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Government Unit 2
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Congress | Legislative branch of the U.S that is made up the upper house of Senate and lower house of repersentatives |
| Congressional Terms And Sessions | Each term for 2 years and is divided into 2 sessions or meeting that lasts 1 year each and includes breaks for holidays and vacations |
| Special Sessions | President may call Congress into a special session because of an emergency situation like in 1948 |
| House of Representatives Membership | Currently has 435 members (limited with Reappointment Act of 1929) and started with 65. Seats are divided among state based on population every decade after the census |
| Congressional Elections | Since 1872 held on the first Monday in November of even numbered years. Chosen by voters in 435 congressional districts |
| House Qualifications | 1) At least 25 years old 2) Us Citizen for at least 7 years 3) Live in the state they represent |
| Terms in Office | House members serve 2 year terms starting January 3rd. Incumbents win reelection 90% of the time |
| Membership In Senate | 100 members with 2 per state. Originally chosen by state legislatures until 17th Amendment changed it to directly elect people |
| Senate Qualifications and Terms | 1) At least 30 years old 2) A citizen for at least 9 years 3) Resident of the State they represent. Serve 6 year terms |
| Compensation and Privileges of Congress | Salary is $174,000 for year, Party Leaders make $194,400, and House Speaker makes $223,500. After 5 years in office receive pension from $61,000-$150,000 per year plus free healthcare and social security. Free postage, gym allowances, travel and staff |
| Powers of Congress | Expressed powers are listed in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and are enumerated Powers granted. 17 Powers total with 6 being related to military |
| Power to Tax | Congress has the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imports, and exports, pay the debt , provide for the common Defense and general welfare of the U.S. 16th Amendment gave them this |
| Power to Borrow Money | Congress can borrow money on the credit of U.S which led to the National Debt which is the money borrowed over years and not paid back including interest. Today it is $37.5 Trillion and rising though there is no constitutional debt limit but statutory |
| Commerce Power | Allows Congress to regulate trade between states and other nations including transportation. Can't tax exports but can for imports |
| Naturalization Power | Regulate the process of how foreigners become a U.S citizen |
| Bankruptcy Power | To regulate the process of how the bankrupt person's assets are distributed among those to who a debt is owned |
| Currency Power | To print and coin and regulate the value of that money |
| Counterfeiting | The crime of a person printing or making their own money (federal offense) |
| Postal Power | Establish a Post Office and post roads (to regulate the mail). Crime to tamper with or steam mail, or send certain items |
| Patent | Grants a person the sole right to manufacture, use or sell any new useful art, machine, manufacture or composition. May last up to 20 years |
| Copyright | The exclusive right of an author to reproduce, publish, and sell his or her creative work(last authors life and 70 years) |
| Federal Courts | Congress has the power to create inferior federal courts (courts below the U.S Supreme Court) Tribunals |
| Piracies and International Law | Power to define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high seas and offenses against the laws of Nations |
| Congressional Military Powers | Only Congress has the power to declare war. It also makes laws regarding captures on land and water. Raise and support armies and , maintain a navy. Makes rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces |
| Federal Land and D.C | Create and pass laws that regulate our nation's capital Washington D.C. Pass laws that regulate all federal property and land to include military bases. |
| Eminent Domain | Power to take private property for public use (must pay just compensation) 5th amendment |
| Necessary and Proper Clause (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18) | Congress has the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution and the forgoing Powers and all others Powers vested this constitution aksi called the Elastic Clause (created Implied Powers) |
| Expressed Power: Raise an Army | Implied Power Establish a draft for raise an army. Implied Power Develop new armored tanks. Implied Power Construct military bases |
| Expressed Power: Collect Taxes | Implied Power Establish the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), Implied Power Establish a national bank. Implied Power Punish those who fail to pay their taxes |
| Expressed Power: Regulate Commerce | Implied Power Prohibit the importation of certain goods. Implied Power prohibit the exportation of certain goods |
| Redistricting | Each state legislature sets up Congressional Districts- one for each representatives. Lines redrawn every 10 years by ruling party. Has been abused by creating districts of unequal populations. Problem was fixed with Baker v Carr (1960) 1 man 1 vote |
| Gerrymandering | To draw a districts boundaries to gain an advantage in elections |
| Cracking | Dividing an opponent's voters into other districts and thus weakening the opponents voters base |
| Packing | Drawing the lines to include as many opposing parties voters in a district as possible to make the other districts safe for the majority party |
| Purposes of Committees | 1) Ease the workload of Congress 2) Divide work among smaller groups who are specialists on the issue 3) Decide which bills move forward 4) Hold public hearings and investigations to inform the public about problems or issues |
| Standing Committee | Permanent; controlled by the majority party most important |
| Subcommittees | Subcategory if standing committee |
| Select Committees | Temporary; specific issue |
| Joint Committees | Made up of both houses; study groups |
