Government Chapter 10 Test

politicos

- attempt to balance the other three roles

special session

Constitutional meeting for an emergency situation

1/3 (33 or 34)

Only ___________________ of Senators stand for election in a given year.

March 4 January 3 20th 1933

Originally, each new term began on ___________ ______ though that date was changed to _______________ _____ by the ________ Amendment in ______________

1948 Harry Truman

This last happened in __________, when President ______________ _______________ called one to deal with the aftermath of WWII.

two

each term is broken into _______ sessions

single-member district

election district from which voters elect a single state representative to the House of Representatives

at-large

election system in which all candidates are elected from a state; as a whole, rather than from a single district

prorogue

end or discontinue (President --> Session of Congress)

impeachment, introduces all revenue bills (Article I Section

exclusive powers (House)

approves/rejects presidential appointments, tries cases of impeachment, ratifies treaties (Article I Section 8)

exclusive powers (Senate)

legislatures

make laws

rigid

rigidity of rules (House)

special

the President may call Congress into _________ session to deal with emergencies.

lose

the party in power tends to _________ seats in off-year elections

delegates

- see themselves as agents of the people who elected them - try to follow the majority opinion of their constituents

partisans

- try to follow the dictates of their political parties - most studies suggest this is the most important role on important issues

trustees

- vote on each question as dictated by their conscience and judgement - do not attempt to follow the majority opinion of their constituents

session

1-year period during which Congress assembles and conducts business

term

2-year period during which Congress meets, starts at noon of the 3rd day of January of each odd-numbered year

A member of the House must be at least 25 years of age, have been a citizen of the United States for at least seven years, and must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected. Also, a representative must live in the district he or she represents. Informal qualifications are gender, ethnicity, political experience, name recognition, party affiliation, being an incumbent, and the ability to raise money (look at notes for more).

Analyze the formal and informal qualifications for serving in the House

Congress

Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 of the Constitution gives _________________ the authority to determine the times, places, and manners of holding Congressional Elections.

constituencies "big picture"

Because they represent larger __________________, Senators are supposed to be less concerned with the interests of a specific locality and more focused on the "__________ _______________" of national interest.

The Senate has 100 members, two from each state. The House of Representatives has 435 members. The Senate is a much smaller body than the house under the Constitution, but today, it is much larger than the Framers imagined.

Compare the size of the Senate to the size of the House Of Representatives

Tuesday Monday November even-numbered

Congressional elections are held on the ___________ following the first _____________ in ____________________ of each _______________________ year.

A term of Congress lasts for two years (odd years). It is when Congress meets. Originally, the date was March 4, but the 20th Amendment changed it to January 3.

Describe a term of Congress

Congressional elections are held on the same day in every State. Since 1872, Congress has required that those elections be held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. Alaska is the only exception and it may hold elections in October, but they now use November. Representatives were chosen by written or printed ballots and today they are mostly casted on an electronic voting device. Off-year elections occur in non-presidential years. The 435 members of the House are chosen by the voters in 435 separate congressional districts across the country. Seven states each have only one seat in the house and so there are 428 congressional districts within the other 43 states. Single-member districts are where voters in each district elect one of the state's representatives from among a field of candidates running for a seat in the House from that district.

Describe a typical congressional election and congressional district

Originally, the Constitution provided that senators were chosen by the State legislatures. In 1912, the Seventeenth Amendment was passed and called for the popular election of senators. The Senate is a continuous body, meaning that all of its seats are never up for election at the same time. (Only a third of them are up for election every 2 years)

Describe how States have elected Senators in the past

The Constitution says that Congress fixes its own pay. Today, senators and representatives are paid a salary of $174,300 a year. Certain members, such as the Speaker of the House and the Senate's president pro tem, are paid more.

Describe the compensation and privileges of members of Congress

Members of Congress are immune from arrest for noncriminal offenses while engaged in congressional business.

Describe the duties performed by those who serve in Congress

The House of Representatives is made of 435 members and is not fixed by the constitution. It is set by Congress. The Representatives are chosen every second year and are elected for two year terms.

