Pols 206 Exam 3

Where is the center of policy making?

Congress

What are the attractions to the job of being a member of congress?

Tangible Perks:

• Salary

• Retirement and health benefits

• Franking Privileges

• Travel and office allowances

• Small luxuries

Intangible

• Power and policy influence

• Prestige and status

• A license to persuade

What is Substance Representation

Tendency of elected officials to support and vote for policies that represen the interests and policy preferences of their constituents, regardless of what they look like

What is a Pork Barrel Projects?

Spending that is intended to benefit a very specific district or set of constituents

What are the advantages of incumbency and why do incumbents lose?

Ad and Name recognition

Credit claiming

Fundraising

Weak Opponent

Gerrymandering

Lose

• Scandal

• Redistricting

• Midterm elections

• Major policy shifts

• Primary challenges

What do PACS buy with their money

Buy access

Give to incumbents

What is Bicameralism

Legislature divided into 2 separate houses of chambers

What is meant by the act of impeachment?

A formal charge brought against a civil officers the United States for treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanor

The process of Impeachment

1. House of Rep (The prosecutor)

• The role: Sole power of impeachment

• The vote: They only need a simple majority (50% + 1) to impeach

• The result: House to vote to impeach = official now impeached but stay in job for now

2. The Senate (The Jury)

• The role: Senate holds actual trial to decide if official show be removed

• The presiding officer: If the president is on trial, chief justice of Supreme Court presides

• The vote: Supermajority (2/3) to convict

• The result: If convicted, the official immediately removed from office and maye be disqualified from holding future office

What are the differences between the house of rep and senate

House of Rep

• 435 members

• Based on population

• 2 years

• Smaller districts

• 25 yr old

• 7 yr citizenship

The Senate

• 100 members

• 2 per state

• 6 yr

• Entire State

• 30 yr old

• 9 years citizenship

What do congressional whips do?

Enforces in party

Head count

Information Channeling

Persuasion

What is a filibuster?

Political tactic used in legislative body (most famously in the U.S senate) to delay or entirely preven a vote on a proposal by talking for an extended period

Why are committees and subcommittees important to congress

Committees and Subcommittees act as the work horses of congress, filtering this massive workload into manageable pieces

Standing Committees

Permanent committees that exist from one congress to the next. They are the most powerful because they are the only committee that can propose legislation by “reporting” a bill to the full house or senate floor

Handle day to day business of government and specialize inspective policy areas

Select (or special) committees

They are usually temporary and created for a specific, select purpose. Often investigate in nature rather than legislative

Conduct studies or investigate into issues that don’t fit neatly into existing standing committee

Once task is finished they disband

Joint Committee

Members from both house and senate

They focus on administrative matters or major economic issues that affect both chambers.

Join committees usually do not have power to report legislation to the floor they primarily perform research and housekeeping

Conference Committee

These are a specific type of temporary joint committee formed to resolve disagreement on a particular bill

• Senate and house must pass same versions

• Conference committee meets to hammer out a compromise version, conference report

What is presidential power according to Neustadt

1. Power to persuade

2. Neustadt identifies 3 distinct factors that determine how successful a president will be at

• Formal Powers

• Professional Reputation

• Public Prestige

3. Weakness of Command

• President is forced to command is a sing of weakness

Know the 22nd amendment

Officially limits a president to 2 terms in office

Know the responsibilities of Vice President

President of Senate: Vote to break a tie

Successor: 25th amendment

Preside over electoral college: Formally count electoral college

Policy advisors

Legislative liaison

Diplomatic representative

How does the president control the bureaucracy

The power of appointment: Hand picking people, political appointees with ideological alignment

Executive orders and memoranda: Congress is slow to act president issue executive orders

Power of the purse: Control office of management and budget

• Budget request If agency don’t follow lead, budget is cut

• Regulatory review:OMB review to see if it follow president

Reorganization: shift responsibilities from one agency to another to create new offices to overshadow slow moving agency

OMB

Office of management and budget

Most powerful office in executive branch

Accountant: Prepares annual budget proposal to congress

Gatekeeper: Reviews legislation and federal regulation and make sure to align with presidential goals

Management: Oversee how effectively fed agencies are running

NSC

National Security Council

Principle forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters

The Coordinator: Bring big plater together

The goal: Ensure different part of government aren’t working at cross purpose

The advisor: National Security Advisor: Advises president daily but does not require confirmation from the senate

CEA

Council of Economic Advisors

3 Distinguishing economists approved by president and confirmed senate analysis and advice

Trends

Regular Veto

Congress pass bill and the president does not sign

Bill goes back to chamber where it originated from with a veto message

Can be override with 2/3 vote in both senate and house

Pocket Veto

Can only happen at the end of congressional session

10 days to sign, excluding Sunday

Congress adjourns during those 10 day period and president does not sign

Bill dies automatically

Cannot be overridden

Line Item Veto

President Can’t

Go through large spending bill and line out what does not like while sign rest of bill

Unconstitutional

What is Midterm Election

Midpoint of president, 4 year term

House of rep: all 435 seats

Senate: 1/3 of 100

State and local

Legislative power: President agenda can change

Hit gridlock

Voters like to express frustration with government, party can lose seats