Professional Documents
Culture Documents
o 535 Total
o stopped at 435 in 1911
problems are that the number of constituents is raising per
representative
6. Who Composes Congress? representative of groups? More or less partisan?
Why?
o Originally old white men
o however now it is becoming less male and less white
o still majority of Congress is wealthy and old
o mostly career politicians in Congress
o increase in incumbency rates
incumbents have free mailing, travel frequently, names in
newspaper/publicity
o 1990s incumbency backfired --> ppl disliking professional politicians
7. Filibusters who ? Where? Why? How to stop?
o used by both parties
o can only stop with a clotchure which requires 3/5 vote to pass
requires a party to have 60 members to dominate Congress
o Filibusters only in the Senate
o prolonged speech/series of speech used to prolong legislative action
8. Powerful committees? In Senate? In House?
o Standing Committees most powerful
o House = Rules Committee, Appropriations, and Ways and Means
APPROPRIATIONS = HOW MONEY IS SPENT
WAYS AND MEANS = HOW THEY GET MONEY
RULES IS DEFINITELY THE STRONGEST IN THE HOUSE
o Senate = appropriations/ budget/ finance
9. Standing committee v. Select committee v. Joint Committee v. conference
Committee
o standing committee - permanent bodies with specified legislative
responsibilities
o select committee - groups appointed for a limited purpose and usually
lasting for only a few congresses
o Joint Committee - those on which both representatives serve
used to speed up process
o Conference Committee - type of joint committee: made of reps and
senators to resolve differences in House and Senate versions of the same
piece of legislation before final passage.
10. Senators v. Representatives How are they different? Why? Who holds more
power? Who has higher incumbency? Why?
o Both have high incumbency rates due to incumbent privileges but House
can utilize SAFE DISTRICTS.
House can use safe districts and also vote/push for bills that
directly benefit constituents
Senate has the power of prestige --> harder for people to run against them
Different in Size
Revenue bills start in House
impeachment trial in Senate
Senate approves presidential nominations/treaties
Senators can use filibuster
Senate = 6 years in office and 9 years of citizenship
House = 2 years in office and 7 years of citizenship
Reps more interested on local issues whereas Senators more interested in
State/national issues
o Senate has more powers b/c they represent the entire state and not just
certain districts
11. Speaker of the House Powers? How selected? Why?
o leadership more powerful due to large amount of members in House
o elected by majority party and presides over all House meetings
o decides who shall be recognized to speak on floor of House
o rules whether a motion is relevant and germane to the business at hand
o decides the committees to which new bill shall be assigned
o influences what bill is brought up for a vote
12. Majority Party How? Advantages? Why?
o is selected by the majority party
o responsible for making a schedule of business with Senate, while
consulting the minority leader
o has right to be recognized first on floor debate
o can personally influence some senators to favor their party
o assisted by the whip who helps inform the leader about what the members
are thinking, rounds up votes for certain bills, and keeps count on how
voting on controversial issues go.
13. Senate v. House More rules? more publicity? More representative? Why?
o House has more rules due to size
restrict debate time and schedule the business
done typically by Rules Committee
has less time to debate than Senate
o Senate has unlimited debate time and can use filibusters
o Senate has more media visibility than House
o House has more representatives b/c it is based on population
o Senate has less b/c based on statehood
14. Pork barrel / Ear Marks? What? For who? Why?
o bills that give tangible benefits to constituents in order to hope to get their
votes in return
o benefits the constituents and the voter by increasing his/her reputation
15. How a Bill becomes a Law? Long process? Advantages? Disadvantages?
Why?
o bill is introduced, gets title and number and is placed on calendar
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