American Government Unit 4
Necessary and Proper Clause- why have it?
Congress has the power to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing power and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or office thereof;" provides vitality and adaptability
How did Wesberry v. Sanders change the makeup of Congress?
Constitution demands that the States draw congressional districts of substantially equal populations
Who is the Minority Leader of the House?
Nancy Pelosi
Who is the Minority Whip of the House?
Steny Hoyer
Significance of committees, house rules committee?
committees help to organize the most important work of Congress- considering, shaping, and parring laws to govern the nation; controls the flow of bills to the floor and sets the conditions for their consideration there
What are the key sources of Congress' foreign relations power?
expressed powers of the constitution, war powers, inherenent powers
What is a quorum?
fewest number of members who must be present for a legislative body to conduct business
What changes did the Reapportionment Act of 1929 create for the House?
the "permanent" House size is 435 members; Census Bureau determines the number of representatives each state has; President sends Bureau's plan to Congress; if neither house rejects it in 60 days, it is effective
Explain how House seats are reapportioned among the states after each Census
the Census Bureau determines the number of seats each State should have based on population
Reapportionment Act of 1929
the Census Bureau determines the number of seats each State should have; when the Bureau's plan is ready, the President must send it to Congress; if, within 60 days of receiving it, neither house rejects it, it becomes effective
Explain the voting options for trustees
the believe each question must be decided on its own merits regardless of views held by constituents
Explain the role of servants of their constituents
they assist constituents with bureaucratic and ceremonial tasks
Explain the voting options for politicos
they attempt to combine delegate, trustee, and partisan roles with their own view of what is best for constituents and nation
Explain the role of politicians
they balance interests of constituents and political parties
What are the major steps in how a bill becomes a law?
1. Introduction -A law is seen as a necessity by the people, so they have their representatives create a bill. The bill is introduced to the House of Representatives by handing it to the clerk; it is introduced in the Senate by gaining the presiding officer's recognition to announce the bill 2. Committee Action - A bill is assigned to a subcommittee by a chairperson. Hearing can be held, and reports are spoked to the full committee by subcommittees. After it is voted on by the full committee, revisions and additions are implemented. The bill is then sent to the floor with a written report explaining why they favor the bill. The Rules Committee, in the HOR only, review the bill. 3. Floor Action -The bill is brought to the floor for discussion. In the House, the Speaker and Majority leader decide what will reach the floor and when it will reach the floor. The debate is limited by the Rules Committee, guided by the sponsoring committee, and, ultimately, voted on. In the Senate, the majority leader or a majority of the Senate schedules the floor action for a bill. The debate is unlimited with uses of clotures and filibusters. The bill is, ultimately, voted on. It must pass either house or it dies. If it passes both houses, then the president receives it. If different versions of the bills are passed, then the Conference Committee receives it 4. Conference Committee - Members of both houses make up the committee. They compromise and prepare the written conference report and submit it to each chamber. The new report must be approved by both houses 5. Presidential Action -The president has four choices. He can sign the bill and make it a law. He can veto the bill and send it back to Congress where, with a majority, they can make the bill into a law. He can wait 10 days while Congress is still in session and it will become a law. He can wait 10 days while Congress is not is session and it will not become a law (pocket veto)
What are the 4 options the president has when receiving a bill that has passed both houses?
1. sign the bill 2. veto the bill 3. allow the bill to become a law without signing it- by not acting on it within 10 days of receiving it 4. pocket veto
Senate characteristics- size and terms
100 members; 6 years
What are the 3 formal qualifications for election to the House?
25 years old; citizen of the US for 7 years; inhabitant of state from where elected
Describe the size and the elective terms of the members of the House
435 members; 2 year term
House characteristics- size and terms
435 members; 2 years
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Just recently, a new law was passed that allows illegal aliens who have resided in the US for five continuous years and can prove they have a job the right to become a US citizen
Citizenship
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Last year as in many other years, a few hundred naturalized citizens lose their citizenship because of federal crimes committed
Citizenship
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the huge deficit in the national budget caused by the war, the government has decided to raise taxes by 5%
Economic Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the oil problems in Texas, the Federal Government has decided to change the requirements on who can file for bankruptcy
Economic Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the stock market "crash" in October of 1987, the Federal Government has decided to reduce the deficit by $25 billion
Economic Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Last Monday in New York City, there were over $30 million worth of treasury bonds sold to the public
Economic Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Since the Tylenol poisonings, the Federal Government had required all health related products that are shipped between states to have safety seals placed under all lids
Economic Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: There is a proposal before the US government to re-start the making of $20 gold pieces
Economic Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of a close electoral vote in 1801, Thomas Jefferson was chosen to be President of the US by a means other than Population
Electoral Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: In 1974, Gerald Ford became President after Richard Nixon's resignation. That that same year, Gerald Ford named Nelson Rockerfeller his VP. Rockerfeller was approved within a very short amount of time
Electoral Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: When Spiro Agnew resigned as Richard Nixon's VP, a new VP had to be selected and approved
Electoral Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the conflict in the Iraq War, the military draft has been reinstated for men and women between the ages of 18 and 25
Foreign Relations and War Powers
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the conflict in the Persian Gulf and several attacks by Iran on the US fleet in the Gulf, war was declared on Iran
Foreign Relations and War Powers
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of its importance to world peace, the US now has a treaty with Russia that requires both sides to reduce the number and size of their nuclear weapons
Foreign Relations are War Powers
Who is the President of the Senate?
