Studied by 0 peopleCongressional Committee System
consists of a set of standing committees, each with its own jurisdiction, membership and authority to act, regulates laws
standing committee
A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area
War Powers Act/resolution
The president must notify Congress within 48 hours after deploying troops. He is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty-day period (which can be extended for an extra thirty days to permit withdrawal) unless Congress grants authorization to stay or declares war.
Congressional Leadership
Leaders in Congress, usually the minority and majority speakers.
Speaker of the House and president pro-tem are leaders of the house/senate
Congressional Leadership
Divided Government
one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress (causes gridlock)
Law making process
process involving 8 steps: 1. Introduction (bill is introduced in Senate or House of Representatives). 2. Committee (a. bill is sent to committee, b. presented, c. discussed, d. passed, changed, replaced, ignored, killed); 3. Floor (a. bill is presented to full House, b. discussed, c. changed, replaced, ignored, c. voted on); 4-6 Repeat steps in other house; 7. Conference (joint meeting between Senate and House of Representatives to work out differences) 8. President (signs, vetos, pocket vetos law).
Fiscal policy
Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.
monetary policy
Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.
Proportional representation
representation based on population
fixed representation
same representation regardless of population/influence
Delegate Representation
Representatives follow the expressed wishes of the voters
trustee representation
A type of representation in which the people choose a representative whose judgment and experience they trust and acts on what they feel is right
politico representation
a mix between delegate and trustee representation.
elastic clause
the part of the Constitution that permits Congress to make any laws "necessary and proper" to carrying out its powers
Majority party
the political party in each house of Congress with the most members
Minority party
not the majority party
gerrymandering
drawing of legislative boundaries for some sort of political advantage
bicameralism
The principle of a two-house legislature.
President's Cabinet
advises the President (consists of department heads)
Executive independent regulatory agencies
government agencies relatively independent of the government, checks and balances
Bureaucracy
A system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials
Bureaucratic Rule-making
guidelines issued by government agencies, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented
Keynesian economics
Theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes, stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.
Reaganomics
Reagan's economic policy; tax cuts, arms build up, budget cuts, trickle-down economics
Formal Presidential Powers
Commander-in-chief of armed forces; pardon power (except for impeachment); treaty power; appointment power; veto power
Informal Presidential Powers
-issue executive orders, issue signing statements, create & use bureaucracy, and make legislative proposals.
congressional checks on president
Over rides Veto, Confirms nominations, Impeachment (2/3 vote and lose all powers etc.), War Powers, Budgeting and Agency Request.
White House Staff
The president's close personal assistants and advisors, appointed by the President
Increasing presidential power
presidential power has been increasing over the past 100 years
Supreme court
the highest federal court in the United States
executive checks on supreme court
Nominates judges to the Supreme Court,Nominate judges to the federal court system, has the power to pardon individuals convicted of crime, can veto bills
Judicial Review
Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws
Marbury v. Madison
Established Judicial Review
How long do supreme court justices serve?
For life
Congressional checks on supreme court
Congress can impeach and reject the appointments of judges; Congress can rewrite or pass a new law the Court has found to be unconstitutional; and Congress can try to undo Court rulings with an amendment to the Constitution.
Baker v. Carr
allows gerrymandering cases to be heard
McCulloch v. Maryland
Established supremacy +neccessary and proper clause
Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission
the Supreme Court case that declared that corporations are people and removed campaign contribution limits under freedom of symbolic speech
New York Times v. United States
If the government wishes to censor information before it is printed or published, it must be proven in court that the information will endanger national security (no prior restraint)
United states v. Lopez
Commerce clause can be limited (guns in school zones act)
Voting amendments
15, 19, 24, 26
Prospective voting
voting based on future performance
Electoral process
Voter Demographics
-women vote more often and more liberal
-old people vote more and more conservative
-catholics and baptists vote more, jews less
-minorities vote less
Primaries
Election in which voters choose the candidates from each party who will run in the general election
PACs (Political Action Committees)
a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns
SuperPACs
a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.
McCain-Feingold Act
Banned soft money, increased amount of individual contributions and limited issue ads.
Note
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