The Constitution provides for (1) year
terms for members of the House of Representatives and staggered, year
terms for senators.
Because the House has (2) members
compared to in the Senate,
the House is a more formal institution with stricter rules and procedures.
According to a commonly cited standard, a congressional district in
which the winner receives less than 55 percent of the vote is considered
(3) "."
Because members of the House are (4) likely
to come from safe districts than their colleagues in the Senate, the House
has sometimes been responsive
to pressures for change.
When the Republicans captured both houses of Congress in 1994, the House,
with its seventy-three freshmen Republicans, emerged as the more strongly
(5) branch.
A speaker with a strong personality and great legislative skill can
exert great influence in the House, as (6) of
Texas demonstrated during his seventeen-year tenure between 1940 and 1961.
Following the election of 1994, (7) became
the Republican Speaker of the House.
The speaker has the power to (8) over
the House, to recognize or ignore members who wish to speak, and to appoint
the chairperson and all members of the Committee.
Much of the speaker's real power stems from the combination of these
formal duties with that of (9) leader
of the majority party in the House.
The speaker has two chief assistants. The (10)
is
the party's floor leader and a key strategist.
The majority (11) is
responsible for rounding up party members for important votes and counting
noses.
In 1975, the Democrats finally departed from the (12)
system, ousting three
committee chairmen and granting more power to subcommittees.
The House Committee on (13) exercises
considerable control over what bills are brought to floor for debate.
After a bill is introduced by a House member, it is referred to a committee
by the (14) .
If the bill is reported out of committee, it is placed on one of five
(15) ,
or lists of business eligible for House floor consideration.
A (16) consisting
of a majority of the House, 218 members, is required for general debate.
When the House is considering legislation that deals with taxes and
spending, it sits as a (17) ,
which allows the House to conduct its business with fewer restrictions
on debate and a quorum of only 100 members.
Growing pressures for reform led the House in 1970 to provide for (18)
votes. Representatives
know that in a vote their position
must become a matter of public record.