Joe Biden
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the amount of Top Secret information that has been given to the Soviets, a new law has been passed that sets a minimum sentenced of twenty years for anyone convicted of espionage
Judicial Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the large growth in the Southwest, and in particular Phoenix, an additional Federal District Court has been established in East Phoenix
Judicial Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Because of the several reported cases of bribes being accepted by Mr. IX Bribe, a federal judge, charges are brought against the judge
Judicial Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Just last week, Mario Sljivic was turned down as the next Supreme Court member
Judicial Power
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: VP Lindsey Schmitz was recently removed from office for his involvement in selling information to a foreign country
Judicial Power
Who is the Majority Leader of the House?
Kevin McCarthy
Who is the Speaker of the House?
Paul Ryan
Compare the roles of the presiding officers in the House and the Senate
SOH- part of the majority party, presides, order, debates (rarely), votes (rarely), president if something happens to president and VP; POS- VP, Senate does not choose, not a member of body, cannot debate, only votes in case of tie; PPT- elected by Senate, majority party member, serves in VP's absence
How do senators differ from their colleagues in the HOR (include size, term)?
Senate- 100 members, 6 year term; HOR- 435 members, 2 year term
17th amendment
Senators have to be elected by voters in each state at regular November elections, rather than State legislators; only one senator is elected in any election; at-large election
Who is the Majority Whip of the House?
Steven Scalise
Impeachment process within Congress
a majority (2/3) of the members of the House must vote for these charges in order to impeach a president
What is a bill?
a proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration
What is a rider? What is another name for them?
a provision not likely to pass on its own merit that is attached to an important measure certain to pass; earmarks
What are the duties of the party whips?
assistant floor leaders- serve as the liaison, a two-way link between the party's leader ship and its rank-and-file members
What is the role of the whips?
assistant to the floor leaders, responsible for monitoring and marshaling votes
Qualifications of HOR
at least 25 years old; citizen of the US for at least 7 years; inhabitant of state you are representing
Qualifications for the Senate
at least 30 years old; citizen of the US for at least 9 years; inhabitant of the state you are representing
What are the 3 qualifications for a Senator?
at least 30 years old; lived in the US for at least 9 years; inhabitant of the State from which they are elected
Bill vs. Resolution
bill is a proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration; resolution is a measure relating to the business of either house of Congress or expressing an opinion
Why does the House have 5 different calendars to schedule bills on?
bills are taken from each of these calendars for consideration on a regularly scheduled basis
Borrowing power- limits?
borrowing involves using money to finance projects that are not in the budget; there are no limits but borrowing can lead to debt
Why does the Constitution provide for a bicameral legislature?
both large and small states get the representation they want and one group does not control everything
Bankruptcy power
congress has passed laws that protect bother creditors and debtors
Copyrights and patents- what role does Congress play with them?
copyright- exclusive right to an author for the publication and resale of their work (effective for 70+ years); patent- exclusive right to a person to manufacture, use, or sell any new invention (effective for 20 years); Congress shall promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts by securing exclusive right to their respective writing and discoveries, they give copyright and patents and protect their rights
What is a concurrent resolution?
deals with matters in which the House and Senate must act jointly; they do not have the force of law and do not require the President's signature
Which power of Congress, if any, is involved: Just recently, the US passed a law requiring all children, of American parents, who are born overseas to pass a citizenship test
don't have this power
Unanimous consent agreements, filibuster, cloture
everyone involved or voting agrees on the decision being made; a stalling tactic in which senators monopolize the Senate floor with talk and other delays so a bill cannot be brought to a vote; a procedure to limit or end a floor debate
What is gerrymandering and why do politicians gerrymander?
