AP Government Chapter 12 Study Guide David Kwon

January 27, 2011

Period 2

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

1. Congress is given the basic duty of lawmaking.

2. Each term of congress lasts 2 years. There are two sessions to each term.
3. The congress is convene on January 3rd. This is determined by twelfth amendment.
4. We are in the 112th congress and 1st term.
5. The executive branch, mainly the president. This is not usually necessary today because of the
electronic throne.
6. Article 1 Section 5: Cannot adjourn for more than three days, nor in any other place where two
houses are sitting.
7. Off-year elections are general elections held during odd-numbered years. The party in power
has time to plan for the following year election.
8. The salary for congress is set by the individuals. How it is done is after their first term they can
set it to what they want. Hotel, airplane, food, house, etc...
9. One privilege is that they cannot be arrested during their time in office, unless (treason, felony
etc.) A second privilege is the freedom of speech.
10. Incumbency is a person who already holds an office position in congress. Five advantages are,
name recognition, money, power, influence, and reelection.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

1. There are 435 seats in the house of representatives

2. This is determined by the population of each state.
3. It guarantees at least one representative to each state.
4. The term is two years.
5. If the representatives aren’t doing their job, you can kick them out of office.
6. Reapportionment takes place after the census, which is every ten years.
7. Shaw v Reno and Wesberry v Sanders.
8. The three formal qualifications to the house are 25+ years, live in the state, citizenship.

SENATE:

1. There are 100 senates.

2. Two per state.
3. They were chosen by state legislatures. Now, they are elected by the people.
4. The term is six years.
5. About one-third of senators are elected every two years.
6. If all senators are up for reelection because of stability. It would be chaotic to have all 100 new
perspectives every two years.
7. One can be senator by being nominated through the state legislature.
8. The three formal qualifications for senators are 35+ age, live in the state, citizenship.
ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS:

1. They are the involved in most of the work in creating laws.

2. Committee on Rules, Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Ways and Means, and Other
Standing Committees respectively in their influence/power.
3. The key committees in the house are standing, and join committee. The key committees in the
senate are conference and select committee.
4. The changes that made congress more democratic are the reforms of apportionment.
5. Party Affiliation plays a role in congress by dividing congress into two separate parties pushing
for their policies.
6. Lawmakers are assigned to committees either by, full chamber approval, member or party
approval.
7. It is giving leadership to the person in congress the longest. It has declined because it doesn’t
give the best person the job.
8. Growth in the number of congressional staff has increased because of the number of
committees and branches in the government.
9. The CIA, Homeland Security, and FBI.

CONGRESSIONAL PROCESS:

1. Bills – a proposed law under consideration by the legislature. Resolutions – a solution to a

problem.
2. Anyone can introduce a bill in the house. In the senate a bill can be introduce by a member
when he has been given recognition.
3. House and Senate then read the bills and the committees overlook the bills.
4. The person who refers bills to committees in the house and senate are
5. A filibuster is stalling a bill as long as possible. A Cloture is the vote to end a filibuster. You have
to have over 60 members present.
6. They are formed to settle differences between the house and senate version of the same bill.
7. The president has the choice to sign the bill or veto it.
8. It has to go through the house first, then the senate and then the president has the final say.
9. The three factors of congressmen votes are reelection, public opinion, and mandate.
10. Article 1 Section 8 – lists the powers that are entitled to congress.