Ch. 11- Congress
Pages 281-323
Terms:
Bicameral
Apportionment
Reapportionment
Select committee
Gerrymandering
Incumbency effect
Casework
Constituents
Speaker of the House
Floor leaders
Minority leader
Closed rule
Quorum
Safe district
Pigeonhole
president pro tempore
seniority system
standing committee
congressional districting
joint committee
conference committee
caucuses
trustee
franking privilege
oversight
whip
earmark
quorum call
marginal district
census
rules committee
filibuster
cloture
pork barrel legislation
logrolling
riders
amendments
lobbying
legislative veto
majority leader
bills
joint resolution
roll-call vote
pocket veto
Court Cases:
Wesberry v. Sanders (1963)
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton (1995)
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Focus Summary & Questions:
The central purpose of this chapter is to describe the Framers’ understanding of the role of Congress and
to describe the role and organization of Congress today. You should pay particular attention to the effects
of organizational characteristics on the behavior of members of Congress and on the way that the House
and the Senate perform their functions.
1. Delineate the role that the Framers expected Congress to play.
2. Describe the characteristics of members of Congress.
3. Discuss the relationship between ideology and civility in Congress in recent years.
4. Identify the factors that help to explain why a member of Congress votes as she or he does.
5. Outline the process for electing members of Congress.
6. Why do congressional incumbents have an advantage over challengers?
7. Identify the functions of party affiliation in the organization of Congress.
8. Explain the effect of committee reform on the organization of Congress.
9. Why does Congress continue to maintain the seniority system?
10. Describe the formal process by which a bill becomes a law.
11. Explain the ethical problems confronting Congress.
12. Why do Americans hate Congress, but love their congressperson?