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PSCI 2 review (US Congress)
everything combined
51
Political Studies
Undergraduate 1
08/01/2011

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Congress
Definition
  • the first branch of gov't bc the Consitution est. the basic structure of Congress and sets out its pwrs in Article 1.
  • has implied pwrs:sec 9
  • enumerated pwrs: sec 8
  • bicarmeral-consisting of 2 chambers:
    • an upper chamber- The Senate
    • a lower chamber- The House of Representatives
Term
House of Representatives
Definition
  • Composition- based on population
  • eligibility to serve- age 25, a citizen for at least 7 years
  • term length- 2 years
  • enumeration- 435 fixed members voting, 6 non-voting members
    • they have no votes but can participate in committiees
  • Republicans hold majority in House
Term
Senate
Definition
  • Compostion- 100 senators, 2 per state (D.C. has no members, when president election they have 3 elector votes)
  • Eligibility- age 30, a citizen for 9 years
  • Term length- 6 years
  • 112th Congress- 59 marjority Demo's (70%)/ 2 Individuals (Demo's) / Republicans less
  • Democrats hold majority in senate
  • Majority and Minority work close together in the Senate rather than the House.
Term
U.S. Senstors Representing Texas
Definition
  • Kay Bailey Hutchison ( Lady Republican) (Senior- the oldest senator serving, -2020)
  • JoHn Cornyn (Republican) (2002-2014)
Term
Organization of Congress
Definition
Members of congress have not really required this but open to positions of leaderships
Term
Parties
Definition
Groups of like-minded ppl who band together in an attempt to take control of gov't/
Term
Committee
Definition
legislature sub-org's that specialize in particular policy areas
Term
Republican Leadership In the HOUSE of Rep's
Definition
  • speaker of house- John Boehner, Ohio Congress man
  • House Majority Leader- Eric Cantor, Virginia
  • House Majority WHIP- Kevin McCarthy
Term
Democratic Leadership in the HOUSE of Rep's
Definition
  • No speaker
  • Minority Leader- Nancy Pelosi (primary spokesperson)
  • Assistant Minority Leader- James Clyburn
  • Minority WHIP- Steny Hoyer
Term
Demorcratic Leadership in the Senate
Definition
  • Majority Leader- Harry Reid, Democrate: Nevada
  • Majority WHip- Richard Durbin, Democrate: Illinoise
Term
Republican Leadership in the Senate
Definition
  • Minority Leader- Mitch McConnell, Republican: Kentucky
  • Minority Whip- Jon Kyl, Republican: Arizona
Term
Speaker Responsibilities
Definition
  • Presiding Officer- leader of majority party
  • Does not vote on legislation
  • authority to assign bills to committee
  • recognizes members to speak on the floor
  • pwr (final say on interpretor of house rules) 
Term
(House) Majority Leader
Definition
  • Speakers chief lieutenant- main spokes person for the party
  • chosen by majority party caucus- has greater pwr in Senate
  • day work necessary to build political coalitions and enact laws:
    • helps speaker schedule which bill comes to floor 1st
    • coordinating committee activity
    • negotiate w/ presid, senate, and minority party
Term
Minority Leader
Definition

Leader of minority party who coordinates the minority's attempts to improve or defeat majority legislation

 

elected by the minority party caucus

Term
Whips (House Majority)
Definition
  • assist majority and minorities
  • counts votes
  • party members who serve a link of leadership of a rank-and-file number
  • poll members on how they will file a vote
  • have a sence on how caucus responds
Term
President of the Senate
Definition

Vice President- Joe Biden

  • Is the only Congressional Leader that is not a member of Congress (votes in a case of a tie)
  • can't participate in debate, no authority

 

Term
President Pro Tempore
Definition

Daniel Inouye (Democrate- Hawaii)

  • serves as the Senate's presideing officer in the V.P. absence (all the time)
  • goes to the most longest serving senior member of the majority party.
Term
Texas 2010 seats changed
Definition
+4     36 Representatives
Term
Congress- Woodrow Wilson
Definition
Congress in session (debating, nothing really done) is Cngr on display, but Cngr is committee is Cngr at work.
Term
Committees
Definition
different committees specializing in a particular policy areas.
Term
Standing Committee
Definition

have fixed memberships and jurisdictions, and they continue from one Congress to another.

 

the Appropriations, Commerce, and Foreign Relations Committees are examples.

there are 20 standing com. today. 1809-10 com. made, 1825- 28 com. made

Term
Purpose of Standing Committees
Definition
  1. secure pork- money for projects in their district (grants, bridges, transportation, etc.)
  2. provide expertise- to the chambers: house and senate
  3. serve as party agents- represent and pursue
  4. screen legislative proposals- decides which come forth and which dont enter the door.

