AP Gov Unit 5: Congress

who is the leader of the Senate and what is their responsibility?

(it's really Joe Biden but the president Pro Tempore is...) Patrick Leahy. The Constitution provides for a president pro tempore to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president.

what are the requirements to serve in the House?

-25 years old -citizen for 7 years, state resident -resident of the state they are representing

what are the requirements to serve in the Senate?

-30 years old -citizen for 9 years -state resident

Seniority System

-Chairman: belongs to the majority party and holds most seniority -Ranking member: belongs to the minority party and hold most seniority -Subcommittee chairs:

Rules

-Open - You are allowed to change anything on the bill -Closed - You cannot change the bill at all -Modified - specific-designated discussion time, what you can change, number of amendments allowed

Types of Committees

-Standing Committee- subject-matter committee in each house of congress that directs different policies; where bills go first -Select Committee- some temporary, specific for a pressing current issue; disappears once issue has been thoroughly investigated ex: watergate committee The aging, intelligence and ethics select committees are PERMANENT. -Conference Committee- In house and senate; Conference on different mark up bills to clarify and redo parts of a bill that are not the same in both houses of congress. -Joint Committee- House and Senate work together

Committee ratio

-The committees match the ratios of congress of majority party vs. minority party -Majority leader of a committee- majority party leader of a committee (from seniority most likely) -ranking member of a committee- non-majority leader of a committee

what is the legislative process in the House?

-bill is proposed -referred to house committee -referred to subcommittee -reported by full committee -rules committee action -House debate, vote on passage -conference action (joint committee) -send to senate

Presidential succession

1) vice president 2) speaker of the house 3) president pro tempore of Senate 4) secretary of state (members of cabinet)

what is the legislative process in the Senate?

1. after referred by the House, it is assigned a number and referred to VP 2. VP assigns to senate committee 3. referred to subcommittee 4. reported by full committee 5. senate debates, votes on passage 6. conference action (joint committee) 7. president signs or vetoes the bill *Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote

how much do Congress members get paid?

174,000

mace

5 ft. tall stick. When it's up, it means the House is in session (this might be gratuitous but!!! it's ddub so that means ur never truly safe)

how many people are needed in a district in order for that district to have a Representative?

710,000

How assignments are made in committees

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How member view their roles/responsibilities

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factors that influence one's committee membership initially and through a career

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caucus

A Democratic meeting of any kind

conference

A Republican meeting of any kind

calendar

A schedule that lists the order in which the bills will be considered in Congress. House and Union. Union deals with money, House deals with everything else.

A.A.

Administrative Assistant. More like a personal assistant

informal structure of congress

Anything Congress does that is NOT explicitly stated in Article 1 of the Constitution

formal structure of Congress

Anything congress does that is explicitly stated in Article 1 of the Constitution

Are Congress members reflective of American Society?

Besides in terms of religion, congress people do not represent the population in terms of race, gender, etc.

reciprocity aka logrolling

Congress members from different committees trade votes

Wesberry v. Sanders

Congressional districts must be drawn to represent equal population in each district

Legislative Assistant

Helps Congress member understand policy.

Original vs contemporary election in both chambers

House - "closer to the people" - always: directly elected by the people Senate - original: elected by state legislators, contemporary: directly elected by people (17th amendment)

where do tax bills start?

House: Ways and Means Committee

Minority Whip

John Cornyn

L.A.

Legislative Assistant. Does research, etc.

who is Kevin McCarthy and what is his responsibility?

Majority Leader. Lead speaker for the majority party during floor debates, develops the calendar, assists the president or speaker with program development, policy formation and policy decisions.

who is Nancy Pelosi, and what is her responsibility?

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Develops the minority position, negotiates with the majority party, directs minority caucus activities on the chamber floor, leads debate for the minority

Where are the implied powers of Congress listed?

Necessary and Proper Clause/Elastic Clause, TDR used with "big stick" policy

floor managers

Person responsible for guiding a bill through floor debate and the amending process up to the vote on the final passage

Baker vs Carr

Precedent: Allows courts in intervene and decide on redistricting issues

discipline of members of congress

Reprimand, Censure, or Expulsions (Article 1 Section 8) -Reprimand- slap on the wrist, note in your file -Censure- suspended -Expulsion- rare

Gingrich/Republican Revolution of 1994

Republicans took both House and Senate for the first time in 40 years

One man, one vote

Requires equal population in congressional districts and orders lines to be redrawn when necessary

Majority Whip

Richard Durbin

Basic differences between chambers

See google doc

who is John Boehner, and what is his responsibility?

Speaker of the House. From majority party, recognizes members who wish to speak, rules on questions of parliamentary procedure, appoints members to select and conference committees, directs business on the floor, etc

who is the minority whip and what is their responsibility?

