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Questions and Answers
What is the primary function of standing committees?
Which committee determines the rules for debate on a bill in the House?
In the impeachment process, which body is responsible for voting to impeach?
What is the role of the Senate in the impeachment process?
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What does Congressional oversight involve?
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What type of legislature is established by Article I of the US Constitution?
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How many total members are there in the US Senate?
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What is the minimum age requirement to serve in the US Senate?
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How long is the term for a member of the House of Representatives?
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Who presides over the Senate in the Vice President's absence?
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What is the total number of members in the House of Representatives?
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Who is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives?
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What is the maximum number of representatives in the House of Representatives as established by the Permanent Apportionment Act?
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Which process involves reallocating all 435 seats in the House of Representatives based on population?
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What do states use to divide areas into congressional districts?
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What term refers to drawing district lines with the intent to influence election outcomes?
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What role do congressional committees play in the legislative process?
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Who determines committee assignments in Congress?
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What must be approximately equal in each congressional district?
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What happens to party members who do not have a good relationship with their party's leadership?
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Which type of committee is specifically created to address issues not suitable for standing committees?
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What role does the Conference Committee serve in the legislative process?
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What is the primary responsibility of the House during the impeachment process?
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What does Congressional oversight entail?
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Which body is responsible for providing 'Advice and Consent' for presidential appointments?
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What is the term length for members of the Senate?
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How often are all members of the House of Representatives up for reelection?
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What is the total number of chambers in the US Congress?
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What is the minimum age required to serve in the House of Representatives?
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What is the official title of the person responsible for presiding over the House of Representatives?
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During which event do representatives vote on the Speaker of the House?
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Which state gained the most congressional seats after the 2020 Census?
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What commonly occurs when districts are intentionally drawn to benefit a political party?
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Who primarily decides the boundaries during the redistricting process?
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Which position holds the 3rd spot in the U.S. presidential line of succession?
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What significant charge may lead to a formal impeachment by the House?
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Which committees are designated to address issues or problems unsuitable for standing committees?
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In the context of Congressional oversight, which of the following is an example of its application?
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What percentage of the Senate is up for reelection every two years?
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What is the primary role of the Vice President in the Senate?
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Which leader is responsible for presiding over the Senate's sessions?
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How many representatives does Texas currently have in the U.S. House after the 2020 Census?
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What is the impact of having roughly equal population in each congressional district?
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What 1929 law established the maximum number of representatives at 435?
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What is the primary focus of congressional committees within the legislative process?
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Study Notes
The Legislative Branch
- The US Constitution established a bicameral legislature, consisting of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
- Each chamber has different requirements, responsibilities, and constituencies.
The Senate
- The Senate has 100 members.
- Each state has two senators.
- Senators must be at least 30 years old and a US citizen for at least nine years.
- Senators serve six-year terms with no term limits.
- Every two years, 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection.
- Current Senate Majority Leader: Chuck Schumer
The House of Representatives
- The House of Representatives has 435 members.
- Each state's representation is based on its population.
- Representatives must be at least 25 years old and a US citizen for at least seven years.
- Representatives serve two-year terms with no term limits.
- All members are up for reelection every two years.
- Current Speaker of the House: Mike Johnson
Leadership
- In the Senate, the Vice President presides and votes in case of a tie.
- In the Vice President's absence, a President Pro Tempore presides.
- The Senate majority leader is the head of the majority party.
- In the House, the Speaker of the House is the head of the majority party and is third in line to succeed the presidency.
Reapportionment and Redistricting
- Reapportionment is the process of reallocating the 435 seats in the House of Representatives based on population after each census.
- Redistricting is the process of dividing states into congressional districts, each with an approximately equal number of people.
- State legislatures typically determine district boundaries.
Gerrymandering
- Gerrymandering is when districts are drawn with political intent, potentially influencing election outcomes.
Congressional Committees
- Committees are small groups in both the House and Senate that focus on specific policy areas or procedural issues.
- The majority party leadership determines committee assignments.
- There are various types of committees, including standing committees, select (special) committees, joint committees, and conference committees.
Roles of Congress
- Congressional Oversight: Committees monitor the rule-making, enforcement, and implementation of congressional policies.
- Impeachment: The House can impeach the president or other members of the executive branch for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." The Senate votes to convict.
- Presidential Appointments: The president nominates ambassadors, ministers, consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and other officers. The Senate has the power to approve or reject these appointments.
The Legislative Branch
- The Legislative Branch of government is established in Article I of the US Constitution.
- It is a bicameral legislature, meaning it is made up of two chambers, each with different requirements, responsibilities, and constituencies.
The Senate
- There are 100 members of the Senate.
