Notes: The Congress

1. As the result of decentralization in the 1970s (esp. w/class of !7"#$

what happened to the power of su%co&&ittee chair&en' (hat a%out
the influence of co&&ittee chair&en'
*Power of subcommittee chairmen increased, and the influence of
committee chairmen decreased
). *i+e three reasons wh, the -enate is a &ore naturall, decentralized
and infor&al %od,.
The senate is a more naturally decentralized and informal body:
*Fewer members, fewer formal rules
*Lack of speaker
*Lack of strong Rules ommittee
.. (hat was the result of the passage of the 17th A&end&ent'
*The result of the passage of the !"th #mendment is direct election
of senators$
". As the result of the 17th A&end&ent how could a fili%uster %e
ter&inated'
*%ill a filibuster:&'( )ote for cloture
/. (h, is the -enate considered a &ore infor&al %od, than the 0ouse'
1(ith a s&aller size$ the senate has %een a &ore infor&al %od,
with less need than the house for as &an, strict procedures
2. (hat is the reelection rate in 0ouse' 3or the -enate'
14eelection rate in 0ouse: 905
14eelection rate in the -enate: 605
7. Na&e 2 ad+antages of incu&%enc,. 7oo8 up what 9fran8ing
pri+ilege: is.
*Franking Pri)ilege
**taffers
*Patronage
*+ame recognition
*asework
*,oney, esp $from P#s
6. -u&&arize . points of reapportion&ent found in the notes.
*+umber of Rep-s per state is determined by population
*ensus conducted e)ery !. years
*ensus will show population significantly in population, it will probably
gain some seats/ if a state loses population or does not gain as much as
other states, it will probably lose same seat changes in the states0 this
changes must be reflected in state representation in the 1ouse: if state
gains
9. ;efine 9gerr,&andering.:
*Redrawing boundaries to fa)or the party in power of the state
legislature
10. 7ist four effects of 9gerr,&andering.:
*The party in power *T#2* in power
3safe4 seats are created for incumbents, leading to the further difficulties
for challengers
*trangely5shaped districts
3,a6ority5minority4 districts created by racial gerrymandering
11. <=plain the 9>a8er +. Carr: case. 0ow did this case effect
gerr,&andering'
*7aker )$ arr, !89:: 3one man, one )ote4 principle applied to state
legislati)e district to correct o)errepresentation ;malapportionment< of
rural areas
1). 7ist out all e=pressed/enu&erated powers actuall, spelled out in the
Const. (hich power has %een consistentl, tested %, the courts and
wh,'
*Le)y ta=es ;re)enue bill must begin in the house<
**pend money from common defense and public welfare>
*7orrow money
*Regulate foreign, interstate, ?ndian commerce$ This clause has been
tested fre@uently in the courts due to its broad interpretation by ongress
*Astablish naturalization and bankruptcy laws
*oin money
*Astablished weights and measures
*Punish counterfeiters
*Astablish post offices
*Brant copyrights and patents
*reate courts inferior to supreme court
*Cefine and punish piracy
*Ceclare war
*Raise and support an army and na)y

1.. ;efine principal of 9elastic clause.: ?se te=t%oo8 if necessar,.
*# statement in the D$*$ constitution ;#rticle ?, *ection E< granting
congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out
the enumerated of power$

1". Na&e and e=plain two congressional chec8s on the president@s
powers.
**enate appro)es presidential appointment with ma6ority )ote
1ouse )otes for impeachment; ma6ority )ote needed<, senate tries
impeachment cases ;:'& )ote need to con)ict< who is sub6ect to
impeachment: pres, FP, and 3all ci)il officers of the Dnited *tates4
1/. Na&e two duties of the -pea8er of the 0ouse
*Presides o)er 1ouse
*#ppoints select and conference committees
*#ppoints Rules ommittee members and its chairman

12. 0ow can the Aresident reward or punish &e&%ers of his/her part,'
*The president can reward or punish members, particularly those within
his own party$ 1e campaign for or against members, he can attend or not
attend members- fund raisers, he can speak out for or against members,
and he can use his 3 electronic throne4 to gain le)erage ;3going public4<
17. ;efine 9Bron Triangle.:
*#lso known as sub go)ernments, issue networks, policy networks, a
congressional committee, the related federal agency, and the impacted
interest groups$
16. (hat 8ind of %ill drafting process where the 3ounding 3athers
loo8ing for'
*To create a cautious and deliberate process
19. (hat is 9pigeonholing: a %ill'
*Pigeonholing: postponed indefinitely/ most fre@uent fate of bill
)0. 7ist two i&portant functions of the 4ules Co&&ittee (0ouse onl,#.
*?ssues open rule that allows amendments to a bill or closed rule
that prohibits such amendments ;esp$ ta= bills<
*Astablishes rule on floor debates
)1. (hich %ranch of congress onl, allows for fili%usters' 0ow are
fili%usters ended'
**enate only allows filibusters$ an be ended by &'G )ote of cloture
)). (hat does the 9conference co&&ittee: do'
*omprised of members from both houses, a temporary conference
committee reconciles different 1ouse5*enate )ersions of a bill, and then
sends it back to each house for a )ote$
).. 0ow can Congress o+erride a president@s +eto (what fraction of
+otes is needed'#
*an be o)erridden by :'& )ote in both 1ouses
)". (hat is a 9lineCite&: +eto' (hat is its status with Chief <=ecuti+e
(cite -upre&e Court case#' (ith state go+ernors'
*The power of a president, go)ernment e=ecuti)e, to re6ect pro)ision
of a bill indi)idually$ This was struck down in linton )$ +2 ;!88E< as a
)iolation of separation of powers5 in effect , use of the line item )eto would
ha)e enabled the president to legislate, a function reser)ed only for
congress$ ,ost go)ernors do ha)e the power of the line item )eto$
)/. (here is the 9real wor8: done in Congress'
*?n committees and subcommittees, not on the floor of the 1ouse or
*enate$
)2. (h, is getting the right co&&ittee so i&portant to &e&%ers of
Congress'
*Hne in which a member can best ser)e his constituents, and thus
increase his'her chances of reelection$
)7. (hat is the 9seniorit, s,ste&: in Congress' (h, is it usedC
ad+antages'
*The person of the ma6ority party with most seniority on the
committee is chosen chairman$ ; AIPAR?A+A, AIPART?*A, reduces
infighting among those who would be ri)als for chairmen<
)6. (hat are -tanding Co&&ittees' (hat powers do the, possess'
*The permanent committees of congress which ha)e legislati)e,
in)estigati)e, and o)ersight powers$
)9. (hat does the 94ules Co&&ittee: do' (h, is the 94C: considered
the &ost powerful in Congress'
**ets legislati)e calendar and establishes 3rules4 for debate and
amendments
.0. (hat issues does the 9(a,s and Deans: Co&&ittee deal with'
*Ceal with ta= bill
.1. (h, does the -enate ha+e a larger role in foreign affairs than the
0ouse'
*Treaty ratification and ambassador confirmation pro)isions in
const$
.). (hat is the purpose of the Conference Co&&ittee' (hat wor8 in
done in CC@s'
*Temporarily committees comprised of members from both houses$
Ce)elop compromise language on a bill when 1ouse and *enate )ersion
differ ;about !.J of the time<
... After conference co&&ittee sends %ill %ac8 to each house$ are new
a&end&ents allowed' (hat usuall, happens to the %ill'
*+o amendments are allowed and the bill generally passes$