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Congress at Work
Study Guide 6.1
Congress has developed a remarkable system for facing the huge task of making the
country’s laws. It operates under a system of rules that determines how long it is in session,
who its leaders are, and how sessions are conducted.
Each congressional term is divided into two 1-year sessions. Each session begins on
January 3.
Representatives serve 2-year terms, and senators serve 6-year terms. There are no
limits to the number of terms members of Congress may serve, though some people
believe that the lack of term limits has led to an unresponsive Congress.
Congressional leadership is organized strictly by party. The party that holds the most
seats is called the majority party. The political party with fewer seats is the minority party.
Presiding officers and committee chairs always come from the majority party. The most
influential person in the House is the Speaker. The presiding officer in the Senate is the
vice president of the United States. In the absence of the vice president, the president pro
tempore is the formal head of the Senate.
Review Questions:
1. Define the following terms: quorum, term limits, incumbent, majority party, minority
party, floor leader, party whip
2. Why do some people support congressional term limits?
3. Why is the House controlled by stronger leadership and stricter rules than the Senate?
4. How does leadership in the House and Senate vary?