(parties control the standing committee system in each chamber)

Term
House Committees of Importance
Definition
  1. H of R com. Appropriations- spend money on programs, Chairmen- Hal Roger.
  2.     "   Ways and Means- writes tax policy, Chairmen- Dave Camp
  3.     "   Rules- when bills are considered on the floor and the conditions of debate, the right arm of the Speaker. Chairmen: David Dreier.

they cant serve any other committee

Term
Senate Committees of Importance
Definition
  1. Budget Committee- Kent Conrad- money
  2. Finance- tax writing, regulation on fin. on industry, Max B, Orrin G. H.
  3. Appropriations- money
  4. Foreign relation- ratify treaties (bigger deal than house)
Term
Seniority
Definition
practice by which the majority-party member with the longest continuous service on a committee becomes the chair. congressional leadership
Term
ranking member
Definition
the leader of the minority party
Term
a bill
Definition
  • proposed law.
  • before any bill becomes a law it has to pass both chambers the same way it does the other.
  • 80-90% dont pass.
  • revenue bills have to originate in the House of Reps
Term
who can be the sponser
Definition

any member of Congress can introduce legislation.

no president or interest group.

Term
Hearing Committee
Definition

gathers information of proposed legislation

 

wittnesses come to help to be asked questions by committee.

they create a record for the Congress.

 

majority controls most committees dicisions.

Term
Markups
Definition
adding changes to bills (editing) can happen in either committee or sub-comm.
Term
Paths of Passage in the House/Suspension of the Rules
Definition
  • Debate limited
  • no amendment are allowed
  • 2/3 required for passafe
  • used very frequently
Term
Path s to Passage in the House/Rules Committee
Definition
  • A rule- specifes the terms and conditions under which a bill will be considered.
  • rule must be approved by majority vote
  • legislation must be approved by majority vote
  • rules are almost always passed
  • rules limits amendments and time for debate

 

Term
Pass to Passage to Senate/Pass by Unanimous Consent
Definition
  • members makes a motion to pass bill by unanimous consent

-no one can object unless 1 person does

Term
Paths to Passage to Senate/Debate and Consider Legisture under a Unanimous Consent Agreement
Definition
  • leaders negotiate terms of debate thru unanimous consent agrt
  • legistation is then brought to the floor under the negotiated terms
  • passing a bill by unanimous consent is not the same as considering a bill under a unanimous consent agreetment.
Term
Enumerated Powers
Definition

The powers  of Congress that you can find explicity outlined in the U.S. Constitution (article 1, sec 8)

  • lay taxes
  • regulate foreign and domestic (interstate) commerce
  • coin money
  • est. post offices
  • declare war
  • create a navy
Term
Implied /Inherent Powers
Definition
  • Found in Article 1 in U.S. Const.
  • Power specifed in the Constitution, but which arises in the exercise of enumerated powers
Term
Limits on congressional power
Definition
  • power to bestow titles of nobility
  • restriction on the power to ban the import of slaves until 1808
  • no ex post facto laws (retroactive laws)
  • Bill of attainder (inflict punishment without judicial trail)
  • Article 1, section 9
Term
Reapportionment
Definition
  • Happens at te state level every 10 yrs and is based on the data retrieved from the U.S. census
  • The allocation of a fixed number of seats to the states
    • "one me, one vote" principle mandates that each district be equal in population
    • district now have about 693,000 ppl
    • census used to determine the number of seats per state
    • left up to state to redistrict within the state
Term
Gerrymandering
Definition
Drawing legislative districts in such a way as to advantage one political party or type of representative (eg. incumbents) remember: Redistricting
Term
Powers of the Presideing Officer
Definition
  • similar to Congress
  • appoint committee members, committee chairs and refer bills to committees
  • schecdule legislation for floor votes
  • recognize members on the floor to amen, etc
  • interpret procedure rules
Term
Powers of the Speaker of the House
Definition
  • Assign new bills to committee
    • can delay or assigne to a hostile committee
  • Recognizes member to speak in the House Chamber
    • Can leave crucial members out at the debate
  • Final arbiter and interpreter of the House rules
    • Can cast final judgement on a point of order
Term
What Majority and Minority Leaders Do in the House
Definition
  • Majority leader- helps speaker schedule legislation for floor consideration. (Main spokes person of the party)
  • Minority Leader- minority party counter part of the majority leader
Term
Whips in House and Senate
Definition
  • member of legislative party who serves as the primary communicator btw party leadership and the rank file

poll member of voting intentions

prepare bills summaries

assist leadership

Term
Joint Committee
Definition
that have members from both parties and are permanent. dont have legislative authority.
Term
Congressional Meetings
Definition

Joint Committee

Confrence Committee

Select (speical) Committee

Term
Confrence Committee
Definition
short term committees to discuss bills if recognized (match:committee will see what happens w/bill)
Term
Select Committee
Definition
Have members from 1 chamber. no current select committee in the house.
Term
How a BILL becomes a LAW
Definition
  1. Bill drafted (sponsered)
  2. intro. to senate/house (not by pres or interest grp)
    • referred to committee
  3. In committee (can be killed here)
    • Hearing
    • Mark-up
    • Reported out
  4. Senate/House floor
    • Confrence committee
      • out to President
Term
Hold
Definition

A tactic by which a senator tells floor leader, they want to be informed, before a particular bill is brought to the floor. preventing a bill from coming to the floor until the hold is removed.

Term
Filibuster
Definition

exits only with senate/formal mechanism attempt to/of halting action of a bill means of long speeches or unlimited debate in the senate.

 

(tlaking forever)

Term
Cloture
Definition

is a motion or process aimed at bringing the debate to a quick end. (shuts up the talk)

 

(60% vote to the filibuster can be killed)

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