CH 11
Lawmakers and legislators
Vocab!
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Constituent
Pork
Appropriations
Casework
Constituent
• A person who
lives in an
electoral district
and is
represented by
an elected official
Pork
• Publicly funded
projects secured
by legislators to
benefit their
home states or
districts
Appropriations
• Funds allocated by a legislature for a stated
purpose as part of a budget or spending bill
Casework
• Personal services provided by members of
Congress to their constituents, often to help
their constituents with problems they are
having with the federal bureaucracy
According to Article I of the
Constitution, what
are the specific, or enumerated,
powers of Congress?
• The enumerated powers of Congress are to
levy and collect taxes, borrow money, regulate
interstate and foreign commerce, coin money,
and declare war.
How does Congress check the other
two branches of government?
• Oversight of executive agencies; Senate
confirmation of key officials appointed by the
president; impeachment and trial of federal
officials, including the president; Senate
ratification of treaties negotiated by the
president; override of a president’s veto of
legislation; proposal of constitutional
amendments
How do you qualify to serve in
Congress?
• Formal qualifications: resident of the state in
which elected, U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
(House) or 9 years (Senate), at least 25
(House) or 30 (Senate) years old
• Informal qualifications: college degree;
background in business or law
How does the government decide the
number of representatives per state?
• Every 10 years, a national census is conducted,
and results are used to calculate the
distribution of House seats.
• States with a large increase in population may
gain seats; states whose population drops lose
seats.
• Each state is guaranteed at least one seat in
the House.
Explain the difference between a
delegate and a trustee.
• Delegates seek to represent their districts by
responding directly to the wishes and needs of
their constituents.
• Trustees try to represent their districts by
exercising their best judgment and assuming
that their constituents trust them to do the
right thing.
Which leadership position in Congress
has the most power? List some specific
powers of that position.
• The House speaker has the most power in
Congress. The speaker assigns bills to
committees, appoints members to special
committees and commissions, and decides
what bills will be debated by the full House
and when.
What is a standing committee?
• Standing committees: Permanent
committees (such as the House
Committee on Agriculture) that handle
most legislative business and gather
information from hearings and
investigations.
What is a subcommittee?
• Subcommittees: Formed
within standing
communities, these do
most of the work of
reviewing proposed
legislation.
What is a special committee?
• Select or special
committees: Temporary
committees formed to
investigate a specific
problem.
• They do not review
legislation but may
make recommendations
to Congress.
What is a joint committee?
• Joint committees:
Permanent committees
(such as the Joint
Committee on the
Library) made up of
House and Senate
members that are
formed around issues of
importance to both
chambers.
What is a conference committee?
• Temporary joint
committees formed to
iron out differences
between two versions of
a bill passed by the
House and Senate.
How does a bill become a law?
How does a bill become a law?
How does a bill become a law?
CH 11 Review
T/F
• The government uses the census to
redistribute seats in Congress.
T/F
• True
• The government uses the census to
redistribute seats in Congress.
Fill in the blank.
• The ________________ committee handles
the most detailed work of lawmaking in
Congress.
Fill in the blank.
• The _standing__ committee handles the most
detailed work of lawmaking in Congress.
T/F
• The power to ratify treaties belongs only to
the Senate.
T/F
• True
• The power to ratify treaties belongs only to
the Senate.
T/F
• Term limits limit the number of years a
legislator can serve in Congress.
T/F
• True
• Term limits limit the number of years a
legislator can serve in Congress.
T/F
• Term limits can apply to state lawmakers but
not to members of Congress
T/F
• True
• Term limits can apply to state lawmakers but
not to members of Congress
T/F
• The number of seats in the Senate depends on
the population of each state.
T/F
• False
• The number of seats depends on the number
of states.
• Each state has 2 senators.
Fill in the blank
• ______________are residents of an electoral
district represented by an elected official
Fill in the blank
• __Constituents__are residents of an electoral
district represented by an elected official
T/F
• The “power of scheduling” refers to the
Speaker’s ability to control the meeting dates
of committees.
T/F
• False
• The “power of scheduling” refers to the
Speaker’s ability to decide which bills will be
debated and when
T/F
• Most members of Congress begin their
political careers in local politics
T/F
• True
• Most members of Congress begin their
political careers in local politics
T/F
• A conference committee is made up of
members from both the legislative and
executive branches.
T/F
• False
• A conference committee is made up of
members from both the House and Senate
Final Question
• Select your representative
• Place your wager
Short answer
• How does Congress check the Executive
Branch?
• How does Congress check the Judicial Branch?
How does Congress check the other
two branches of government?
• Oversight of executive agencies; Senate
confirmation of key officials appointed by the
president; impeachment and trial of federal
officials, including the president; Senate
ratification of treaties negotiated by the
president; override of a president’s veto of
legislation; proposal of constitutional
amendments