Respectively, the minimum age

requirement for members of the House of Representatives and

the Senate.

Respectively, members of the House and the Senate

are required to have resided in the United

States for at least how many years?

In 1963, following the decennial census, the number of seats in the House decreased from 437 to 435 as a result

of this process.

The Supreme Court ruled that this process which

allows Congress to adjust to population shifts by redrawing

congressional districts may be done more

frequently than after each U.S. census.

Although Congress alone is given formal law-making power, this action by the President also has the force of law.

Even though the Constitution specifies that all revenue bills must originate here, it is not unusual, today, to see budget bills considered simultaneously in both houses.

Power to charge the president, vice president, or other civil officers with Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Required to convict the president in a trial of impeachment, approve major presidential appointments, and approve presidential treaties.

The enhanced power of this particular officer has eroded the majority authority to control committee agenda

This formal gathering of all Democratic party members is held to nominate or elect

party officers, review committee assignments, discuss party policy, and

impose party themes

House Republicans have a ‘Committee on

Committees’ to make committee assignments

and the Democrats version is called this.

This is the only officer of the

House mentioned in the constitution.

This person is second in the line

of presidential succession

The professionalization of the Speaker of the House reached its peak in 1903 under Speaker Joe Cannon. It was revitalized in the 1990’s giving this Speaker unprecedented control over the House.

This is the most powerful member

of the Senate

This representative acts as the communications link within each party, takes nose counts on key votes and convinces members to toe the party line.

Presiding officer of the Senate when the Vice President

is absent.

This house of Congress puts

less emphasis on organization and

formal rules

The establishment of these bodies which allow for greater specialization are especially important in the House when considering legislation.

The first and last place to which most bills go for consideration.

Investigations and special studies are conducted by both houses of Congress in this committee that often focuses public attention on major matters.

The committee where differences between Senate and House versions of a piece of legislation are ironed out.

The devaluation of this has led to the imposition of term limits on committee chairs in the House.

Temporary committee appointed for a specific purpose.

Bills considered under this rule cannot be amended .

This committee performs the traffic cop

function.

These committees have considerable power

and can kill bills, amend them radically, or hurry them through.

In the face of committee inaction, a vote of 218, through

this action, can force a bill out of committee

to the floor for a vote.

Which members of Congress hold few committee assignments and are allowed to become policy or issue specialists?

House Members

In which house is legislation more likely to be rewritten on the

floor?

Senate

Complete the following statement made by a

political scientist;“_________ ___________

are to members what stocks are to investors.”

Committee Assignments

Measures that allow legislators to bring jobs and new public works programs back to their

districts, improve their chances of reelection, and ironically

attract much public criticism are called what?

Pork and/or Earmarks

Congress can approve programs, but unless money for them is approved they are largely symbolic. This committee, which has this monetary impact, also provides its members with power and influence among their colleagues.

Appropriations and Budget

Time of continuous service on a committee.

Seniority

The number of years (term limits) a member of the

House or Senate can serve as a committee chair on any

one committee

Six

One recent study found that 43 percent of the 198 House

members as well as 50 percent of the Senate members who left

Congress between 1998 and 2004 registered as this.

Lobbyists

The fact that most Americans approve of their own members of Congress

while having very low regard for Congress collectively

illustrates the power of this.

Incumbency

The largest single occupational group in

Congress.

Attorneys

When the President is a Republican and the

majority in Congress is Democratic.

Divided Government

An interesting poll of NBC and the Wall Street Journal found

that a majority of people agreed that society would be

better if most of the members of Congress were what?

Women

Studies of political scientists show that

constituents vote with this two-thirds of the

time.

The majority or “prevailing opinion”