The Legislative Branch TEST REVIEW

Activator  Pick up a notecard  Take out your pink Unit 3 Sheet.  Write down 3 questions/terms that you do not understand.

Bicameral Legislature  2 Houses  House of Representatives  Senate  Great Compromise

20 th Amendment  Congressional Terms begin on January 3 rd in odd numbered years  Used to begin in March  Ex. 114 th Congress began on January 3 rd 2015

Census  Population count  Every 10 years since 1790  Next will be in 2020

Reapportionment  Redistricting- state legislatures  Based on census  Reapportionment Act of 1929  Limited House to 435 members  States gain or lose based on population

Gerrymandering  Political party drawing voting district boundaries to gain an advantage in elections  Packing- all opposing party in 1 district  Cracking- dividing opposing party into other districts  Baker v. Carr- federal courts decide conflicts over boundaries  Wesbury v. Sanders (GA)- one man, one vote rule (similar sized districts)

27 th Amendment  Prohibits sitting Congress from giving itself a pay raise  As of 2009, Congressional salary is $174,000/year. More for leadership positions.

Censure  Formal disapproval of members actions

Incumbent  Person currently holding a political office  Historically, 90% win reelection

Constituent  People represented by a politician

House of Representatives  435 members  Based on Population  Virginia Plan  Complex Rules  Committees do most of the work  Leader- Speaker of the House, chosen by caucus  Rules Committee- directs flow of legislation

Majority Leader  Elected by majority party  Party official

Minority Leader  Elected by minority party  Party official

Quorum  Minimum number of members who must be present to vote on legislation  House 218

Senate  100 Members  2 per state  6 year term  More prestigious  More flexible rules  VP- technically President- only votes to break tie  President Pro Tempore-usually most senior member of majority party

Filibuster  Used to prevent a vote  Strom Thurmond- 24 hours & 18 minutes  Stopped by 60 votes for cloture (3/5)  Cloture- allows senator to speak for only 1 hour on a bill under debate

Standing Committee  Permanent Committee  Agriculture, Appropriations, Armed Services, Budget, Education, Energy & Commerce, Financial Services, Government Reform, House Admin, International Relations, Judiciary, Resources, Rules, Science, Small Business, Veterans’ Affairs, Ways and Means

Subcommittee  Specializes in specific topics of standing committees

Select Committees  Temporary Committee  Matters of public concern  Overlooked problems  Problems of interest groups

Joint Committees  Members from House and Senate  Do not propose legislation

Conference Committee  Temporary committee to resolve differences between House and Senate version of bill

Seniority System  Longest serving members of majority party tend to lead committees

Necessary & Proper Clause  Article 1, Section 8  Elastic Clause  Implied Powers  Strict vs. Loose

Expressed Powers  Taxes, borrow money, bankruptcy laws, coin money, punish counterfeiters, regulate foreign and interstate trade, declare war, raise and support army & navy, regulate National Guard, Punish acts on international waters, naturalization laws, post office, copyrights & patents, create lower courts, govern DC

McCullough vs. Maryland  Bank of the US  Marshall Court  Loose Construction  Implied Powers

Naturalization  Congress sets rules for becoming a US citizen

25 th Amendment 1. VP becomes President if president dies, resigns or is impeached 2. President appoints a new VP if office is vacant, Congress must approve 1. VP- Spiro Agnew resigns 2. Nixon appoints Ford 3. Nixon resigns 4. Ford appoints Nelson A. Rockefeller as VP 3. Replacing President with and w/o his/her consent

Impeachment  House calls for impeachment- formal accusation of misconduct  If impeached, Senate holds trial. 2/3 of Senators must vote to remove. Chief Justice presides if President is being tried.  Andrew Johnson- impeach, but acquitted by one vote  Nixon- resigned before impeachment  Clinton- impeached, but acquitted

National Budget  OMB  President  Congress  President

Private vs. Public Bills  Private bills- deal with individuals; often people’s claims against gov’t or immigration problems  Public bill- raising or lowering taxes, Obamacare etc.

Pigeonholing  Committee lets bill die

Hearing  Committee listens to testimony to gather information about a bill

Mark Up  After committee meeting  Changes made to a bill  After mark up, bill must pass committee with a majority vote

Voice Vote  One of 3 ways to vote on a bill

Veto  President rejects a bill  2/3rds of Congress must vote to override veto

Pocket Veto  A pocket veto is when the president does not sign a bill passed in the last 10 days of a Congressional session.

Logrolling  “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”  Public works legislation

Pork Barrel Legislation  Congressmen and/or representatives try to bring money to their own districts.  Pork barrel= federal money  Fat= federal project in district