Is a member of Congress a representative?
Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.
How does Article I Section 6 of the Constitution protect members of Congress?
To ensure the separation of powers among the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government, Article I, Section 6, prohibits a senator or representative from holding any other federal office during his or her service in Congress.
What are the five major roles that members of Congress play?
Congress has five main functions: lawmaking, representing the people, performing oversight, helping constituents, and educating the public.
How do members of Congress vote quizlet?
They can vote as trustees according to their personal opinion of the bill. Members of Congress can also vote as partisans, in line with the ideas of their party. The last option is to vote as a politico and combine their own views, the opinions of the people they represent, and their party's views.
What does Article 1 Section 6 clause 1 say about members of Congress?
The 'Travis Translation' of Article 1, Section 6: Clause 1: Senators and Representatives will get paid by the government according to the law. Except for treason, stealing, or disturbing the peace, they cannot be arrested while they are at work, or on their way to work, in Congress.
What is Article 1 Section 7 of the Constitution about?
The Clause provides that a bill can become a law only if, after passage by both Houses of Congress, it is presented to the President. The President then has ten days either to sign the bill into law or reject the bill and return it to Congress with an explanation of his or her objections.
What is the difference between a senator and a member of the House of Representatives?
Senators represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts. The number of districts in each state is determined by a state's population. Each state has a minimum of one representative in Congress. The House and Senate have evolved into very different bodies.
Which branch of government has the most power?
Stanford historian Jack Rakove says that the presidency has emerged as the strongest of all three branches of the U.S. government, due to partisanship in Congress.
What are the 2 primary roles of Congress?
Make laws. Declare war. Raise and provide public money and oversee its proper expenditure.
What ways can congressional representatives vote?
When the House is operating in the Committee of the Whole, all of these methods of voting are available except for the yeas and nays.Voice vote. A voice vote occurs when Members call out "Aye" or "No" when a question is first put by the Speaker. ... Division vote. ... Yea and Nay Vote. ... Record Vote.
Why do many members of Congress often vote as partisans quizlet?
Why do many members of congress often vote as partisans? To satisfy the members of their political party.
What special privilege does the Constitution give members of Congress quizlet?
What special privilege does the Constitution give members of Congress? Debates in Congress cannot be questioned in the courts.
What is in Article 6 of the Constitution?
All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.
What section and clause of Article 1 sets the pay and privileges for Congress?
Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution does three important things: It lays out how members of Congress should be paid (which was later modified by the Twenty-Seventh Amendment), protects legislators from lawsuits stemming from their work in Congress, and ensures separation of power by preventing legislators ...
Which of the following powers is granted to Congress in Article I Section 8 of the United States Constitution?
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; ArtI.
Can members of Congress hold other government jobs while in office?
Generally speaking, yes as long as you don't get paid for both jobs at the same time and the two jobs are not incompatible (a job in the executive branch of state government would be an incompatible job for a legislator).
What are fringe benefits for congress?
Members of congress receive a wide range of fringe benefits from low cost medical care to free printing and distribution of speeches and other material
Is Congress diverse?
Congress is very diverse and if it was then the same amount of certain type of people would equal to that same type of people in the American people population
What are the perquisites of Congress?
For example, each member has an office, a large expense account, generous travel allowances, pension plans, and low-cost health coverage. They even have free postal service, a perk known as the franking privilege.
How many female senators were in the 106th Congress?
However, this mix has changed considerably in recent years. For example, the 106th Congress (1999-2001) had 58 female Representatives and 9 female Senators.
What does the legislature do?
Legislators dictate congressional salaries, and authorize pay raises for the incoming Congress.
Why do candidates visit with thousands of potential voters?
Congressional candidates must visit with thousands of potential voters to show their compassion and to demonstrate their strength as leaders. A paunchy, older, silver-haired man with no facial hair wearing an ill-fitting dark suit. This is the image evoked in the minds of many Americans when they try to picture a Representative or Senator.
Do senators and representatives come from all parts of the United States?
Senators and Representatives come from all parts of the United States, but they do not reflect a true cross section of America. Overall, members of Congress tend to be older, wealthier, and better educated than those they represent. Nearly half of them are lawyers, and a large number come from business, banking, and education. Most of them are married with children, and about 60% are Protestants. Nearly all went to college, and many have advanced degrees as well.
Do senators and representatives live in two worlds?
Today many Representatives and Senators are reelected as incumbents repeatedly. As career politicians, members actually live in two worlds. They must work with party leaders, colleagues, and lobbyists in Washington, as well as maintaining contact with their constituents at home.