| Conference Committees | Temporary committee set up when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the ame bill. Try to merge the two into one and workout differences |
| Most Important-House | Puules (determines what bills go to House Floor) Ways and Means(tax writing), Appropriating (government spending) |
| Most Important - Senate | Foreign Relations (foreign aid, military decisions, treaties), Fiance (fax, Social Security, debt, bonds), Appropriations(spending on projects) |
| Chairperson's Role | Make key decisions when the committee meets, which bills to consider, when hearings will be held, which witness will be held, manage the floor debates regarding their bills |
| Main task of the House | To pass laws thanks to complex rules and structure of leadership |
| House Rules | Geared to moving legislation ahead quickly, limits speaking on the floor to 5 minutes or less, and limiting debates to 1 day because there are too many bills |
| Committed Work | 20 standing committees because membership is too large so members work in smaller groups to accomplish goals |
| House Leadership | Leaders are needed to organize 435 members of the House to organize party members, schedule work, make certain lawmakers are for key votes, distribute and collect info, keep in touch with the president, and influence lawmakers to support their policies |
| Speaker of the House | Most powerful, chosen by caucus of the majority party, decides who speaks, appoints committed members, schedules bins for votes, refers bills to House committees, next in line after VP |
| House Floor Leaders | Majority/Minority Leader, plan party's legislative program and steer bills through the House |
| Whips | Serve as assistants to Floor Leaders. Pit bulls- persuade members to vote as the party wishes |
| Lawmaking | All laws start as bills. Representatives introduce bills by dropping them in a hopper. Speaker of the House sends it to appropriate committees for study, review, and discussion. Bills that survive committee are placed on the House Calendar. |
| Lawmaking | Bills than go to the Rules Committee the most powerful one. Can move a bill ahead on the Calendar, stall a bill or kill it. Settles disputes among other committees. If bill is given "rule" it goes to the House Floor for debate |
| Lawmaking | A Quorum (218 members) is needed to take action on the bill if approved goes to the Senate. Only 10% of bills make it out of the House |
| Senate Rules | More flexible than the House to allow maximum freedom to express their ideas. May debate on and off for weeks or months |
| Senate Leadership | Senate has no speaker so the Vice President presides over the Senate but can only vote in a tie. If the Vice President cannot attend the President Pro Tempore presides |
| Fillibuster | To stall the legislative process and prevent a vote. Can be stopped when 3/5ths or 60 members vote for a cloture |
| Cloture | Procedure that allows each senator on a bill |
| Private Bills | Deal with individual people or places usually involve peoples claims against the govt |
| Public Bills | Apply to the entire nation (taxes, health, insurance, gun control, civil rights etc) |
| Simple Resolution | Affects only one house and is passed by that house alone- It is not a law just a new rule or procedure for that house |
| Joint Resolution | Passed by both houses and requires the president's signature- jas the force of law- used to correct an error in an earlier law or spend money for a special purpose |
| Concurrent Resolution | Not a law, no president's signature- just an action of both Houses. ex-set the date for the adjournment of Congress |
| Riders | Provisions on a subject other than the one covered in the bill |
| Less than 10% | Few bills become laws because there are more than 100 steps, Lawmakers must compromise with each other and lobby groups, many are proposed just to attract attention |
| Introduction | Only a members of Congress can introduce |
| Committee Action | Proper committee can pigeonhole the bill, rewrite the bill or report it (send it to the House or Senate for action) |
| Floor Action | Lawmakers will debate the bill, amend the bills and finally vote on the bill. A quorum or majority of members need to be present. If a majority accept it move to the next House for action |
| Conference Committee Action | Often a bill looks different in the House and Senate. To become laws the conference committee must create compromise between the 2 Houses |
| Veto | Goes back to House and Senate for 2/3rds majority override is needed |
| Pocket veto | Refuse to act if within last 10 days of congressional session |
| Influences on Lawmakers | Lawmakers are influenced by voters back home, political party, president, and special interest groups |
| The Influence of Voters | Lawmakers are heavily influenced by the needs and opinions of their constitutes. Stay informed by making trips back home, reading messages from home, questionnaires, reports from their staff |
| The Influence of Parties | Nearly all members of Congress belong to one of the two major parties and generally support their party's stands on issues. House members vote the party line about 70% because they share beliefs and most lawmakers do not have enough info on issues |
| President | Works hard to persuade lawmakers they want and give or withhold political favors |
| Interest Groups | Lobbyists represent various interests(labor, business, education, environment etc. |
| Political Action Committees (PACs) | Are political fundraising organizations that give funds to support lawmakers who favor their ideas |
| Roles of Lawmakers | Act as problem solves for the nation. Make sure their district or state gets its share of federal money for projects such as post offices, highways, defense etc |
| Handling Problems Of Constituents | All lawmakers are involved in casework or helping constituents with problems. Staff caseworkers deal with thousands of requests for assistance (soldier wanting to be relocated, business, asking for help, new playground. Helps reelection |
| Pork-barrel | Billions for local projects and a often hidden in other bills |
| Logrolling | Lawmakers helping each other get pork-barrel projects by voting for each others bills |
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