Congress

Question 1

What are the two functions of Congress?

Answer 1

1. Policy/law making
2. Representation
   - -> Represent district of people that they are voted in from

Question 2

Why is Congress the most powerful source of government?

Answer 2

-People are represented in congress

Question 3

How might the two function of Congress clash?

Answer 3

-Getting ride of debt, one way to do so is raising taxes and there must be representation

Question 4

What is the role of Legislature in Congress?

Answer 4

-Role is to arrive at compromises between the represented people and Congress

Question 5

What is the U.S. Congress made up of?

Answer 5

• 435 Representatives

- 100 Senators

Question 6

What are the enumerated powers of Congress?

Answer 6

• The authority capacity granted by the Constitution
  1. Power of taxation and spending of public funds
  2. Fiscal policy: borrowing money on the credit of U.S.
  3. Power to declare war
  4. Power of Impeachment: Any federal official to be removed form public office
  5. Commerce Clause: Has power to regulate international and states business/commerce
  6. Copy right laws, uniform bankruptcy laws, and naturalization laws
  7. Power to coin money and printing money
  8. Power to establish a post office and build roads
  9. Establish lower federal courts beneath the US. supreme court, as many as necessary.
  10. NOT OFFICIAL POWER: the oversight power, Checks the judiciary and executive branch.

Question 7

What are bankruptcy, copyright, and naturalization laws?

Answer 7

• bankruptcy laws govern how many assets can be ceased in bankruptcy
• Naturalization- immigration laws
• Copy right laws- are the laws that protect intellectual property

Question 8

What is the War power Resolution and purpose?

Answer 8

-Attempt by congress to keep some power from the president creating wars, under article 1 of constitution.

Question 9

What is the Oversight power of Congress?

Answer 9

• Not an official power of Congress
  1. Impeachment
  2. Holds hearing on the executive and judiciary branch
• ->implicit threat to change the behavior of agency or will lose funding.

Question 10

How is Congress organized?

Answer 10

• Organized into 3 principles
  1. Hierarchal- Party leaders (rank), and file makers (everyone else).
  2. Division of Labor: Divide groups into congressional committees, Senate and House Committee, when they meet its separated into 2 floors.
  3. Bicameral: Separated into 2 chambers, 100 members called the Senate and Lower chamber with 435 called the House of Representatives.

Question 11

How was Bicameralism implemented in the U.S. ?

Answer 11

• In the Constitutional Convention with the “Great Compromise”
• Agreement of Statehood and population representation.
• -> every state has 2 senators
• -> House of Repres based on the population of each state.

Question 12

What is the importance of organization in Congress?

Answer 12

-a party leadership structure organized a large group of people to make decisions.

Question 13

What are the rules and procedures of the House of Representatives?

Answer 13

• Strict rules and procedure because of large number
• Rules Committee: controls the flow of legislation and condition of debate
• ->Schedules debate of bill with the floor, must go through commute to decide on a bill.
• Germaneness Requirements- All amendments must be relevant to a bill.
• Majoritian: Majority rule has the opportunity to pass bills or bring to floor

Question 14

What are the rules and procedures of the Senate?

Answer 14

• Not limited on debate

- Germaneness rules do not apply

Question 15

What is the rule committee in Congress?

Answer 15

• Part of the House of Representatives
• Last phase of a bill
• Scheduling for a bill to go the floor occurs
• Bill that majority is not in favor off are placed in a disadvantage spot.

Question 16

What is the discharge position in Congress?

Answer 16

• Part of the House of Representatives
• When a committee hold a bill from a vote, majority can have a final vote on something
• Need 218 members of house to petition