When does a bill become a law?
When Congress overrides a presidential veto
When the president signs it
The framers of the Constitution granted Congress the power to _____, the greatest powers of government.
Make laws
Every bill must be approved by both the House and the Senate in ________ form before it can be sent to the president.
identical
Congressional committees:
Specialize in a certain area of legislation
Make it possible for Congress to consider a high volume of bills
Members of Congress may experience conflict between their lawmaking responsibility and they responsibility to represent their constituency because…
not all policies that are good for the nation as a whole coincide with the needs of their constituency
If a vote in the Senate is tied, the _________ breaks the tie.
vice president
The U.S. Congress is a ________ legislature with two chambers: the House and the Senate.
bicameral
Steps that a bill must pass through in order to become a law:
- A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill.
- The bill is submitted to a committee for consideration.
- A majority of member in the House and Senate approve the bill.
- The president signs the bill.
Bills that emerge from committee with the full support of the committee members..
are typically passed by an overwhelming majority
A permanent committee in Congress is known as a _______ committee.
standing
Bills that are killed in a committee…
- Some are not supported by the members who introduced them
- Most are poorly conceived or of little interest to anyone
- They can be brought back to life by a vote of the full House or Senate
What occurs after a conference committee reconciles differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill?
The bill goes back and forth to both chambers for a vote.
The most powerful leader in the House of Representative is the:
Speaker of the House
Choosing committee chairs based on which member has the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is an example of the…
seniority system
What did the Supreme Court decide in McCulloch v. Maryland?
- National law overrides state law
- The necessary and proper clause implies the power to establish a national bank
Reserved
Implied
Enumerated
Reserved: state
Implied: national
Enumerated: national
Since the 1930s, the federal government had dramatically _____________ its power.
increased
New Deal programs…
The government responded to massive unemployment during the Great Depression.
Great Society programs…
Americans supported government-provided health care for the elderly and poor.
Welfare Reform Act…
Americans believed that too many people were getting undeserved benefits and federal programs had become too expensive.
The complex demands of contemporary society…
have shifted power to the national government
The Constitution’s commerce clause says that __________ shall have the power to “regulate commerce” among the states.
Congress
What happened during the New Deal period?
- The New Deal programs thrust federal power into policy areas previously reserved for the states.
- The Supreme Court struck down pieces of the New Deal program.
If the president chooses to veto a bill, who can override? And how?
Congress, by a two-third vote in each chamber
