TOPIC SUBTOPICS EXAMPLES/DETAILS KEY TERMS
Congress - the structure, Structure Gridlock: a
role and * House of Representatives failure of govt
powers of the - 435 Congressmen and women to agree on
US Congress - Each represents a congressional district legislation
- composition - serves 2-year term Divided govt:
of Congress, - all seats are contested at every election when the two
the different houses of
terms of office * House of Senate Congress are
and party - the upper house of the Congress held by
allegiance - has 100 members different
- debates - serves 6-year terms parties, or
concerning the - Each state is represented by two senators same party
functions, - Congressional elections are held every two years and with the
powers and 1/3 of senate seats are contested at every election president
effectiveness of being in the
Congress in Roles of Congress opposing party
legislation, * Passing legislatures Unified
oversight and * Representing the people government:
the power of * Overseeing the executives when one
the purse party holds
- party system Powers of the Congress the presidency
and committee * Legislative powers Filibuster:
system and - They initiate legislation allows
their - Both houses must approve a bill individual
significance - Then sent to president where it would be signed or senators to kill
within vetoed of legislations
Congress by talking at
- * Overriding a Presidential veto length to
representative - if it has two- thirds of the majority in each house prevent
role of senators Senate from
and * Impeachment and removal of office voting on a bill
representatives - This can be done only by the House of Cloture:
- relative Representative (a public official) process for
strengths of - A simple majority in the House is needed for ending a
the House of impeachment filibuster. 3/5
Representative - A 2/3 is needed for a guilty verdict, which results in of the majority
s and the the immediate removal from office must vote
Senate Closed rule:
- relationship *Electing the president and vice president in the event prohibits
of Congress to of a hung Electoral College amendments
the executive - not been used since 1824 to a bill from
branch of the floor
government Legislative process in the Congress
and the * The bill is first examined by a standing committee
Supreme * Consists of experts in the subject area to which the
Court. bill relates
, * It can then mend the bill if it wishes to
* If the bill is released, it would be opened for debate
in the House or Senate
- Must pass through both Houses
- The Standing committees from both houses agree on
one modified version of the bill and release this as a
‘conference report’
- This must then be approved by both House then sent
to the president
- If left, it automatically becomes law after 10 days
Composition of Congress
* Criteria
- Representatives must be aged 25 or over, senators
must be aged 30 years or over
- Representatives need to have been a US citizen for a
minimum of 7 years, senate minimum of 9 years
- Both senators and congress(wo)men must reside in
the state they represent
*Criticism:
- 2019, nearly 14% of the US population were
immigrants, and millennial.
- Christians are gradually also overrepresented in
comparison to the population as a whole
Underrepresentation:
- Women, Hispanics, African Americans and those with
no religion
- Hispanics makes up 18% of the population but just
9% of the 117th Congress
- Of the 52 Hispanics members, 46 were in the House
and 6 in the Senate
- However, the 117th Congress was the most racially
diverse in history, with lower population of Christians
and highest number of women
- 2019-21 the first two Muslim women were elected,
and a record of 4 Native Americans
- 2018 midterms more women ran for Congress than
ever
- 116th Congress (24%) were women
- 117th Congress (27%) were female
- Republicans making up 37 of the 142 women in the
117th Congress
Congress - the structure, Structure Gridlock: a
role and * House of Representatives failure of govt
powers of the - 435 Congressmen and women to agree on
US Congress - Each represents a congressional district legislation
- composition - serves 2-year term Divided govt:
of Congress, - all seats are contested at every election when the two
the different houses of
terms of office * House of Senate Congress are
and party - the upper house of the Congress held by
allegiance - has 100 members different
- debates - serves 6-year terms parties, or
concerning the - Each state is represented by two senators same party
functions, - Congressional elections are held every two years and with the
powers and 1/3 of senate seats are contested at every election president
effectiveness of being in the
Congress in Roles of Congress opposing party
legislation, * Passing legislatures Unified
oversight and * Representing the people government:
the power of * Overseeing the executives when one
the purse party holds
- party system Powers of the Congress the presidency
and committee * Legislative powers Filibuster:
system and - They initiate legislation allows
their - Both houses must approve a bill individual
significance - Then sent to president where it would be signed or senators to kill
within vetoed of legislations
Congress by talking at
- * Overriding a Presidential veto length to
representative - if it has two- thirds of the majority in each house prevent
role of senators Senate from
and * Impeachment and removal of office voting on a bill
representatives - This can be done only by the House of Cloture:
- relative Representative (a public official) process for
strengths of - A simple majority in the House is needed for ending a
the House of impeachment filibuster. 3/5
Representative - A 2/3 is needed for a guilty verdict, which results in of the majority
s and the the immediate removal from office must vote
Senate Closed rule:
- relationship *Electing the president and vice president in the event prohibits
of Congress to of a hung Electoral College amendments
the executive - not been used since 1824 to a bill from
branch of the floor
government Legislative process in the Congress
and the * The bill is first examined by a standing committee
Supreme * Consists of experts in the subject area to which the
Court. bill relates
, * It can then mend the bill if it wishes to
* If the bill is released, it would be opened for debate
in the House or Senate
- Must pass through both Houses
- The Standing committees from both houses agree on
one modified version of the bill and release this as a
‘conference report’
- This must then be approved by both House then sent
to the president
- If left, it automatically becomes law after 10 days
Composition of Congress
* Criteria
- Representatives must be aged 25 or over, senators
must be aged 30 years or over
- Representatives need to have been a US citizen for a
minimum of 7 years, senate minimum of 9 years
- Both senators and congress(wo)men must reside in
the state they represent
*Criticism:
- 2019, nearly 14% of the US population were
immigrants, and millennial.
- Christians are gradually also overrepresented in
comparison to the population as a whole
Underrepresentation:
- Women, Hispanics, African Americans and those with
no religion
- Hispanics makes up 18% of the population but just
9% of the 117th Congress
- Of the 52 Hispanics members, 46 were in the House
and 6 in the Senate
- However, the 117th Congress was the most racially
diverse in history, with lower population of Christians
and highest number of women
- 2019-21 the first two Muslim women were elected,
and a record of 4 Native Americans
- 2018 midterms more women ran for Congress than
ever
- 116th Congress (24%) were women
- 117th Congress (27%) were female
- Republicans making up 37 of the 142 women in the
117th Congress