gerrymandering is the drawing of districts to the advantage of the political party that controls the State's legislature; to concentrate the opposition's voters in one/a few districts, to spread the opposition as thinly as possible among several districts, to secrete position on Congress
Gerrymandering, redistricting, reapportionment
gerrymandering- the drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group; redistricting- the drawing of electoral district lines where, in many states, the state legislature is responsible for the lines and can be subject to approval by the state governor; reapportionment-the drawing of electoral district lines often in response to population changes determined by the results of a new census
What is a pocket veto?
if congress adjourns its session within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, and the president does not act, the measure dies
Explain Wesbury v. Sanders
it demanded that States draw congressional districts of substantially equal populations rather than by voters for a party; it redrew the lines
How do joint committees differ from conference committees?
joint committees perform investigative of house keeping duties; conference committees iron out differences in *bills* from both houses
Joint and conference committees- characteristics of each?
legislative committee composed of members of both houses; temporary joint committee created to reconcile any differences between the two houses' version of a bill
What is a joint resolution?
legislative measure that requires approval by the Senate and the House and is presented to the President for his approval or disapproval
What are the major roles of a member of Congress?
legislator, representative of their constituents, committee member, servants of their constituents, politicians
What is the role of the majority leader?
member of the majority party, helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, tries to keep member of the party in line
What is the role of the minority leader?
member of the minority party, plan party strategy, confers with the other party leaders, tries to keep members of the party in line
Importance of commerce power- limits? Gibbons v. Ogden
no enumerated power has justified more exercises of congressional power than the power to regulate commerce among serval states; New Jersey tried to stop Gibbons form competing with them in ferrying passengers
What are the 7 informal qualifications for election to the House?
party identification; name familiarity; gender; ethnic group; political experience; incumbent; fundraising
What is a constituent?
person representatives are representing
What is the role of the Speaker of the House?
presiding officer of the HOR, chosen by the HOR, member of the majority party
What is the role of the President Pro Tempore?
presiding officer of the Senate in POS's absence, member of the Senate, member of the majority party
What is the role of the President of the Senate?
presiding officer of the Senate; VP
Explain the 2 types of bills
public bills- measures applying to the nation as a whole; private bills- measures that apply to certain persons or places rather than to the entire nation
Explain the difference between a single-member district seat and an at-large seat
single member- voters in each district elect one of the State's representatives; at large- elected from the State as a whole
Explain how the standing committees function
standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measure for consideration by their respective Congressional chambers
Iron triangles?
sub-governments: legislative committee, interest group, bureaucratic agency
Power of the purse- tax, purposes
tax- taking public money for government use; pays for many public services that serve and protect citizens
What are the terms and sessions of Congress?
term- 2 year period of time during which Congress meets; session- period of time each year during which Congress assembles and conducts business
Describe the difference between a term, a session, and a special session in Congress
term- 2 year period of time in which Congress meets; session- period of time each year during which Congress assembles/conducts business; special session- extraordinary session of a legislative body, called to deal with an emergency
Describe the Senate's rules for debate including filibuster and cloture
the debate is unlimited and a cloture, or a motion to limit debate which needs 60 votes to end a filibuster, can be used to end a filibuster, or an attempt to defeat a bill by talking indefinitely
What is seniority rule?
the longest serving majority party member of a committee is almost always the head of the committee
Currency Power
the power to coin money; coining money= determing the types of currency to use and make and regulating its past worth
Explain the voting options for delegates
they are willing to suppress their views, party's leadership views, and colleague's arguments to vote in accordance with the constituent's wishes
Explain the role of representatives of their constituents
they be the people's representative on important matters
Explain the voting options for partisans
they believe the first allegiance is to their political party
Describe the duties and responsibilities of the House Rules Committee
they determine how a bill will come to the floor of the House for a vote
How does a typical senator's constituency differ from that of a typical representative in the House?
they rely on the senators for help
Explain the role of committee member
they serve on committees that screen proposals for floor consideration
War power- who do they share this with?
they share this with the president but only congress can declare war
Explain the role of legislator
they study proposals, draft legislation, and frame public policies
Why did the 17th amendment change the way senators are elected?
they were corrupt so we needed a new way to elect honest senators
What is the purpose of gerrymandering?
they would have an advantage of the political party that controls the State's legislature; the opponent's chance of winning would be limited
Identify the purpose of the party caucus
to deal mostly with matters of party organization such as the selection of the party's floor leaders and questions of committee membership
