Government

True

A conference committee consists of both senators and representatives.

False

A conference committee is an example of a party committee.

False

A state has to lose population to lose a seat in the U.S. House.

20; 16

About how many committees are their in the House? Senate?

False

All members of Congress must be appointed to a committee every new Congress (every two years)

710,000

Approximately how many constituents will be in each congressional district in 2010?

Speaker of the House

Assigns bills to committees in the House, recognizes speakers, rules on procedural matters and points of order, schedules legislation

True

Committees allow many pieces of legislation to be considered at the same time.

False

Congress meets for 140 days.

False

Congress normally uses the impeachment process to remove a member of the House or Senate.

True

Congress organizes itself along political party lines.

two years; January

Each Congress meets for how many years? What month does each session begin?

False

Each U.S. Senator represents approximately the same number of people/

False

Every ten years Congress redistricts the congressional seats throughout the fifty states.

32

How many members does Texas have in the U.S. House?

2

How many members does Texas have in the U.S. Senate?

3

How many members of congress represent you?

2

How many members of the Texas legislature represent you?

False

If a member has the longest continuos service and is a member of the majority party, there is no way the party can keep that member from becoming the committee chair.

False

If a state gains no additional congressman following reapportionment, there is no need for that state to redistrict.

False

If some states gain representatives, the total number of representatives must increase.

False

Illegal immigrants are not counted in the census.

Speaker of the House

Leader of the majority party in the House

minority leader

Leader of the minority party in the House

minority leader

Leader of the minority party in the Senate

whip

Makes sure party members are present for important votes

majority leader

Most powerful leadership position in the Senate

True

Much of the power of congressional leaders depends on their influence and personality rather then on formal powers.

Ways & Means, Appropriations, Rules; Finance, Appropriations, Judiciary, Foreign Relations.

Name the most prestigious committees in the House. Senate.

legislative passes laws, executive administers laws, judicial interprets laws.

Name the three branches of government and name the functions of each.

division of labor, specialization, screen legislation

Name three purposes served by standing committees in Congress?

False

Only the majority party caucus selects whips.

False

Party ratio determines the percentage of committee chairs that are Democrat or Republican.

president pro tem

Presiding officer in the Senate in the absence of the vice president

vice president

Presiding officer not chosen by party caucus

Speaker of the House

Presiding officer who votes on bills

majority leader

Schedules legislation and provides legislative leadership in the Senate

majority leader

Second in command in the House

False

Standing committees are dissolved as soon as their work is completed.

False

Standing committees have the same number of Democrats and Republicans.

False

Texas currently has 32 members in the U.S. Congress.

True

Texas gained 4 U.S. Representatives in the 2011 census.

2

Texas state representatives are elected for terms of how many years?

legislative districts

Texas state representatives represent geographical districts called what?

4

Texas state senators are elected for terms of how many years?

senatorial districts

Texas state senators represent geographical districts called what?

False

The "money" committees are more important in the House than the Senate.

False

The Constitution establishes the organization and rules of procedure for Congress.

True

The Constitution makes the vice president the president and presiding officer of the Senate.

False

The Constitution sets the maximum size of the House of Representatives.

True

The Rules Committee is necessary in the House because it is much larger than the Senate.

False

The Speaker of the House has more influence than the committees on most bills.

True

The Speaker of the House is always a member of the majority party in the House.

False

The Speaker usually appoints committee chairs in the House.

150

The Texas House of Representatives consists of how many members?

31

The Texas Senate consists of how many members?

False

The Texas legislature meets every year in January.

U.S. House, state house, state senate

The Texas legislature must redistrict for what three bodies?

435

The U.S. House of Representatives consists of how many members?

100

The U.S. Senate consists of how many members?

False

The committee chair is always the person with the longest continuous service on the committee.

False

The lieutenant governor is chosen as the presiding officer in the Texas state senate by the other 31 members of senate.

False

The majority party caucus chooses the presiding office in the Senate.

False

The president pro tem usually presides over Senate sessions.

False

The presiding officer in both the House and Senate assigns bills to committees and schedules legislation.

True

The presiding officer in the House is a more powerful position that that in the Senate.

False

The presiding officer in the House is largely a ceremonial position.

True

The presiding officer in the Senate is largely a ceremonial position.

True

The presiding officer in the Texas state house is the speaker.

False

The presiding officer in the Texas state senate is the vice president.

True

The presiding officers in the Texas Legislature have the power to appoint all committee members and committee chairs.

False

The purpose of select committees is to study and recommend legislation.

True

The respective party caucus choose most leadership positions in Congress.

False

The vice president is always a member of the majority party in the Senate.

True

The whips serve as the communication link between party leaders and rank-and-file members.

2

U.S. Representatives are elected for terms of how many years?

congressional districts

U.S. Representatives represent geographical districts called what?

6

U.S. Senators are elected for terms of how many years?

states

U.S. Senators represent geographical districts called what?

member preference, experience, background, political advantage and regional considerations

What are some of the factors considered in making committee appointments?

makes laws, Senate confirms presidential appointments, Senate ratifies treaties, propose constitutional amendments, pass the budget, and impeach and convict federal officials

What are the six functions of Congress?

must be a member of the majority party, longest continuos service on that committee, and approved by party caucus

What are the three criteria for selecting committee chairs?

U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators

What are the three members of Congress who represent you?

Senate and House of Representatives.

What are the two houses of Congress?

state representative and state senator

What are the two members of the Texas legislature who represent you?

impeach and convict; a majority vote by the House and a 2/3 vote by the Senate

What are the two steps required to remove a federal official and what is required of each step?

party ratio

What determines the number of Democrats and Republicans on each standing committee?

the percentage of Democrats and Republicans on each standing committee

What does party ratio determine?

a geographical region represented by a single individual

What is a single-member district?

it occurs every 10 years and it reallocates the 435 congressman among the fifty states

What is reapportionment and how often does it occur?

the state legislature redraws the boundary line for congressional districts within the states

What is redistricting and who performs it?

25 million

What is the approximate population of Texas today?

300 million

What is the approximate population of the U.S. today?

7; 11

What is the average number of committee/subcommittee assignments for a representative? For a senator?

Appropriations; same one, dummy.

What is the money committee that appropriates money in the House? Senate?

Ways & Means; Finance

What is the money committee that writes tax legislation in the House? Senate?

study and recommend legislation; work out compromises when the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill; conduct an investigation.

What is the purpose of a standing committee? Conference committee? Select committee?

conference committee

What type of committee consists of both senators and representatives?

in the general election in November of even-numbered years

When are members of Congress elected?

in the general election in November of even-numbered years

When are members of the Texas legislature elected?

U.S. Senators -- both senators represent the entire state

Which office in the U.S. Congress does not represent single-member districts?

conference and select committees

Which two types of committees are abolished as soon as their job is completed?

each house

Who establishes the rules for the organization and procedure for Congress?

committee on committees; freshman and veterans wishing to change committees.

Who make committee appointments? Committee assignments are made for which two groups every new session of Congress?

they screens out legislation which is less important and when bills reach the floor the other members usually follow the recommendation of the committee or subcommittee

Why are committees and subcommittees powerful in Congress?