- Senators must be at least 30 years old.
- They serve 6-year terms with no term limits.
- 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection every 2 years.
- Each state has two Senators, ensuring equal representation.
Leadership in the Senate
- The current Senate Majority Leader is Chuck Schumer.
- The Vice President votes in case of a tie and presides over the Senate.
- In the VP's absence the President Pro Tempore will preside.
The House of Representatives
- The House has 435 members.
- Representatives serve 2-year terms with no term limits.
- All members are up for reelection every 2 years.
- Representatives must be at least 25 years old.
- Representation is based on population.
Leadership in the House of Representatives
- The current Speaker of the House is Mike Johnson.
- The head of the majority party is the Speaker of the House, who is 3rd in line to succession of the presidency.
How Are Congressional Districts Created?
- The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 permanently set the maximum number of representatives at 435 members.
- Reapportionment is the process of reallocating all 435 House seats based on population.
- Redistricting is the process of dividing states into districts, determined by the state legislature.
- Each district must have approximately the same number of people.
Gerrymandering
- Gerrymandering occurs when districts are drawn with political intent.
Congressional Committees
- Congressional committees are small groups oriented around policy or procedural issues where the real work of Congress gets done.
- Committees exist in both the House and Senate.
- Committee assignments are determined by the majority party leadership.
Various Types of Committees:
- Standing Committees: Permanent committees responsible for a particular policy area.
- House Rules Committee: This committee determines how and when debate on a bill will take place.
- Select (Special) Committees: Committees appointed to deal with an issue or problem not suited to standing committees.
- Joint Committees: Committees made up of members from both the House and Senate.
- Conference Committees: Committees formed to reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill.
Roles of Congress:
- Congressional Oversight: Refers to the efforts of Congress to monitor agency rule-making, enforcement, and implementation of congressional policies.
- Impeachment: A formal charge by the House on the president (or other members of the executive branch) for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes, misdemeanors” which may result in removal from office.
- Advice and Consent: The US Constitution provides that the president "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for." (Article II, section 2).
The Legislative Branch
- The US Constitution Article I established a bicameral legislature, Congress, made up of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
- Each chamber has different requirements, responsibilities, and constituencies.
The Senate
- The Senate has 100 members, two from each state.
- Senators serve 6-year terms with no term limits.
- 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection every two years.
- The Vice President presides over the Senate and votes in case of a tie.
- In the Vice President's absence, a President Pro Tempore presides.
- The majority party in the Senate elects a Senate majority leader.
- Chuck Schumer is the current Senate Majority Leader.
The House of Representatives
- The House of Representatives has 435 members.
- Representatives serve two-year terms with no term limits.
- All members are up for reelection every two years.
- The minimum age requirement for a representative is 25 years old.
- Representation is based on population; Texas currently has 38 representatives.
- The House votes on the position of Speaker of the House at the beginning of each Congressional Session.
- The head of the majority party is the Speaker of the House, who is 3rd in line to succession of the presidency.
- Mike Johnson is the current Speaker of the House.
Congressional Districts
- The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 permanently set the maximum number of representatives in the House of Representatives at 435.
- Reapportionment is the process of reallocating 435 seats based on population changes from the Census.
- Redistricting is the process of dividing states into congressional districts.
- States usually determine the boundaries of districts, ensuring each district has an equal number of people.
- Gerrymandering occurs when districts are drawn with political intent, potentially influencing election outcomes.
Congressional Committees
- Congressional Committees are small groups focused on policy or procedural issues.
- They are responsible for the majority of Congress's work.
- Committees exist in both the House and the Senate.
- Committee assignments are determined by the majority party leadership.
- Party members with poor relationships with their party leadership may not get desired committee assignments.
Types of Committees
- Standing Committees: Permanent committees responsible for specific policy areas.
- House Rules Committee: Determines how and when debate on a bill takes place.
- Select (Special) Committees: Appointed to address specific issues or problems not suited for standing committees.
- Joint Committees: Composed of members from both the House and the Senate.
- Conference Committees: Formed to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.
Roles of Congress
- Congressional Oversight: Committees monitor agency rule-making, enforcement, and implementation of congressional policies.
- Impeachment: The House of Representatives votes to impeach the president or other members of the executive branch for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes, misdemeanors," which could lead to removal from office. The Senate votes to convict.
- Appointment Power: The President nominates ambassadors, public ministers, consuls, judges, and other federal officers, but requires the "Advice and Consent" of the Senate to appoint them.
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Description
Explore the structure and functions of the Legislative Branch of the United States government. This quiz covers the Senate and House of Representatives, their members' requirements, and leadership roles. Test your knowledge of how legislation is created and the responsibilities of each chamber.
