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)