Term
The length of time that officials serve after an election, as in a two-year or six-year term
Session
Period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business
Adjourn
Suspend, as in a session of Congress
Prorogue
Adjourn, as in a legislative session
Special Session
An extraordinary session of a legislative body, called to deal with an emergency situation - can
only be called by the President
Apportion
Distribute, as in seats in a legislative body among the states on the basis of their respective populations
Reapportion
Redistribute, as in seats in a legislative body
Off-Year Election
Congressional election that occurs between presidential election years
Single-Member District
Electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office
At-Large
Election of an officeholder by the voters of an entire governmental unit rather than by the voters of a district or subdivision
Gerrymander
The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group
Number of Members in the House of Representatives
435
Formal Qualifications for House Members
(1) Must be at least 25 years of age
(2) Must have been a citizen of the Unites States for at least seven years
(3) Must have been an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected
Informal Qualifications for House Members
party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience
Terms of Members of the House of Representatives
may serve two-year terms, although there are no limits set on the number of terms a representative may serve
Reapportionment Act of 1929
set 'permanent' size of the House at 435 members, and provided for 'automatic reapportionment.'
Continuous Body
Governing unit whose seats are never all up for election at the same time
Constituency
The people and interests that an elected official represents
Number of Members in the Senate
composed of two Senators from each state equaling 100 Senators
Formal Qualifications for Senators
(1) Must be at least 30 years of age
(2) Must have been a citizen of the Unites States for at least nine years
(3) Must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected
Terms of Members of the Senate
may serve six-year terms, continuous body
Constituents
Voting population
Trustee
Lawmaker who votes based on his or her conscience and judgment, not the views of his or her
constituents
Partisan
Lawmaker who owes his/her first allegiance to his/her political party and votes according to the part line
Politico
Lawmaker who attempts to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles
Oversight Function
Review by legislative committees of the policies and programs of the executive branch
Franking Privilege
Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage
Salary of a Senator
$141,300
Bicameralism was the invention of the Constitutional Convention of 1787
False
Neither house of Congress may end a session without the consent of the other
True
The continuous body of congressional committees allows them to check on agencies in the executive branch
False, Oversight Function
The Constitution gives the President the power to prorogue a session of Congress only if the two houses cannot agree on a date
True
Which Qualification for the House members is NOT in the Constitution?
Must live in district being represented
Which statement about the Senate is true?
It has two members from each state
Compensation for Senators is
The same as for Representatives
The regular period of time during which Congress conducts its business is called a
Session
The number of Senate seats held by each State is
Fixed by the Constitution
Few members of Congres today
Are minorities
Members of Congress fill all of the following roles EXCEPT that of
Cabinet Member
Which of the following is true of the House of Representatives?
Every state is represented by at least one member
Which of the following is required of candidates for the House of Representatives due to longstanding custom?
Must currently reside in the district he or she represents
On the average, which group of people occupy the majority of seats in Congress
White, Middle-aged, Christian/Protestant, Men
When must congressional election be held?
The Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year
Senators are elected to serve
six-year terms
Which of the following is a qualification for Senators?
Must have been a citizen for at least nine years
Before the 17th amendment was adopted, senators were chosen by
the state legislatures
All of the following are differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate EXCEPT
Method of election
The fact that Alaska has only one seat in the House is a reflection of all of the following EXCEPT
Its geographical size
All of the following are possible reasons why the Senate is called the "upper house" EXCEPT
its size
Which of the following is the main reason that the Presidency rarely has to call Congress into special session?
Congress now meets nearly year-round anyway
Special sessions of Congress
are called by the President to deal with emergency situations
Members of the House of Representatives are elected for
Two-year terms
Which of the following is a major roll of members of Congress
Servant to the constitution