AP Government: Chapter 8: Organization and Power of Congress
How many Senators are in the US Congress? How many does each state have?
- 100 Senators - 2 Senators per state
Define Gerrymandering and explain why it can be controversial.
- Process of drawing district lines in favor of the party in power
Who is the leader of the House of Representatives and what powers does he or she hold?
- The Speaker - Power to recognize members: house members cannot take the floor to speak unless recognized by the speaker, the speaker can control the debate on a bill and eventually kill it. - Power to interpret house rules: refer to bills to favorable committees, appoint special and conference committee members, and delay or speed up the passage of legislation.
Explain the function of the majority and minority party leaders in Congress. (5)
- To manage on all business before the house and senate - To coordinate the work of congressional committees - To choose the speakers who are doing to debate a particular bill - To work with the rules committee to move bills onto the floor - To organize party members so that the party is unified on important votes
What is a bicameral congress?
- a legislature made up of two houses
What is the function of the legislative branch?
- to make laws
List and explain 4 functions of a bicameral congress.
1.) Serves as a Brake: Bills must be approved by both houses meeting separately. This means that there is less of a chance for an unwise decision to be made. 2.) Prevents Sectional Legislation: Prevents the passage of laws that might work against the best interests of other sections of the country. A bill can be killed by the Senate 3.) Provides Different Viewpoints: Members of the house are forced to respond immediately to the public because they are elected every two years. Senators who have 6 year terms have more time to examine a bill. 4.) Provides Time for Review: Most new bills take time to go through both houses. This give everyone (the public, the media, and congress) time to study and criticize a bill before it becomes a law.
List 3 reasons as to why we have a bicameral congress.
1.) Unicameral legislatures have not worked out well for us. 2.) common belief that a two house law making body was essential for checks and balances. 3.) dispute over representation was solved by the Connecticut Compromise.
How long is the Speaker's term in office?
2 years
How many representatives are in Congress?
435
What is the President Pro Tempore?
A senator who presides over the Senate when the vice presidency is vacant or when the vice president is absent.
What is the function of the Party Whip?
Assist the floor leaders in each house. Act as assistant floor leaders to line up votes for or against a given bill. (Literally the bitch)
What are the terms of service for both the House of Representatives and the Senate?
House: - 2 year terms Senate: - 6 year terms
List the age, citizenship, and residence requirements for the House and the Senate
House: - 25 years or older - must be a US citizen for at least 7 years - must be a resident of the state he or she represents Senate: - 30 years or older - must be a US citizen for at least 9 years - must be a resident of the state he or she represents.
Why is the US Census so important to each state when it comes to reapportionment?
Makes the drawing of district lines much more fair
Why do we have a committee system in Congress?
Some bills are over 400 pages in length, too hard to study all in depth and too hard to inform the public, committees give legislator a chance to concentrate on one or two areas of legislation that especially interest them.
Who serves as President of the Senate?
The VP
Describe the amount of work the VP does as the head of the Senate.
VP seldom presides over the Senate unless a close vote on an important bill is expected. May not take part in debates, but casts the deciding vote in case of ties.
