AP Gov Chapter #- Legislative Branch
Congress can override a President's veto with...
2/3 vote in both houses (however this rarely happens, as it is considered political suicide)
Committee of the Whole House
A meeting held in the chamber in which the full House of Commons considers the committee stage of a public bill
Caucus
A meeting of members of a political party/ specific interests
pork barrel spending
A provision in a bill that benefits a specific congressional constituency
Directory spending
38% of this year's budget; pays for everything else; Congressional committee decides how these are broken up; Largest category of spending is military;The need for money for human resources is growing
How many members are in the House of Representatives?
435
How many members are in Congress?
535. There are 435 in the House of Representatives and 100 in the Senate.
Senators serve ___ year terms
6
fiscal year
A 12-month pd, October through September, for planning the federal budget
Standing (Permanent) Committee
A committee within the House or Senate charged with considering bills within certain, specific subject areas. While the committees itself is permanent, its membership changes over time. (do most of the work in Congress)
Rules unique to the House
Debate is limited by any 1 Representative to an hour, The Speaker determines who speaks, The Committee of the Whole doesn't include all representatives and was created to lengthen debate among fewer people, Only 100 Representatives must be present for the Committee of the Whole
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
Defines the stages in reconciling the budget- changes to either revenue or spending by a simple majority in both houses w/ limited time for debate
Gerrymandering
Drawing boundary lines to give advantage to a particular party
Cacus
Elect respective leaders, set legislative agendas, and name committee members
earmark
Funds that an appropriations bill designates for a particular purpose within a state or congressional district
In case of a tie in an electoral college, the ____ gets to select a president
House
The first female reprsentitive who started her term in 1917
Jeannette Rankin of Montana
Rules unique to the Senate
Like the House, they may only address the presiding officer, however unlimited speaking time leads to filibusters, senators may talk as long as they want, but may not sit or take bathroom break
Politico Model
Members of Congress act as delegates or trustees depending on the issue (attempts to combine both models)
Omnibus Bill
One very large bill that encompasses many separate bills.
implied powers
Powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions.
Senate members were originally elected by...
State Legislatures
The Legislative Branch is bicameral, which refers to
The Congress being splint into two groups- the House based on population and a Senate based on equality
Senate Majority Leader
The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs the legislative program and party strategy, determines the legislative calendar, and overall wields more power than the vice president and the pro tem.
President Pro Tempore
a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president. (Orrin Hatch)
markup session
a meeting of a legislative committee at which members amend, or "mark up," a bill before putting it to a vote
Bill
a proposed law in waiting
Party-line vote
a vote in which a substantial majority of members of a political party vote the same way
Senate
advice and consent, recommend/reject Presidential nominees, foreign affairs, reach verdicts in impeachment cases
multiple referral
allowing both committees to address it simultaneously
Racial gerrymandering
has been used in recent years as a way of possibly suppressing minority voting; ruled unconstitutional in Shaw v Reno (1993)
What are the majority of Congressmen?
highly-payed college graduates (half are millionaires)
The Constitution assigns Congress specific, enumerated, or expressed powers. However, they also possess ________ powers
implied- not specifically spelled out
What affects the House and causes a reapportionment of seats by gains and losses in population?
the census
The Senate is fixed at ___ members per state
2
Every state in the Union is guaranteed ___ vote(s) in the House
1
To make the Senate a continuous body, only ____ of the body is up for election every two years
1/3 (addressed in Federalist no. 64)
How many members are in the Senate?
100 (2 per state)
How many women serve in Congress?
111
Senate members stopped being elected by State Legislators after the passage of the ___ Amendment in 1913
17th
House members serve ___ year terms
2
Speaker of the House
An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant. (Paul Ryan)
Office of Management and Budget
An office that prepares the president's budget and also advises presidents on proposals from departments and agencies and helps review their proposed regulations.
Which article of the Constitution defined Congress?
Article 1
What Article of the Constitution is Congress defined in?