Describe the size and terms of the House of Representatives

27th congressional election

Due to the ____________ Amendment, any change in Congressional salary goes into effect only after the next __________________________ __________________.

1. Contiguous 2. Compact 3. Equal Population

Each district must satisfy three basic requirements: 1. 2. 3.

Article I of the Constitution directs Congress to reapportion seats in the House every ten years, after each census.

Explain how House seats are reapportioned among the states after each census.

The six-year terms gives a somewhat greater degree of job security as the term gives some insulation from the rough & tumble of day-to-day politics. The larger size and scope of their constituencies are meant to allow them to focus more on the "big picture" of the national interest and less concerned with the small local interests. (Not constantly running for re-election). The six-year term also lessens the pressures of public opinion and the pleas of special interest groups.

Explain how and why a senator's term differs from a representative's term

The Constitution provides for a bicameral Congress for historical, practical, and theoretical reasons. The Framers were very familiar with the bicameral legislature of the British Parliament and all of the colonies, with the exceptions of Pennsylvania and Georgia, were also bicameral. Eventually all of the colonies became bicameral (Today, Nebraska is the only unicameral legislature). The Framers had to settle the conflict between the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan (equal voice from smaller states and vote based on population for the more populous territories). Bicameralism is a reflection of federalism and gives equal voice to members of the Senate and a vote based on population for members of the House. The bicameral legislature would allow for checks between houses. Bicameralism was seen as a way to diffuse Congress's power so it would not undermine the power of the other two houses.

Explain why the Constitution provides for a bicameral Congress

Census Bureau 60

Following each census, the _____________ ____________ determines the number of seats each state should have. Congress may reject the plan within ________ days, but failure to do so allows the plan to take effect.

distributed

From that point forward, the number of seats has remained the same, but they have been __________ among the states to maintain a rough equality.

Gomillion v. Lightfoot

Gerrymandering solely on race violates the 15th Amendment

Parliament Georgia/Pennsylvania Nebraska

Historical: -the British _______________ had consisted of two houses since the 1300s. -of the states, all but ______________ and __________________ had 2 houses in their legislatures by 1787. -today, only _______________ has a single house legislature.

a "necessary fence" against the "fickleness and passion" of the House of Representatives

How did James Madison and Woodrow Wilson view the relationship of the Senate to the House?

$193,400

How much do President Pro Team and Floor leaders in both houses earn?

$174,000

How much do Senators and Representatives earn?

$223,500

How much does the Speaker of the House earn?

$230,700

How much does the Vice President earn?

Congress adjourns, or suspends until the next session, each regular session as it sees fit. If necessary, the President has the power to prorogue, or adjourn, a session, but only when the two houses cannot agree on a date for adjournment. Only the President may call Congress into a special session—a meeting to deal with some emergency situation.

Identify how sessions of Congress have changed over time

A Senator must be at least 30 years old, have been a citizen of the United States for at least 9 years and be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected. Some informal qualifications are party, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience.

Identify the qualifications for serving in the Senate

legislature

In 1842, Congress ,ace each state _____________________ responsible for drawing any congressional districts in its state.

1. fill the seat at a special election called by the governor 2. allow the governor to appoint someone to serve until the voters fill the vacancy at such a special election or at the next regular (November) election

Intra-term vacancies in the Senate may be filled in one of two ways: 1. 2.

Wesberry v. Sanders

Made equal representation for equal numbers of people the fundamental goal of the House of Representatives

bicameral

Our congress is ______________________, which means that it is made up of two houses or chambers.

Virginia Plan/ New Jersey Plan Populous States equal

Practical: -a two-chambered body settled a conflict between _______________ ____________ and ____________ _________________ __________ -the __________________ _____________ wanted to distribute seats in Congress in proportion to the population. -smaller states demanded _________ voice in Congress.

17th 1913 State legislatures

Prior to the _____________ Amendment in ___________ Senators were not elected, but appointed by the _____________ _____________________.

