period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business
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\__ sessions of congress per term
2
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\__ session per year
1
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convenes
begins
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adjourns
suspends until the next session
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recess
a time when both houses of Congress temporarily suspend business
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sine die
finally ending a session
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prorogue
to discontinue a session
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special session
a meeting to deal with some emergency situation (Only the President may call Congress into a "special session")
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\___ is the start of each 2 year termof congress
Jan 3 (noon every odd numbered year)
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approportioned
distributed
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Reapportion
redistribute
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off-year election
congressional election that occurs between presidential election years
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single-member district
An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official.
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at large
elected from the state as a whole, rather than from a particular district
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packing
pack as many voters from the opposing party into a single district as possible
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cracking
happens when the party in power splitsup the voters who support the opposing party. Resultsin the minority party winning fewer seats
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Kiddnapping
happens when the party in powere draws the district lines to move a minority party incumbent into a different district where he or she is less likely to win reelection
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Gerrymandered
drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the State's legislature
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formal qualifications to be a house member
at least 25 yrs old
citizen in the US for at least 7 yrs
inhabitant of the state from which he or she is elected
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incumbent
the current officeholder
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average amount of $ spent on congressional campaigns in 2010
1.4 million
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Term for House of Representatives
2 years
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Term for Senate
6 years
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Upper House of Congress
Senate
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Lower House of Congress
House of Representatives
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Only \_________of senators´ terms expire every two years
1/3
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continuous body
all of the seats are never up for election at the same time
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Constituencies
the people and interests the senators represent
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Qualifications for Senate
minimum age 30, U.S.
citizen for 9 years,
resident of the state represented
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5 major roles of congress
\-Legislators-
Representatives of their constituents
\-Committee members
\-Servants of their constituents
\-Politicians
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delagates
vote based on what the people they represent want
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trustees
lawmakers who vote based on their conscience and judgment, not the views of their constituents
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Partisans
vote along party lines
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Politicos
Attempt to combine the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles
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bill
a proposed law
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floor consideration
the consideration of and action on a bill by the full membership of the House or Senate
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most congressmen are paid
$174000 per year
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franking privilege
Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free
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\___ people work for the legislative branch
30000
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congress appropriates about \___ to fund its many sided operations
$5 billion
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Speaker of the House
the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives
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President of the Senate
Vice President. presiding officer, only votes to break a tie (tbh they don´t do much)
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President Pro Tempore
serves in the VP´s absence, always a leading member of the majority, usually the longest serving member, follows the Speaker of the house in presidential sucession (they also dont do much tbh)
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why is congress a political body?
* it is the nation´s centeral policy making body * it is partisan (congress parties more than i do )
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party caucus
a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house
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floor leaders
the chief officers of the majority and minority parties in each house
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majority floor leader
the floor leader of the party that holds the majority of seats in each house of Congress
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minority floor leader
Floor leader of the party that holds the minority of seats in each house of Congress
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whips
assists the floor leaders
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committee chairman
member who heads a standing committe in each chamber
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seniority rule
A legislative practice that assigns the chair of the committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee.
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standing committtee
A permanent committee in Congress, with a defined legislative jurisdiction.
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subcommittees
divisions of standing committees that do most of the committee's work
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\___ is the ¨traffic cop¨
house rules committee
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select committee
Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose.
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joint committe
A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.
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conference committee
special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate
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joint __resolution__s
When passed have the force of law
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concurrent resolutions
measures in which both houses of Congress address matters that affect the operations of both chambers. dont require POTUS approval
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resolutions
deal with matters concerning either house alone and are taken up only by that house. not sent to POTUS for approval
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rider
A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat.
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pigeonholed
a bill stuck in a House or Senate committee
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discharge petition
Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.
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Quorum
The minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action
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engrossed
printed in its final form
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\___ measures introduced
10778
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\__ measures reported by committtee
971
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\___ measures passed
1, 315
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\___ measures made into publc laws
383
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Filibuster
talk a bill to death
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cloture
A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate. need 3/5 vote
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veto
Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature
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\__ vote needed to override a veto
2/3
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pocket veto
congress ajorns its session within 10 days of submiting a bill to the POTUS and the POTUS doesnt act, bill dies
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\__ independents in the house
3
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Current Speaker of the House
Kevin McCarthy
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current majority in the senate
Republicans
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current majority in the House
democrats
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current minority in the senate
democrats
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current minority in the house
republicans
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\___ and \___ committees are permanent
standing, joint
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\__ and \__ committees are temporary
select, conference
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\___ and \___ committes have members from both houses
joint, conference
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\___ and \___ committees have members from one house
select, standing
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the 5 kinds of govs
\-town
\-fed
\-senate
\-county
\-district
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Fed excusive powers
DC WATTS of Fed Property and Interstate Commerce Power
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DC WATTS
* District of Colombia * Currency and Coins * War * Adimrality * Treaties * Taxes for the general welfare * Spending for the general welfare
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State and Local exclusive powers
police powers
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police powers
* public welfare
* public safety * public health * public morals
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implied powers are implied in the
delegated/expressed powers
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implied powers are from the
necessary and proper clause
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state govs are \__ under the Fed
not
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concurrent powers
* tax and spend INTRAstate * tax and spend INTERstate * state and fed courts