Steny Hoyer. Assist the minority leader on the floor, count votes, ensure attendance of minority party members

who is the majority whip and what is their responsibility?

Steve Scalise. The majority leader schedules the daily legislative program and fashions the unanimous consent agreements that govern the time for debate.

hopper

The box in the House where bills are dropped off. *In the Senate, there is no Hopper; senators hand their bill to a clerk a the rostrum

congressional record

The daily publication issued each day the House and Senate are in session. Contains everything said on the House and Senate floor that day.

Committee jurisdiction

The subjects and functions assigned to a committee by rule, resolution, precedent, or practice, including legislative matters, oversight and investigations, and nominations of executive officers.

Purpose of the Committee System

To organize the most important work of the Congress

general characteristics of members of House and Senate

White, old, male

censure

a Congress member loses their leadership position as a punishment

expulsion

a member of Congress is expelled

reprimand

a slap on the wrist; note on the file for something wrong that a Congress member does

who can come up with the idea for a bill?

anyone

select committees

appointed for a specific purpose (ex: Watergate)

what are the power committees in the Senate?

appropriations, foreign relations, judiciary

what are the power committees in the House?

appropriations, rules, ways and means

where are the express powers of Congress listed?

article 1 section 8 (first 17 lines). Can only do what is explicitly stated in constitution, used by Taft

whip

assistant majority/minority leader. Pressures other Congress members to vote for certain bills

how is the ratio for committees determined?

based on the ratio of the House or Senate

how were Senators originally elected?

before 17th amendment, senators were elected by *state legislatures.* Now, senators are chosen by direct popular election.

pigeonholed

bill dies in the committee

clean bill

bill sent back to committee after it has been marked up; they will decide what to do with it

impeachment

bringing charges of wrongdoing against a govt official

what is the head of a committee's title?

chairman (of the majority party)

where does the work get done in Congress?

committees

joint committees

committees on a few subject matter areas with membership drawn from both houses

apportionment

distribution of representatives among the states based on the population of each state

gerrymandering

drawing districts to keep a party in favor, unfairly

conference committees

formed when the House and Senate pass a particular bill in different forms. Party leadership appoints members from each house to *iron out the differences and bring back a single bill*

the House has a ____ ____, but the Senate does not

germaneness rule

pages

high school aged students that work in D.C. as messenger boys/girls

What are some perquisites for Congress members?

housing allowance, franking privilege, travel allowance, staff allowance, free parking at DC airports, gym memberships, restraunts in DC area

What is the most considerable factor for winning an election and why?

incumbency, because of the advantages of experiences, record to run on, name recognition, PACs give more support, war chest. Incumbents win 90% of the time

ranking member

leader of the minority party in committee

Clinton v. City of New York

line veto power ruled unconstitutional

mark up session

marking up the bills; editing them

war chest

money from previous election not spent

filibuster

only happens in the Senate. To talk a bill to death. Most effective at the end of a session

Congressional Staff

perk of Congress, ?

trustee

politicians that believe they know better than the constituents

redistricting

practice of redrawing district lines

pocket veto

president leaves bill for 10 days and if Congress adjourns, the bill is vetoed. Mitigates his liability

bill

proposed law

logrolling

reciprocity; how work is done in Congress

reapportionment

redistribution of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the census

Since Congress members cannot be impeached, what are the three measures of punishment they employ?

reprimand, censure, expulsion

quorum

required number of people at a meeting. House: 218, Senate:51

germaneness

rule put in place that limits discussion to the subject at hand

Administrative Assistant

runs the lawmaker's office, supervises the schedule, and gives advice.

how were Reps originally elected?

same as they are now, through the direct popular election

delegate

serves the constituents with their votes

committees allow for...

subject specializtion

junket

tax paid trip to study something in order to help with mark up sessions

line veto

the president vetoes certain parts of bills. First and only president ever to perform this was Clinton

constituents

the voters that get congress members into office

politico

vote for constituents whilst keeping the country's well being in mind. If the congressperson really believes they should vote contrary to what their constituents want, they will

cloture

way to end filibuster. Takes 60 votes and doesn't often happen bc the majority party rarely has that many members

case work

what congress members do for their constituents

ombudsman

when a Congress member intervenes on constituents' behalf in federal bureaucracy

committee of the whole

when the House is no longer considered the House, but a singular committee. Speaker can name someone else to guide the discussion. *Allows House to discuss a bill without a quorum.*

standing committees

where the bills are sent, according to jurisdiction. Separate subject matter committees in each house of Congress that handle bills in different policy areas

what does the Rules Committee determine?

whether or not bills can be changed, if it's open, meaning it allows discussion, or if it's closed, meaning it cannot be changed. Gives time frame.