| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Philosophical reason for bicameral legislation | create separation of powers w/in the legislative branch as well as between branches |
| Practical reason for bicameral legislation | to balance the interests of large & small states; to create a more perfect union; as a compromise or "price of the union" |
| Reapportionment | allocation of seats in the house to each state after census (every 10 yrs); rsponsibility of Congress |
| House membership total | 435 - frozen since 1929; minimum 1 per state |
| Reapportionment responsibility of | Congress |
| The House based on | population of states |
| House term | 2 years |
| Redistricting | the redrawing of boundaries of the districts w/in each state; based on increase or decrease in seats given to states due to population changes and must be nearly equal in population; esponsibility of state legislatures |
| Gerrymandering | redrawing of districts for partisan political reasons to punish or reward a political party (dilute or pack votes) |
| Redistricting responsibility of | state legislatures |
| The Senate based on | equality of states; equal representation of states |
| Senate membership total | 100 (2 for each state) |
| Senate term | 6 years; election of 1/3 ev. 2 years;staggered so 2/3rds always intact |
| Filibuster | "unlimited debates" used in senate to stall for time. Senator seizes the floor in attempt to force concession preventing vote; generally used by minority party |
| Cloture | used to limit debates in the Senate & suspend filibuster. Need 16 signatures on petition to vote for then 60 (3/5) votes to evoke; limits debate to 100 hrs (1 per Senator); can vote to end debate after 30 hrs |
| Speaker of the House | Presides over House sessions; Inter-party position; member of majority party; appoints committee members; determines rules of procedures |
| Most powerful member of Congress | Speaker of the House - Nancy Pelosi |
| Max time allowed to be Speaker of House | 8 years since 1995 |
| 17th Amendment | Ratified in 1913 to make senators elected by popular vote; prior to they were elected by state legislatures |
| 3 conditions to be Speaker | 1) member of House, 2) leader of their party, 3) party must be majority (same conditions for Prime Minister in Parliamentary system) |
| Majority Leader/ Floor leader | member of the majority party; in House 2nd to speaker; in Senate most powerful leader but not as powerful as the Speaker of House |
| Minority Leader/ Floor leader | member of minority party; in House loser of the Speaker election |
| Politician specifically mentioned in Constitution | Speaker of House |
| Majority and Minority Whips | The assistants to their respective Leaders in the House and Senate. Their job is to marshall support for legislation and support strategies for their respective parties |
| committee chairs | Oversee committee; must be in majority party in both house & senate |
| Senate Only Members | VP & President pro tempore |
| Vice President role in Senate | symbolic; presides over senate but may only vote if there is a tie to break. Joe Biden |
| President Pro Tempore | longest serving member of majority party; shares presiding functions w/ VP; more powerful than VP b/c can vote & serve on committees |
| House characteristics | larger, power less distributed, more formal in its hierarchic organization; acts quicker, debates limited, rules rigid, impersonal |
| Senate characteristics | smaller, less formal, less hierachy (more equal in power), acts slower, unlimited debate, rules flexible, more personal/prestige/powerful constituencies |
| House issues | money, revenue, taxes, spending; "domestic issues", "bread & butter issues" |
| Senate issues | approve presidential appointments and treaties, "foreign affairs issues" |
| Standing Committee | "permanent" -workhorse in congress specializing in specific policy issues (Educ., transp., foreign affairs,); review all measures before floor action |
| Committees House members can serve on | one major & 2 minor |
| Committees Senate members can serve on | 2 major & 1 minor |
| Sub-committee | formed from standing committee to divide work; no limit to # of these |
| Special/Select Committees | temporary "sunset committees" responsible for specific tasks not handled in standing comm (investigations & study specific problems) |
| Joint Committee | House & Senate together; saves time & duplication; may be standing or special/select |
| Conference Committee | Special joint committees created to resolve differences in a bill after passage by both houses |
| House rules committee | No senate counterpart; control the calendar "traffic cops", approve bills before they go to floor; can approve, kill, rewrite, or rescend bills; eliminates unimportant measures |
| Most Powerful Committee in Congress | House Rules Committee |
| Committee System Advantages | allows greater specialization, "mini" or smaller legislatures allows more work in smaller units; advantage to making law |
| Bill becomes Law | introduced w/ companion bill in other house; House drops in Hopper; Senate announces on floor |
| Who can introduce a bill | members of congress only |
| Responsible to mark up a bill | standing or sub-committee; simply make revisions & additions |
| Stages of a bill becoming a law | approved by 1 or more standing committees & both chambers; if versions differ ea. house must accept a conference report resolving issues |
| Private Bill | intended to benefit an individual or specific group of individuals |
| Public Bill | Intended to benefit the general public |
| Resolution | formal statements of agreements in the legislature |
| Joint Resolution | similar to bill & can have power of a law if passed by majority in both houses & signed by Pres.; |
| Joint Resolutions used for | proposing constitutional amendments & expressing congressional approval/disapproval of executive action (esp in foreign policy matters). Congress uses to approve treaty/trade treaty's |
| Concurrent Resolution | deals w/ affairs of both houses; used to create joint or conference committees; no force of law |
| Simple Resolution | affairs of one house; no force of law; used to amend rules of procedure or advising the president on matters of executive responsibility |
| Roles of Representation | delegate, trustee, politico |
| Delegate role | "mouthpiece"; follow wishes of constituents |
| Trustee role | feel they are entrusted to excise their own judgment & wisdom; believe their constituents trust their independent decision making ability |
| Politico role | use situational or contingency approach depending on the issue & political climate; combine roles of other representation |
| House role in impeachment process | form grand jury to investigate claims; file impeachment charges; prosecute the impeached |
| Senate role in impeachment process | members act as jurors; judge role filled by chief justice; requires 2/3 (67/100)vote of guilty to convict; orders removal from office |
| Legislative veto | The House or Senate can review proposed regulations or actions from the executive branch and modify or block the measures. |
| Discharge petition | Only used by House of reps and gives the majority (218) the authority to bring an issue to the floor in the face of committee inaction. |
| Congressional oversight | congressional review of the activities of an agency, dept, or office. Includes checking on possible abuses of power by members of military & govt, including pres, & allows questioning of members of the admin |
| logrolling | Vote trading; voting yea in support of a colleague's bill in return for a promise of future support |
| Parliamentary system | govt powers are vested in a legislature & cabinet headed by a prime minister; separation of powers comes from OUTSIDE the institution of govt; most countries in the world |
| Presidential system | system divided into 3 branches w/ separation of powers WITHIN the institute of govt; 20-24 countries |
| Parliamentary democracy degree of sep of pow w/in govt | NONE; Great Britain |
| Parliamentary based hybrid-democracy degree of sep of pow w/in govt | SOME; Germany |
| Presidential based hybrid-democracy degree of sep of powe w/in govt | CONSIDERABLE; France, Haiti, Russia, Egypt |
| Presidential democracy degree of sep of pow w/in govt | TOTAL; USA & 20-24 other countries |
| Institutions that check & influence parliamentary policies | electorate, civil servants, political parties - primary institutions do not do |
| Which state is unicameral in US | Nebraska |
| Qualifications to be member of House of Reps | at least 25 yrs old, US citizen for 7 rs prior, and resident of state where district is |
| Qualifications to be member of Senate | at least 30 yrs old, US citizen for 9 yrs prior, and legal resident of state representing |
| 1st woman elected to congress | Jeanette Rankin |
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