legislature test

Unit 4 Test (Congress) – Things to Know

1. Apportionment/census/reapportionment/redistrict – Assigning House seats based on census; redrawing districts.
   
   

2. Baker v. Carr – Courts can hear redistricting cases ("one person, one vote").
   
   

3. Congressional Leadership – Includes Speaker (House), Majority Leader (Senate), etc.
   
   

4. Filibuster – Senate tactic to delay a vote.
   
   

5. Gerrymandering – Drawing districts to favor a party.
   
   

6. How a bill becomes a law – Introduced → committees → votes → president.
   
   

7. Incumbency advantage – Sitting members have better chance of reelection.
   
   

8. Logrolling – Trading votes on bills.
   
   

9. Pork barrel legislation – Spending that benefits a member’s district.
   
   

10. Powers of the Senate and House – Senate: treaties, appointments; House: revenue bills.
    
    

11. Qualifications for House and Senate – House: 25 yrs, 7-yr citizen; Senate: 30 yrs, 9-yr citizen.
    
    

12. Shaw v. Reno – Race-based gerrymandering unconstitutional.
    
    

13. Types of Congressional Committees – Standing (permanent), Select (temporary), Conference (resolves bill differences).
    
    

14. Veto process – President rejects bill; Congress can override with 2/3 vote.
    
    

15. Voting models –
    
    

    • Trustee: vote by own judgment
      
      

    • Delegate: vote by constituents' views
      
      

    • Partisan: vote by party
      
      

    • Politico: mix of all three