Chapter 10: Legislative Branch
Cannot suspend habeas corpus, grant titles of nobility, not tax on exports
3 Limits on Congress
makes laws, appropriates money to implement laws, regulate commerce w/ foreign nations, borrow money on credit for US
3 Powers of Congress
single-member district basis
A method of electing members to the house by allowing voters in each district to elect one of the State's representative from among a field of candidates from that district
general ticket system
A method of electing members to the house in which all of the State's seats are filled at-large or elected form the State as a whole rather than from a particular district; this method was proven grossly unfair and was done away with in 1842
Apportioned
A term that refers to the way in which seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among the states on the basis of their respective populations (every state is guaranteed at least one seat no matter population)
reapportion
A term that refers to the way in which the seats of the House are redistributed every ten years after the census
Le PaRCS 1)Legislators 2)Politicians 3)Representatives of Constituents 4)Committee members 5)Servants of constituents
5 Major Roles of Congress members
174
Congress receives $________thousand/year in addition to fringe benefits like a tax deduction, free postage, a retirement plan, cheap health & life insurance, travel allowances, free printing, etc.; they set their own pay but are limited by the President's veto power and fear of voter backlash
Off-Year Elections
Congressional elections that occur in non-presidential election years; most often the party that hold the presidency loses seats in the off-year elections
No
Constitutional limit on number of terms ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS may serve?
Tuesday after 1st mon in Nov. of every even year (except in Alaska)
Day of Congressional Elections in every state exempt Alaska
Bicameral Legislature
Denotes the fact that Congress has 2 houses; created by the framers in order to check each other, appease both the small and large states, and to diffuse the power of Congress in order to prevent it from overwhelming the other 2 branches
equal # of ppl w/in state; contiguous territory
District must be....
race
Gerrymandering cannot be based solely on ______, but it can be one in a mix of factors that shape the process (under some circumstances that were never defined it could be unconstitutional)
2
House of Reps. Term Length
Refuse seat w/ majority, punish w/ majority, expel w/ 2/3 majority (cannot exclude those who meet the Const. standards of age, citizenship, & residence)
House powers when a member is elected to Congress:
1
In any given election except when the other seat has been vacated by death, resignation, or expulsion, how many senators are elected per state?
435
Number of Seats in House
25, 7 years citizen, inhabitant of state (usually district)
Qualifications for House
30 years, 9 years a citizen, inhabitant of state
Qualifications for Senators
6
Senate Term Length
Exclude by majority, punish by majority, expel by 2/3 majority
Senate powers when a member is elected to Congress:
Chuck Schumer & Kirsten Gillibrand
Senators of New York
Reapportionment Act of 1929
States that the "permanent" size of the House is 435 members (each representing an average of 700,000 people); the Census Bureau will determine the number of seats each state should have and send it to congress via the President; Congress has 60 days to reject before it passes
20th Amendment
The constitutional amendment that changed the date for the start of each new term
2
# of senators from each state
Trustee
A voting option of members of congress where they believe that each question they face must be decided on its merits (call issues as they see them based on conscience & justice)
Delegate
A voting option of members of congress where they see themselves as agents of the people who elected them
Politicos
A voting option of members of congress who attempt to combine elements of the delegate, trustee, and partisan roles.
Partisans
A voting option of members of congress who believe their first allegiance is to their party
House
All bills for raising revenue shall originate the _______, but all other bills can come from either house.
17th Amendment
Amendment to the constitution that changed the appointment of Senators by the State legislatures to the election of Senators by voters
sine die
The final end of a session, which may not take place in either house without the consent of the other house
session
The period of time during which Congress assembles and conducts business (1 each year)
prorogue
The power of the President (never been used) to end or discontinue a session of congress when the two house can not agree on a date for adjournment
special session
The president may can congress into ___________ to deal with some emergency situation (can call both or either); not as useful now that Congress meets year round
oversight function
The process by which Congress, through its committees, checks to see that the executive branch agencies are carrying out the politics that Congress has set by law
Floor consideration
Where a bill is considered and acted upon by the full membership of the House or Senate
gerrymandering
Where district lines are drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the State legislature (widespread today, usually to either concentrate the opposition's voters in one or a few districts OR spread the opposition as thinly as possible among several districts); this is the main reason only a handful of seats in the House are actually at risk
Nita Lowey
Who is your Congresswoman?
1/3
___ of the Senate reelected every 2 years
article I
______ of the constitution refers to the legislative powers of Congress
100
number of members in the Senate
Bills
proposed laws
