You Can Do It! Congress Review

Define These Terms cloture conference committees congressional oversight constituent earmarks filibuster gerrymanding joint committee pork barrel reapportionment Speaker of the House standing committees whips incumbents

________ Legislature: Legislature Divided into ______ Chambers The Senate has ______ members with ___-year terms of office. gives “advice and consent” and is more influential on foreign affairs. has ______, which are unlimited debates. has ______ to close off debate. The House has _____ members with __-year terms of office. initiates all _______ bills and is more influential on budget. has the House Rules Committee. Which does? has limited debates.

Congressional Leadership The House is led by _____ ___ ___ ______, who is elected by House members. presides over House. has a major role in committee assignments and legislation. is assisted by majority leader and whips. The Senate is formally led by vice president. is really led by majority leader, who is chosen by party members. is assisted by whips. must work with the minority leader.

Representative as Delegate or Trustee? _____________? _____________? They vote in accordance with the will of their constituents. “Instructions ought to be followed implicitly.” Congress derives their power from those that choose them. Representatives must express the will and speak opinions of the people. They vote according to their conscience. “We must place first the responsibility we owe not to our party or even to our constituents to but our individual conscience.” People who voted representatives into office have faith in their sense of justice and respect their judgment.

_________ (those already holding office) seeking reelection in the House of Representatives have a better than 90% success rate. Senators have better than 80% success rate.

Advantage Incumbents Have over Challengers free travel back and forth from Washington to home state free mail (_______ privilege) media exposure constituent services (pork barrel, flags, letters, gerrymandering) Senators typically win by narrower margins than House members. There’s greater competition in the Senate, and the entire state votes, compared to smaller congressional districts for the House. There’s less personal contact with constituents. They draw more visible challengers already known to voters.

Gerrymandering Define gerrymandering. 8

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Assigned to Committees Specialize in certain areas. A bill is _________ _____. Steps: Propose to a STANDING committee. Debate, amend, or vote to kill. Send it to full session of House or Senate. Most bills die in ___________.

Full Session If a bill passes committee, it goes to a full session on the House floor (via the _____ committee) or the Senate floor for debate. Debate. Make possible amendments (**not common; mostly amendments are made in committee). Vote. pass (majority): goes to other chamber of Congress fail: is sent back to committee or killed

Other Chamber of Congress If it passed in the ______, it goes to the Senate for the same process. If it passed in the ______, it goes to the House for the same process. If it passed by both chambers, the bill goes to the __________ to be signed or _______.

To the President They sign or veto the bill. If they sign, the bill becomes law. If they veto, what does the president do? Congress can vote to override veto (two-thirds vote from both chambers). The bill dies (this is what usually happens).