Congress

1. Congress

3. Congressional Terms • Begin on odd numbered years • Last for two years • Divided into two sessions • A session is one year

4. Joint Session • When the House of Representatives and the Senate meet together • Usually occurs when Congress gathers for the president’s State of the Union Address

5. Bicameral • A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses • House of Representatives has 435 voting members with representation based on state population * Serve two year terms * Represent their local district • Senate has 100 voting members with 2 members from each state * Serve 6 year terms * Represent their entire state

7. Census • A population count taken by the Census Bureau

8. Constituent • People represented from a legislator’s district

10. Gerrymander • An oddly shaped district designed to increase the voting strength of a particular group

11. Majority Party • In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which more than half the members belong • (Currently Republicans in the House of Representatives and Democrats in the Senate)

13. Minority Party • In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which fewer than half the members belong • (Currently the Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Republicans in the Senate)

15. Speaker of the House • The most powerful leader within the House of Representatives • Chosen by the majority party • Follows the Vice President in succession of the president • Currently John Boehner

16. President Pro Tempore • Pro Tempore- for the time being • Acts as the head of the Senate • Usually filled by someone from the majority party • Mostly a ceremonial position • Currently Harry Reid

18. Leader of the Senate • Officially the Vice President • Currently Joe Biden • Vice President rarely attends Senate debates • Only votes in case of a tie

19. Standing Committees • Permanent committees that continue their work from session to session in Congress

20. Select Committees • Committees created to do a special job for a limited time period

22. Joint Committees • Committees created with members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate

23. Conference Committee • Temporary committees that help the House and Senate agree on the details of a proposed law

24. Seniority • Priority achieved as a result of years of service

25. Article I (Section 8) • Explains the powers of Congress

26. Expressed Powers • Congressional powers that are specifically listed in the Constitution

27. Elastic Clause • Clause in Article I of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its expressed powers

28. Implied Powers • Congressional powers that are not specifically stated in the Constitution

29. Reserved Powers • Powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states

31. Tax Bills • Begin in the House of Representatives • Writers of the Constitution felt that proposed taxes should come from Congressmen closest to the people • Must be approved by the Senate

32. Authorization Bills • Laws that create projects and establish how much money can be spent on them

33. Appropriations Bills • Provide the money for each program or activity approved by Congress • Government agencies can only spend money with approval from Congress

34. Commerce Clause • Gives Congress the right to regulate foreign and interstate commerce • Includes railroads, trucking, air traffic, radio, TV, air pollution

35. Foreign Relations • Only Congress has the power to declare war • The Senate must approve any treaty the president makes with other countries

36. Approve or Remove • Senate must approve presidential nominees for positions such as Supreme Court justices and ambassadors • Congress may remove federal officials • The House of Representatives has the power to impeach

37. Impeach • To accuse government official of misconduct in office • If the House impeaches a public official, the Senate acts as the jury to decide whether to remove the person from office • Two presidents have been impeached Andrew Johnson (1868) and Bill Clinton (1998) • Both were acquitted by the Senate

38. Limits on Congressional Powers • Cannot make laws that ban freedom of speech or religion • Cannot favor one state over another • Cannot tax interstate commerce or tax exports • Cannot suspend writ of habeas corpus • Cannot pass bills of attainder • Cannot pass ex post facto laws

39. Writ of Habeas Corpus • A court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person

41. Bills of Attainder • Laws that punish a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court

42. Ex Post Facto • Laws that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed

43. Limits from Other Branches • Supreme Court may declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional • President can veto bills passed by Congress • Congress can overturn the presidents veto if both the House and the Senate with a two-thirds vote

44. Requirements to be a Senator • At least 30 years old • Live in the state they want to represent • Been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years

45. Requirements to be a Representative • At least 25 years old • Live in the state they hope to represent • Been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years

46. Franking Privilege • Right of Senators and Representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage

47. Immunity • Legal protection from criminal prosecutution or legal liability

49. Lobbyist • A representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making

50. Pages • Workers that help members of Congress by delivering messages and running errands