435 Constitution

The House of Representatives has ________ members, though that number is not fixed by the ___________________

1929 "automatic reapportionment"

The Reapportionment Act of ____________ created what is often called an ____________________ _____________________

census 1920

The size of the House increased with every ____________ until ___________

check

Theoretical: -the Framers knew that one house might act as a ______________ on the other.

1. presidential veto 2. fear of voter's backlash

There are only two limits on the power to determine Congressional compensation: 1. 2.

• Special tax deduction (to help w/ 2 residences • Travel allowances • Small life insurance payments • Full medical care • Generous retirement plan • Provided Capital Hill Offices • Franking Privileges • Emailing for free • Free printing • Low radio TV costs

What are examples of non-salary compensation?

• Cannot be arrested on civil cases while serving a session • Speech or Debate Clause protects members from libel or slander while in debate

What are some examples of membership privileges?

1. legislatures 2. representatives of their constituencies 3. committee members 4. servants of their constituents 5. politicians

What are the 5 roles of a Congressman?

Congress

___________________ had the power under the Constitution to determine Congressional compensation.

less

amount of prestige in House

more (Elite group)

amount of prestige in Senate

57

average age of House members

62

average age of Senate members

franking privilege

benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free

representative

can be either a trustee, a delegate, a partisan, or a politico

off-year election

congressional election that takes place in-between presidential elections

apportion

distribute seats in the House of Representatives among the states on the basis of their populations

gerrymander

drawing boundaries of an election district so it gives an advantage to political party that controls state legislature (Majority vs. Minority Party)

two

each term in Congress will last for _________ years

1. to concentrate the opposition's voters in one or a few districts, thus leaving the other districts comfortably safe for the dominant party 2. to spread the opposition as thinly as possible among several districts, limiting the opposition's ability to win anywhere in the region

gerrymandering can take two forms: 1. 2.

continuous body

governing unit (ex. the US Senate) whose seats are never all up for election at the same time

The average member is a white male in his late 50s. The median age of the House is just over 58 and about 64 for the senate. There are more women than men in the 111th Congress than ever (78 in House, 17 in Senate).There are now 42 African Americans, 25 Hispanics, 7 Asian American, and one Native American in the House. One African American, one Hispanic, one Asian-American, and one Native-Hawaiian in Senate. Nearly all members are married/divorced with about 2 children. Few have not stated a religion, but just over half are Protestants, 3/10 are Roman Catholics, 1/10 are Jewish, 2 are Buddhists, and 2 are Muslim. Over a 3rd of the members of house and over ½ of the Senators are lawyers. Most members of Congress have had considerable political experience. The average senator is serving a second term, and the typical representative has served four terms. Nearly a third of the senators once sat in the House and several are former governor.

identify the personal and political backgrounds of the current members of Congress

special election governor

intra-term vacancies in the House may only be filled by __________ _________ called by the ______________ of the state involved.

politico

lawmaker who attempts to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles

partisan

lawmaker who owes his or her first allegiance to his or her political party and votes according to the party line

trustee

lawmaker who votes based on his or her conscience and judgement, not the views of his or her constituents

2 years

length of term in house

6 years

length of term in the senate

adjourn sine die

neither house may _________________ _________ ________ without the consent of the other.

435

number of members in the house

100

number of members in the senate

reapportion

redistribute seats every 10 years after each census

oversight function

review by the legislative committees of the policies and programs of the executive branch

less rigid

rigidity of rules (Senate)

congressional districts

size of House's constituency

entire state

size of Senate's constituency

adjourn

suspend operations until next Congressional session

constituency

the people and interests that an elected official represents

less

visibility to the media (House)

more than house

visibility to the media (Senate)

Vote-getting abilities (party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, political experience), being an incumbent, fundraising abilities,

what are some informal qualifications of house members

1. be at least 25 years old 2. have been a citizen of the US for at least 7 years 3. be an inhabitant of the state from where he or she is elected

what are the three formal qualifications for house members?

House office and Capital Hill (right side in capital)

where work is done (House)

House office and Capital Hill (left side in capital)

where work is done (Senate)

recess

while congress may remain in session for most of the year, each house will ______ for several short periods during a session

historical practical theoretical

why was Congress created as bicameral?