

Fundraising advantage

Incumbents raise more money than challengers

Franking privilege

Free mail for members of Congress

Safe district

District where one party easily wins

Marginal district

Competitive district within ~5%

Reapportionment

Redistribution of House seats after the census

Redistricting

Redrawing congressional district lines in states

Gerrymandering

Drawing districts to favor a party or group

Packing

Concentrating a group in one district

Cracking

Splitting a group across districts

Baker v. Carr

Allowed courts to hear redistricting cases (“justiciable”)

One person, one vote

Districts must have roughly equal populations

Wesberry v. Sanders

Applied one person, one vote to House districts

Reynolds v. Sims

Applied population equality to state legislatures

Shaw v. Reno

Race cannot be the main factor in drawing districts

Strict scrutiny

Highest review standard

must have compelling interest

Rucho v. Common Cause

Partisan gerrymandering is not reviewable by federal courts

Shelby County v. Holder

Struck down VRA preclearance formula

Standing committee

Permanent committee that handles specific policy areas

Select committee

Temporary committee for a specific purpose

Joint committee

Committee with members from both chambers

Conference committee

Reconciles House and Senate versions of a bill

Committee chair

Majority party leader of a committee

Seniority system

Chairs chosen by longest service on committee

Ranking member

Top minority-party member on a committee

House Rules Committee

Sets debate rules and amendment limits for bills

Open rule

Allows amendments

Closed rule

No amendments allowed

Modified rule

Only some amendments allowed

Committee of the Whole

Faster, easier House floor debate with lower quorum

Germane amendment

Amendment must relate to the bill’s topic

Rider

Unrelated amendment added to a bill (allowed in Senate)

Christmas tree bill

Bill with many riders

Filibuster

Endless debate to block a vote in the Senate

Cloture

Ends a filibuster with 60 votes

Quorum

Minimum number needed to do business

Pocket veto

President kills bill by not signing and Congress adjourns

War Powers Act

Requires president to notify Congress before troop deployment

Pigeonholing

Committee kills a bill by ignoring it

Discharge petition

Forces a House bill out of committee with 218 signatures

Citizens United v. FEC

Allowed unlimited independent spending by corporations and unions

Buckley v. Valeo

Spending money in campaigns = protected speech

U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton

States cannot impose term limits on Congress

Revolving door

Officials become lobbyists after leaving government

Lobbying

Trying to influence government decisions