unit 4 government

bicameral

what term means two houses?

1. they were familiar with british, colonial, and early state practices
2. they agreed to the connecticut compromise
3. they hoped one house would check the other

what are the 3 reasons why the framers made Congress bicameral?

2 years

how long is a term of Congress

2

how many regular sessions are there in each term of congress?

house of representatives

which of the two chambers of congress is larger?

435

how many members/seats are in the house of representatives?

every 10 years

how often does the federal government conduct a census?

census

the process of counting the population of the U.S. is known as…

at least 1

how many seats in the House does each state have?

Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Alaska, Delaware, and Vermont

what are the 7 states with only one seat in the House?

2 years

How long is the term of office for members of the House of Representatives?

At least 25 years old, citizen of the U.S. for the past 7 years, resident of the state in which they represent

What are the qualifications for members of the House of Representatives?

one person one vote

The Supreme Court ruled that the districts must be drawn in accord with the ____ rule

2

How many Senators should each state have?

100

how many senators are in the US?

535

what is the total number of members of Congress?

6 years

How long is the term of office for Senators?

at least 30 years old, citizen of the US for the past 9 years, resident of the state in which they represent

what are the qualifications for members of the Senate?

1. legislators
2. representatives
3. servants of their constituents
4. committee members
5. politicians

members of congress are:

trustees, delegates, partisans, and politicos

what are the 4 behavioral styles of Congress?

trustees

those whose decisions are based solely on their best judgments.

delegates

those who follow the wishes of their constituents

partisans

those who feel duty-bound to support their parties’ position

politicos

those who try to balance these roles as situations demand

A congress with 2 houses

What is a bicameral Congress?

2 years

How long is a term for Congress?

2

How many regular sessions are in a term?

population

How is the number of members in the HOR established?

every 10 years

How often is the population determined by means of the census?

2030

What year will the next census be taken?

100

How many Senators are currently serving?

article 1

Which Article of the Constitution deals with Congress?

strict constructionists and liberal constructionists

which 2 groups were the first to debate the power of congress?

strict constructionists

led by Thomas Jefferson. This group wanted the power of Congress to be limited to just the wording in the constitution. A strict interpretation of the constitution.

liberal constructionists

led by Alexander Hamilton. This group wanted more power for Congress (a little more leeway to carry out the powers written in the constitution). a liberal interpretation of the constitution

liberal

the ___ constructionists won the early debates and this trend has continued even to today.

expressed powers

the powers granted to Congress that are written in the Constitution

1. tax
2. regulate commerce
3. coin and borrow money
4. create laws of bankruptcy
5. naturalize citizens
6. create a postal system
7. govern copyrights and patents
8. weights and measures
9. eminent domain

what are the 9 expressed powers of congress?

tax and regulate commerce

which two expressed powers of congress have been key to the growth of our nation?

implied powers

powers of Congress that aren’t written in the Constitution are called __

McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819)

which Supreme Court case approved the concept of implied powers?

the necessary and proper clause

Which clause gives congress the power to do what is necessary to carry out expressed powers

house

in certain circumstances the ____ may be called upon to select the president

Senate

the ____ may select the Vice President

house

the ___ has the power to impeach federal officers

senate

the ___ has the power to try all impeachments

Senate

the ____ has the power to confirm or reject major appointments or treaties made by the President

investigation

each house has a broad power of ____ (if they see anything in government that they feel is not right they can launch a full-scale investigation)

Thomas Jefferson

Who was the main person who led the strict constructionists?

Alexander Hamilton

Who led the liberal constructionists?

Necessary and Proper clause

What clause is the basis for implied powers?

January 3rd of every odd numbered year

when does Congress convene each new term?

choosing the speaker or president pro term, swearing in new members, adopting rules, and filling committee and organization posts

which organizational tasks are required on opening day in both Houses?

the speaker

Who presides over the House and is the dominant figure?

the vice president

who is the president of the Senate?

a tie

under what circumstances does the president of the Senate vote?

floor leaders, whips

In both houses, the parties’ organizations are headed by who? who are they assisted by?

standing, select, joint, and confrence

what are the 4 types of committees?

standing committee

Permanent committees in both houses

select committee

special, often temporary committees

joint committee

usually permanent, made up of members of both houses

confrence committee

Temporary, joint committee formed to work out differences in bills passed in Senate and House

17

how many standing committees does the Senate have?

19

how many standing committees does the House have?

a member of congress

who can introduce a bill?

standing committee

when a bill is introduced, where does it go first for debate?

subcommittee

where is a bill sent after the standing committee to be researched further?

standing committee

in the HOR, after the subcommittee researched the bill where is it reported to?

pigeonhole

to put a bill aside and not deal with it (it dies)

docket

calendar

House of Representatives

in which chamber is the Rules Committee a part of the law making process?

house of representatives

in this chamber the time is strict and the floor is monitored when a law is being passed

there is no rules committee and it is much less strict

how is the lawmaking process in the Senate different than the House of Representatives?

filibuster

to talk a bill to death (usually to stall the voting process of a bill)

the senate

in which chamber are filibusters common?

vote of cloture

vote by 3/5 of the Senate (60 people) to stop the filibuster

the Confrence Committee

if there is two versions of the same bill (house and senate) the two bills go to ____ to work out the differences and send it to the President

to the President

after a bill has passed both Houses of Congress, where is it sent?

1. sign it and it becomes a law
2. veto it and it goes back to the house where it originated
3. do not sign it and after 10 days it becomes a law anyway
4. pocket veto, not sign it and after 10 days if Congress adjourns within that 10 days, the bill dies

what 4 things can the President do with a bill?

2\.5%

what percent of laws actually make it through the whole process and become a law?

legislative

which branch of government is the Congress in?

select Committees

who is in charge of investigations from Congress?

house of representatives

Which house of Congress is considered the lower chamber?

both

Which house of Congress is the Conference Committee found?

gives congress implied powers

what does the necessary and proper clause do?

process of becoming a US citizen

what is the definition of naturalization

2

according to the constitution “each state will have ____ senators”

population

Number of members of house is determined by _____

president pro tem

What is the title of the leader of the senate?

speaker

what is the title of the leader of the house

house of representatives

where is the rules committee located?

makes sure new laws are constitutional and original

what does the rules committee do?

they die because they are pigeonholed

What happens to most bills in committee and why?

any committee

where can pigeonholes happen

the House of Representatives

Who impeaches federal officers?

right to an item/product

What does a patent protect?

right to a non-item (music, video)

what does a copyright protect?

the people that members of congress represent

What is a constituent?

house of representatives, they have time constraints

which house is more structured? how so?

conference committee

what is an example of joint committee