AP US Government & Politics – Governmentby the PeopleName:______Block:____

Chapter 10: Congress: The People’s Branch(Unit 4a)

  1. Members of the House of Representatives (often called Congressmen) have to be 25 or older, a citizen for at least 7 years, live in the state (but not necessarily the district) they represent, and are elected for a two year term. Would you add or change any of these requirements or the length of the term? Explain.
  1. Members of the Senate (Senators) have to be 30 or older, a citizen for 9 years, reside in the state they represent, and serve for a term of 6 years. Would you add or change any of these requirements or the length of the term? Explain.
  1. Gerrymandering is a problem that occurs during redistricting after reapportionment. Can you think of any way to solve it?
  1. Why are most seats in the House so safe?
  1. Why are Senate races more competitive, overall, than House races?
  1. What advantages do incumbents have over challengers?
  1. What is an earmark and do you think they should be banned or are they necessary to get things done?
  1. How much of a money advantage did House incumbents have against challengers in 2012?
  1. Do any of the graphs on page 319 surprise you? Why?
  1. Are you surprised that a majority of US Senators are lawyers and a plurality of House members are lawyers?
  1. We have a bicameral congress. If you could, would you get rid of the US Senate and have a unicameral legislature? Would it have any advantages or disadvantages?
  1. Be familiar with the enumerated powers on page 321.
  1. Look at Table 10.1 (page 322). Are you surprised at the power of leaders in the House or the power of a single member of the senate to stop things if they choose?
  1. What powers does the Speaker of the House have? Who chooses the Speaker? Who is the current Speaker?
  2. What is a party caucus and what does it do?
  1. What does the House Majority Leader do? Who is the current House Majority Leader?
  1. What are whips?
  1. What does the House Rules committee do and why is it so powerful?
  1. What are a closed rule and an open rule on House bills?
  1. What does the Senate Majority Leader do? Who chooses him/her? Who is the current Majority Leader?
  1. What does the Senate Minority Leader do (not in your book)? Who chooses him/her? Who is the current Minority leader?
  1. How do Senate rules give more power to the minority party than House rules?
  1. What are your thoughts on the filibuster? Should it continue to exist?
  1. How did the decision to allow double tracking in the 1970s lead to the current system of needing 60 votes to do about anything in the Senate (not in your book)?
  1. Why is cloture so hard to get?
  1. Be familiar with the types of committees on pages 326 – 327 (you don’t have to try to memorize every standing committee).
  1. How are committee members chosen in the Senate and the House?
  1. What does a conference committee do?
  1. What are member caucuses? (For fun, look up some of the various member caucuses. There are over 300).
  1. Be familiar with the bill to law process on page 331.
  1. What is a discharge petition and why does it so seldom happen?
  1. What is a rider?
  1. Why is it so hard to override a presidential veto?
  1. Look at the graph on 334. Why do you think polarization has risen since 1980?
  1. If you were a member of congress, do you think you would be more of a delegate or trustee?
  1. Is logrolling okay and necessary or is it selling out? Would you do it?
  1. What do you think congressional staff members do? How much staff do you think congressmen and senators have? (not in your book)
  1. Do you agree with Lieberman’s assessment that interest groups cancel each other out and that together the interest groups are a self-adjusting system of checks and balances?
  1. How has partisanship changed since the 1970s?
  1. What powers and influences does the president have in the lawmaking process?
  1. Congressmen can’t accept gifts, meals, or free travel from lobbyists. They also can’t charge money for speeches or things they write, or profit from inside information on stocks. Are you satisfied with the limits on congressmen placed on them by ethics rules?
  1. Look at page 340, figure 10.3. Why do you think approval of Congress has dropped so much since 1993?

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