Chapter 11 Congress

bill

A propose piece of legislature is called a _________

a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent

A select committee is different from a standing committee because ________. - a select committee includes member of both chambers, while a standing committee includes only members of the House - a select committee is used for bill reconciliation, while a standing committee is used for prosecutions - a select committee must stay in session, while a standing committee goes to recess - a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent

bicameral (353)

Congress is ___?___

the larger size of the House

House leaders are more powerful than Senate leaders because of ________. - the majoritarian nature of the House—a - majority can run it like a cartel - the larger size of the House - the constitutional position of the House - the State of the Union address being delivered in the House chamber

speaker of the house

In the house of representatives, the majority leader is under the ________.

amended

Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being ________. - tabled - neglected - vetoed - amended

broad discussion of policy issues

Senate races tend to inspire ________. - broad discussion of policy issues - narrow discussion of specific policy issues - less money than House races - less media coverage than House races

the chamber votes for cloture

Stopping a filibuster requires that ________. - a majority of senators agree on the bill - the speaker steps away from the podium - the chamber votes for cloture - the Speaker or majority leader intervenes

large and small states

The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between ________. - large and small states -slave and non-slave states - the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution - the House and the Senate

increasing the number of minority members in Congress

The increasing value constituents have placed on descriptive representation in Congress has had the effect of ________. - increasing the sensitivity representatives have to their constituents demands - decreasing the rate at which incumbents are elected - increasing the number of minority members in Congress - decreasing the number of majority minority districts

the budget process

The key means of advancing modern legislation is now ________. - committees - the actions of the leadership - the budget process - the filibuster

south and the west

The past several decades ________ and the ______ benefit from proportional representation.

districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups

The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because ________. - districts must include urban and rural areas - states can gain but never lose districts - districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups - states have been known to create more - districts than they have been apportioned

the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them

The saying "All politics is local" roughly means ________. - the local candidate will always win -the local constituents want action on national issues -the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them - the act of campaigning always occurs at the local level where constituents are

a US citizen for 9 yrs and at least 30 yrs old, 6 yr terms, 2 per state

What are some characteristics of the Senate?

combines the house and senate to come up with a single bill

What does the conference committee do?

the power to override a presidential veto

Which of the following is an implied power of Congress? - the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states - the power to increase taxes on the wealthiest one percent - the power to put the president on trial for high crimes - the power to override a presidential veto

according to the state's population

While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned ________. -according to the state's geographic size -based on the state's economic size -according to the state's population -based on each state's need

joint committee

a legislative committee consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certain topics but lacks bill referral authority

politico model of representation

a model of representation in which members of Congress act as either trustee or delegate, based on rational political calculations about who is best served, the constituency or the nation

trustee model of representation

a model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best for their constituents

delegate model of representation

a model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents

filibuster

a parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it

cloture

a parliamentary process to end a debate in the Senate, as a measure against the filibuster; invoked when three-fifths of senators vote for the motion

standing committee

a permanent legislative committee that meets regularly

select committee

a small legislative committee created to fulfill a specific purpose and then disbanded; also called an ad hoc, or special, committee

conference committee

a special type of joint committee that reconciles different bills passed in the House and Senate so a single bill results

surge-and-decline theory

a theory proposing that the surge of stimulation occurring during presidential elections subsides during midterm elections, accounting for the differences we observe in turnouts and results

representation

an elected leader's looking out for his or her constituents while carrying out the duties of the office

pork-barrel politics

federal spending intended to benefit a particular district or set of constituents

whip

in the House and in the Senate, a high leadership position whose primary duty is to enforce voting discipline in the chambers and conferences

bill

proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature

markup

the amending and voting process in a congressional committee

constituency

the body of voters, or constituents, represented by a particular politician

descriptive representation

the extent to which a body of representatives represents the descriptive characteristics of their constituencies, such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender

majority leader

the leader of the majority party in either the House or Senate; in the House, the majority leader serves under the Speaker of the House, in the Senate, the majority leader is the functional leader and chief spokesperson for the majority party

gerrymandering

the manipulation of legislative district boundaries as a way of favoring a particular candidate.

minority leader

the party member who directs the activities of the minority party on the floor of either the House or the Senate

bicameralism

the political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies

enumerated powers

the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs

inherent powers

the powers neither enumerated nor implied but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country's existence

implied powers

the powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party; the Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president

apportionment

the process by which seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among the fifty states

collective representation

the relationship between Congress and the United States as a whole, and whether the institution itself represents the American people

oversight

the right to review and monitor other bodies such as the executive branch

president pro tempore

the senator who acts in the absence of the actual president of the Senate, who is also the vice president of the United States; the president pro tempore is usually the most senior senator of the majority party

rules committee

time and structure are up to the _________.

a US citizen for 7 years and at least 25 yrs old, 2 yr terms, 435 members, at least one per state all based on population.

what are some characteristics of the house of representatives?

delaying of a bill by speaking continuously

what is a filibuster?

incumbent

what is a senator running again called?

700,000

what is the number of citizens in the congressional district?

both the houses of congress

who has the power to declare war?