Question | Answer |
How many members currently sit in the House of Representatives? | 435 |
What are the qualifications for a member of the House of Representatives? | 25 years old, 7 years U.S. Citizen, and must live in the state when elected |
How many members does each state have in the Senate? | two |
How often are the number of eats in the House of Representatives reapportioned? | every ten years |
What are the qualifications to be a Senator? | 30 years old, 9 years U.S. citizen, and live in the state when elected |
Which body has the power to bring charges against elected officials? | House of Representatives |
What is the name of the power that allows Congress to take private property from citizens? | Eminent Domain |
What name is the Necessary and Proper Clause also known by? | Elastic Clause |
What power does Congress have which enables the government to pay for its' expenses? | Power of Taxation |
Which body has the sole power to approve Presidential appointments? | Senate |
What percentage of the vote must treaties receive in the Senate to be ratified? | 66% or 2/3 |
Who replaces the President of the Senate in his absence? | president pro tempore |
What determines the party of the Committee Chairperson? | Must be a member of the majority party |
How many terms may Congressmen be elected to? | unlimited number |
What types of compensation do Congressmen receive for their service? | $158,100 per year, pension plan, travel allowances |
What is one example of a direct tax? | income tax, property tax |
What is one example of an indirect tax? | sales tax, value added tax |
What is an example of an expressed power? | levying and collecting taxes, trade regulation, establishing and maintaining military, declare war, criteria for citizenship, establish post office |
What is an example of an implied power? | build and regulate transportation, commerce, sets a federal minimum wage, establishes the United States Air Force, establishes national parks, creates federal laws against pollution. |
Who has the sole authority in declaring war? | Congress |
Without a majority in the electoral college who chosses the President? | House of Representatives |
Who is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives? | Speaker of the House |
When are committee chairpersons, whips, and floor leaders chosen? | During the Party Caucus |
What is the name of the temporary committee established to find specific facts? | Select Committee |
What is the name of a committee used to iron out differences in a bill passed by both the House and the Senate? | Conference Committee |
An attempt to "talk a bill to death" is called? | filibuster |
When are federal elections always held? | On the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November |
An authors exclusive right to their work is called what? | copyright |
Give an example of an inherent power? | Regulate immigration |
What is a strategy used to formally end a filibuster called? | cloture rule |
What is one thing the House rules committee does? | set up conditions for debating a bill, speed up consideration of a bill, prevetn consideration of a bill |
How often must Congress formally meet during each term? | 2 times |
How are each states Representatives determined? | population |
How long does each session of Congress last? | Approximately 1 year |
What are the elections held between Presidential elections called? | off-year or midterm |
What is it called when a district is drawn up to favor one particular party? | gerrymandering |
What is the name given to a person who seeks to limit Congress to its' expressed powers is called? | strict constructionist |
Someone who believes in a broad interpretation of the Constitution is called? | loose constructionist |
What is the name given to the House when it is sitting as a large committee of itself? | committee of the Whole |
Provision attached to an important measure? | rider |
What enables members to force a bill out of a committee pigeonhole? | discharge petition |
With only a fraction of its seats up for election at any one time, the Senate is the sole________in Congress | continuous body |
Where can a bill originate? | House of Representatives or Senate |
What committee does a subcommittee report a bill? | the Rules Committee |
At what point would a bill be placed on one of the House calendars? | being reported out of full committee |
When is a bill considered by the rules committee? | just after the floor debate |
How many representatives does Arizona have? | 8 |
Who holds the trial to remove an impeached official from office? | senate |
How long is a term in the Senate? House? | 6 years. 2 Years |
Who presides over an impeachment trial? | Chief Justice |
Political Agenda | Issues that people believe require government action. |
Cost | Burden that people believe they must bear if a policy is enacted. |
Benefits | Satisfaction that people believe they will enjoy if a policy is adopted. |
Majoritarian politics | Policy in which almost everybody benefits and everybody pays |
Interest group policies | one small group benefits, almost everybody pays. |
Pork-barrel legislation | legislatino that gives tangible benefits |
Logrolling | Legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return support of his/hers |
entrepreneurial politics | almost everybody benefits and small group pays |
policy entrepreneurs | activists of government pull together |
process regulation | rules government commercial activities improve consumer worker |