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House rules
defined actions individual representatives can take
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senate rules
are flexible and give senators maximum freedom
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Senate debates
unlimited and more informal: a proposal may be debated on and off for weeks or months
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House debates
limited to 5 minutes and move fast= rarely last more than a day
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Do house leaders or senate leaders have more power?
House
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Committee work is more important in _________ than in _________
house, senate
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senators represent
their whole state
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representatives represent
constituents
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Constituents
citizens in a representative's district
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which party controls the legislative work?
majority
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Bill
what a proposed law is called before both houses pass it and the President signs it
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Calendars
schedules that list the order in which bills are considered
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5 calendars:
union, house, consent, private, discharge
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union calendar
$ issue bills
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house calendar
major non $ issues
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Consent calendar
non controversial bills
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private calendar
individuals or small group bills
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discharge calendar
bill that are not making progress
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Rules Committee's job
directs flow of legislation. Can stop bills or move them quickly or slowly. Regulates bills: when they will be debated and how long. Settles disputes among house committees.
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Quorum:
minumum number of members that must be present to take official action
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house quorum when bill is sent by rules committee
100
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Is there a rules committee in the senate?
no
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2 calendars:
Calendar of General Orders, Executive Calendar
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Calendar of general orders
lists all bills
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Executive calendar
lists treaties and nominations
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Filibuster
keep talking until majority abandons/ modifies bill. Can say anything.
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Cloture
procedure that allows each senator only 1 hour to speak. Requires 3/5 majority. Not very common.
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What do the leaders of the house and senate do?
organize and unify party members, schedule work of congress, make sure lawmakers attend key votes, distribute and collent info, keep congress in touch with president, influence lawmakers to support party policies.
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Who is the most important leader of the House and why?
Speaker of the house and bcuz he is the presiding pfficer and leader of majority party, can recognize/ ignore ppl who want to talk, appoints some committee members, schedules bills of action, follows VP in succession of presidency
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Who is the Speaker of the House's assistant? What do they do?
Majority leader; they plan party's legislative program, steer important bill through house, make sure important party work is finished
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Majority Leader
is a party official but not a house official
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Whips
assistants to floor leaders in house. They persuade majority party eeople to vote a certain way.
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minority leader and minority whip
minor parties representatives, do same thing as major party's leaders but can't schedule stuff
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Senate leaders
like the house but do not have a Speaker. Party leaders are not as important.
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Vice President
can recognize people and put questions to a vote, but can't debate and only votes when tied.
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President pro tempore
person who presides when VP is gone. Pro tempore= for the time being
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Majority Leaders in Senate
steer party bills through senate, make sure party leaders attend, organize support
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Minority Leaders in Senate
keep minority working together, criticize majority party bills
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