Congress and Legislative Processes

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What is Bicameralism?

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A two-house legislature resulting from a dispute between small and large states; it includes the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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What does Article I of the Constitution define?

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The structure, powers, and rules of Congress.

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What change did the Seventeenth Amendment bring?

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It changed the election of senators from state legislatures to a direct vote by the people.

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What is Reapportionment?

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The periodic redistribution of House seats among states based on the decennial census.

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What is Advice and Consent?

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The Senate's power to recommend or reject major presidential appointees and approve treaties.

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What are Coalitions in Congress?

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Alliances of like-minded people or groups, often built more easily in the Senate due to longer terms.

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What are Enumerated Powers?

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Specific powers expressly listed in Article I, Section 8, such as the power to tax and declare war.

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What is the Power of the Purse?

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Congress’s exclusive power to raise revenue and appropriate (spend) tax money.

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What is the Commerce Clause?

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An Article I power used by Congress to regulate interstate and intrastate commerce; it has been used to justify a wide array of policy areas.

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What is the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause?

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Grants Congress the implied power to make additional laws required to carry out its enumerated list.