us gov #2
reapportionment
changing the number of seats a state has in the House of reps based on pop as determined by most recent census
how many standing committees in senate
16
The redistricting process is necessary to address what issue
population shifts
what authority given to Congress has been the most instrumental in expanding its power relative to the other branches of government
taxation and appropriation
how many senators per state
two
what two congressional positions play a significant role in determining committee membership and who becomes a committee chair
- speaker of the house - majority leader
on average, a member of the U.S. House currently represents ________ residents
710,000
men constitute less than half of the U.S. population but hold ____% of seats in House of Reps and Senate
80%
how long must senators be a citizen in U.S.
9 years
how long must you live in U.S. before running for senate
9 years
how long must senators/house of reps be citizens in U.S.
9;7
What rule ensures that legislation is not rushed through the voting process without proper consideration
A bill must be read on three consecutive days in each chamber
most congressional powers are listed in which section of the Constitution
Article 1, Section 8
what demographics are underrepresented in congress
- any race other than white - women - any religion other than protestant including people w no religion
the minority party in congress has a leadership structure that includes what two things
- minority leader - whips
what two demographics are overrepresented in congress
- protestants - men
how many standing committees in house
20
minimum age for house members
25
minimum age for senators
30
what is the member limit of the House
435
terms of office for Texas senators and representatives
4;2
how many senators constitute a supermajority26
60
how long must house members be a citizen in U.S.
7 years
the correct order in which a bill moves in the House of Representatives
Full committee to subcommittee to full committee to House debate
What was the consequence of the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision
It weakened the Voting Rights Act, and Texas no longer is required to get preclearance for changes in electoral rules
what is an example that illustrates legislative oversight
Legislators hold hearings to examine potential wasteful spending in an agency such as the Health and Human Services Commission
This presiding officer is elected to a four-year term
Lt. gov
What representative type would rely upon town hall meetings and deliberative polls to make decisions on bills before voting
delegate
When the committee considering a bill decides it does not want to pass it, what most likely will happen
No further action is taken, so the bill "dies" in committee
which Supreme Court case established judicial review whereby laws could be declared unconstitutional
marbury v madison
this body has 150 members
Texas house of reps
this body has 31 members
Texas state senate
What feature of the Texas legislature leads political scientists to characterize it as a citizen legislature
The legislature meets for only 140 days biennially, and the salary is low
cloture
The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster
What role do the majority party whips play in the organization of House of Representatives
The whips work with the House Majority Leader to retain support within the majority party to help the party achieve its goals
What is a consequence of both chambers of the state legislature having nonpartisan institutions that will provide information to the legislators
These nonpartisan institutions reduce legislators' dependence on special interests and administrative agencies for information
constituent
a person who is represented by an elected official
what increases voter turnout for a Congressional election
a presidential election in the same year
a formal method of proposing an amendment to the Constitution that has never been used
a request by two-thirds of the state legislatures for Congress to call a national convention
In July 2017, President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. This judicial nomination required the approval by two-thirds of the Senate in a Congressional power known as
advice and consent
the state of Texas has a lower percentage of ______ serving in the state legislature than the national average
anglos
the length of the regular legislative session is 140 days for which legislative body in TX
both senate and house
which Texas legislative body's members are elected from single-member districts
both senate and house
prior to the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, how were senators elected
by selection from members of state legislatures
which type of congressional committee is permanent and reports to the full chamber
standing
a power held by the Continental Congress
declare war and make peace
the fact that the Texas legislature is disproportionately white and male compared to the population of Texas means that it lacks what
descriptive representation
what was the purpose of the First Continental Congress
for the colonies send a petition to King George III expressing their grievances
during impeachment process, who votes to bring formal charges
house
where do bills concerning raising revenue originate
house of reps
who are congressional elections conducted by
individual state governments
Who proposed a structure of government in which powers would be balanced between three branches
james madison
trustee view of representation
legislators should act as trustees of the broad interests of the entire society, even voting against the narrow interests of their constituents if their conscience and perception of national needs so dictate
what is the biggest responsibility of the Speaker of the House
maintain power in the House for the majority party
what court case was judicial review established in
marbury v madison
house of reps minority party structure
minority leader, minority whip, conference chair, policy committee chair
senate minority party structure
minority leader, minority whip, conference chair, policy committee chair, conference secretary
first female speaker of the house
nancy pelosi
do house of rep members need to live in the district they represent
no
fact
often bills on the same subject are introduced into the House and the Senate at about the same time
what has a direct effect on a state's representation
population growth or decline
senate majority party structure
president pro tempore, majority leader, assistant majority leader, conference vice chair, policy committee chair, conference secretary
agenda setting is a major part of Congress's ____ function
public education
to which collective body does unanimous consent apply
senate
what are the terms of office in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
six;two
house of reps majority party structure
speaker of house, majority leader, majority whip, caucus chair, caucus vice chair
Among the powers of this presiding officer is the ability to appoint all the chairs and vice chairs of all Texas House standing committees
speaker of the house
This leader controls the proceedings of the Texas House of Representatives
speaker of the house
which is the top leadership position in the House of Representatives
speaker of the house
Which type of committee screens bills by holding hearings, debating, and marking up bills before allowing them to be considered by the whole House or Senate
standing
list congressional committees and explain
standing - there are 20 of these permanent legislative panels in the House of Representatives and 16 in the Senate in which members of both parties consider bills and other issues select - members of one house of Congress and one or both parties are included on this temporary committee, which exists for the purpose of addressing a specific issue joint - both members of the House of Representatives and the Senate serve on this type of committee involving policy exploration within a narrow jurisdiction special - members of one or both parties from either the Senate or the House of Representatives are included on this type of committee that performs a specialized function conference - this temporary committee is established with members from both houses to reconcile differences in legislation passed by both chambers
cracking
the gerrymandering technique that divides up a minority party's voters into so many geographical districts that their voting power in any one district is negligible (thus diluting their votes)
the speaker of the house is always a member of what party
the majority party
constituency
the set of people that officially elects the House or Senate member: in U.S. constituency is defined geographically
What rule makes quick and efficient law making in the Texas state senate difficult
three-fifths rule
why did the Framers establish Congress as a bicameral institution
to allow each chamber to check each other's power
true or false: The Senate must advise on, and consent to, the ratification of treaties and must accept or reject presidential nominations of ambassadors, Supreme Court justices, other federal judges, and "all other Officers of the United States."
true
who can break tie vote in the senate
vice pres
one consequence of gerrymandering
vote dilution of certain individuals
in recent sessions, how do the House and Senate compare demographically to the U.S. population
women and ethnic minorities make up smaller percentages in the House and Senate than their percentages in the overall U.S. population
is there a limit on the total number of House members
yes
