| A | B |
|---|
| Pocket veto | Not acting on the bill in 10 days and during this period Congress adjourns |
| Ex post facto law | Limits to Congressional Power: Passing ex post facto laws; laws that apply to actions occurring before the law was passed |
| Bills of Attainder | Limits to Congressional Power:Passing bills of attainder-sentencing people to prison without trial |
| Constituents | who you represent. house purpose is designed to reflect the will of the average citizen; senate is to provide for stability continuity and in-depth deliberation |
| Law | the principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people |
| Bill | a form or draft of a proposed statute presented to a legislature, but not yet enacted or passed and made law. |
| Pork barrel projects | Public works projects for the home district or state |
| Speaker of the House | Most powerful leader in the House of Representatives; steers legislation, in harge of floor debates, influences House business |
| President Pro-Tempore | Person acting as chairperson of the Senate, very ceremonial; vice president is technically the president of the Senate but usually only votes in case of a tie |
| District | Controlled by state legislature; each district must be equal in population; each state receives at least one Representative; redistristing occurs after the census to accomidate pop shift; |
| Gerrymandering | drawing district lines to favor a particular party |
| Appropriations bills | a bill providing money for government expenses and programs NOTE: Appropriations bills originate in the House of Representatives |
| Standing Committee | Always there |
| Select committee | created to do a special job for a limited time |
| Joint committee | members from the house and senate |
| Conference committee | Temporary committee that helps the House and Senate agree on details of proposed laws; the majority of work done in Congress occurs in committee |
| Implied powers | The elastic/necessary and propper clause says that congress make laws that are necessary and proper to carry out the powers given to them; also know as the elastic clause; these powers are also known as implied powers because they are not specifically stated in the Constitution (like eating lunch at school) |
| Expressed powers | are clearly listed int he Constitution; (learning at school)ex: collect taxes; borrow money; regulate trade; coin money; est.post offices; declare war; raise and maintain an army/navy; can give patents/copyrights |
| Writ of Habeas Corpus | Limits to Congressional Power: suspending_____bringing someone to court without enough evidence |
| Leadership of senate | vice-president; president pro tempore |
| Leadership of the house | speaker of the house |
| Number of members of senate/house | 6 year terms, 100 members, 2 per each state/2 year terms, 435 members, 1 per district |
| Requirements for senate and house | must be 30 years old, live in state, us citizen 9 years/house: 25 years old, live in the state, us citizen 7 years |
| Intended purpose for senate and housed | Provide for stability, continuity, and in-depth deliberation; designed to reflect the will of the average citizen |
| How does a bill become a law? House | Introduction: 1st reading, given title or number, assigned to standing committee; committee action: subcommittees-studies, hearings, pass the bill, amend the bill with changes, pigeon hole bill-ignore the bill; kill the bill; pass it (on to the entire House) |
| How does a bill become a law? House(floor action) | Rull committee (house only), decides how to debate what will happen; limited debate vote by standing, voice, or machine; if passes goes to senate or conference committee; pork barrel legislation: public works projects for the home district or state; logrolling: "If you vote for my bills, I will vote for yours" |
| How does a bill become a law? Senate | Introduction:(same as house); committee action: subcommittes-studies, hearings; pass the bill or amend it; pieon hole bill-igore the bill; kill the bill by majority vote, pass it(on to entire senate); floor action: unlimited debate in senate ONLY; filibuster-talk a bill to death; cloture vote: 3/5ths vote that limits debate in the Senate and stop a filibuster; can add riders to a bill(amendments that have nothing to do with the bill), final vote, if passes sent to the House or conference commitee |
| Conference Committe | members of both the House and the Senate; agrees on 1 version of the bill |
| FINAL APPROVAL OF BILLS | president: signs it, vetos it, pocket vetos it (not acting on the bill in 10 days and during this period Congress adjourns; doing nothing means it become law (within 10 days IF Congress IS IN SESSION->ovverride vetoed bill-congress can overturn veto with a 2/3 vote in both houses |
| What powers does congress have? Why are these important? | expressed powers; implied powers; powers of the senate only: propose amendments to spending bills, choose vice president if no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes; powers of the House Only: elect the president when no candidate to get to a majority of electoral votes; powers shared between house and senate: making laws, regulating commerce, declaring war, maintaining armed forces; non-legislative power: constitutional amendments(congress can propose constitutional amendments with a 2/3 vote in each house; can also call a national convention if 2/3 of state legislature want to propose an amendment |