Article I
advice and consent
The power of the Senate to consult and approve the presidents treaties and appointments.
enumerated powers
The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution.
What is the problem with House members only serving 2 year terms?
Their terms are so short that by the time they are elected, their campaigns begin again (which is where their energy and time is directed).
Congress as a whole is the least admired branch of Government because...
They directly affect us the most, especially with laws we don't agree with; mainly due to modern tech and media coverage
President of the Senate
Vice President (Mike Pence)
Whip
Walk around the floor and listen to keep the parties united
Essential Question: How does the structure and the Operation of the Legislative Branch reflect the United States' republican ideal?
We, as a country, directly vote for the members of Congress
What do committees do?
Write and review legislation; settle differences on bills passed in each house
constituency
a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body
Without the Congress's consent and declaration of war, the President can only have the military overseas for....
a certain amount of days (90 according to Mr. Wahl?)
Bills can be originated in either house, but bills on revenue must originate in _______
the House
War Powers Act of 1973
attempted to reign in some presidential powers relating to the military; President can still use the military without consenting Congress for, but with limitations, President usually has up to 90 days of combat situations without a formal declaration of war
Filibusters
attempts to talk a bill to death
Steering and Policy Committee (Dem.) and Committee on Committees (Repub.)
both determine which of their party's members are assigned to the standing committees
In order for a bill to be sent to the President...
both houses must approve an identical bill
discharge petition
can bring a bill out of a reluctant committee
Rules Committee
can easily dispose of a bill or define guidelines for a debate because it acts like a traffic cop to the House floor
Congress has the power to regulate...
commerce between the states and commerce to protect the environment
(Temporary) Select Committees
created for a specific but short lived process
Committee of the Whole
created to allow members to vote as a group rather than in an individual roll call and allow longer debate among fewer people; only 100 members must be present at a time
House
creates revenue (tax), have the power to impeach
Congress is the most _____ branch and the chief _____ branch
democratic; policy
Ways and Means Committee
determines tax policy
germane
directly related to the bill
House Judiciary Committee
drafts crime bills that define illegal behavior and outline appropriate punishments and handles impeachments
Mandatory spending
expenditures required by law or mandated; Include Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc.
Congress is in charge of...
foreign policies and overseeing the military (which it regulates, though the President is in charge)
1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
gave the President broad discretion in military matters
sequential referral
giving one committee priority over others
Sources of revenue for federal government
individual income tax, Corporate taxes, Social insurance taxes (payroll taxes), Tariffs and excise taxes- imports into the country/ alcohol and cigarettes, and Other sources- interest on government holding, investments, estate taxes on large amounts of inheritance
system of checks and balances in Congress helps...
keep an appropriate balance between majority rule and minority rights
conference chairs
lowest rung of leadership in the House
Committees
never mentioned in the Constitution, but present since the beginning; are divided into several categories
In order for a bill to pass into law, it must...
pass through both houses by a simple majority and then be signed by the President
House members represent...
smaller areas; as a result they are much closer to their constituents
budgets usually result in 1 of 2 things: a _____ or a _______
surplus; deficit
floor leader
the leader of a party in a legislative assembly. (majority and minority)
Reapportionment
the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census
Congressional Oversight
the task of overseeing the policies by the Executive Branch
What is the House designed to meet?
the will of the people
535 members of Congress have become increasingly diverse and representative of their constituents but...
they by no means mirror the ethnic, gender, or socioeconomic divisions in America at large
logrolling
trading votes to gain support for a bill (By agreeing to back someone's bill, members can get votes on their bill in return)
though the House can level impeachment charges, only the Senate can...
try an official for wrongdoing, reach judgement, and determine whether or not to remove an official from office
Joint-Permanent Committee
unite members from both houses
Trustee Model
use their best judgement despite what the constituency desires (especially used by the Senate)
delegate model
used by members trying to reflect the will of their constituency (especially used in the House)