AP Gov Unit 4A Review

Institutions of Government: Includes Congress and the Executive Branch

Qualifications for Congress

HOR: 25 yrs old, citizen

Senate: 30 yrs old, citizen

Terms of Congress

HOR: 2 yrs directly elected

Senate: 6yrs chosen by state legislatures

Who serves in Congress?

Primary white

Protestant

Increase in minority and women in Congress since 1992 election

Incumbents

Someone who is in office who is up for re-election

Franking Privilge

Send mail for free

Casework

Help constituents directly

Ex: FEMA checks after Sandy

Pork Barrel

Spending on federal projects, grants, contracts that benefit the incumbents or districts

Position Taking

Positions they take may help them

Trustee

Congress people use their gut and own judgement to make decisions

Delegates

Congress people that vote and make decisions based on what their constituents and districts want

Coatails

When you cast a ballot for congressional members of same party as the popular POTUS

Where must $$ for congresstional races come from?

Must come from individuals or PACs

The Problem: Congress must spend lots of time on fundraisers

Why do Challengers win?

Scandals taint their image

Anger at the party (bad economy, empty promises)

Major Issues: Unpopular war in Iraq, Obama Care

Information of the HOR

435 members

More formal because it’s bigger so the legislation has more importance

Rules Committee

Review bills coming in to the house

Sets the debate time and calender

Speaker of the House

Appoint members/chairs to committees

3rd in line to POTUS if POTUS and VP die at the same time

Preside over the House

Control over which bills get assigned to which committee

Germaness

“Riders” (attachments) to a bill must pertain to a bill

Information about the Senate

100 members

Less formal

Unlimited debate which leads to filibusters

Filibusters

Talk a bill to death

Cloture

Need 60 votes to end a filibuster (super majority)

Non-Germane

Riders can be about anything

Hold

Practice where a senator helps the floor leadership

They don’t want a bill to reach the floor because the majority leader knows that it will lead to a filibuster.

Specialization

Tasks are divided, therefore congressmen develop an expertise in 1 field so one senator doesn’t need to know everything

Reciprocity/Logrolling

When 2 congressman trades votes on bills that they each care about

“I’ll vote for your vill if you vote for mine”

Standing Committees

Most important

Most work is done here

Permanent committee for a specific issues

Joint Committees

Study committees that exist in few policy areas with HOR and Senate

Conference Committee

HOR and Senate work out differences when 2 versions of 1 bill are passed

Select Committee

Temporary committee for specific purpose

Ex; Watergate, 9/11

Legislative Oversight

Process of monitoring the bureacuracy

Check on executive branch

An “investigation”

Committee Chairs

Come from majority party in each chamber

Influential, scheudule hearings/bills, hire staff, appoint committees

Advantage for party in majority

How a Bill Becomes a Law

1. Legislation is introduced only by a member of congress (anyone can write a bill)

2. Sent to the committee

3. Sent to the floor for a vote where the bill is debated, amendments are offered, and voted on

4. If both houses pass a different version then its sent to conference committee and goes back to each chamber

5. Goes to POTUS to sign or veto

   1. If not signed in 10 days and Congress is in session, it becomes a bill

   2. If not signed in 10 days and Congress is NOT in session it becomes a pocket veto and the bill dies

6. If vetoed, it can be overturned by 2/3 vote in each house of Congress

Majority Leader

Leader of party that has the most members

They speak first and votes for the party

Minority Leader

Leader of the party with less members

They speak and vote for the party

Whips

Help leader count votes and ensure members vote with their parties

Speaker of the House

Not the same as majority leader

President of the Senate

VPOTUS

President Pro Tempore

Serves as president when VP isn’t there

Congressional Causus

Informal group that agrees on a topic

Ex: Black Causus, Freedom Causus

CRS (Congressional Research Service)

In library on Congress

Do research on legislation

GAO (General Accounting Office)

Help Congress do its oversite on the executive branch to see if $$ is spent and if the law is followed

CBO (Congressional Budget Office)

Analyizes POTUS budget and makes projections about the cost of legislation

Lobbyists

Hand in Lobby’s of Congress/Hotels and gives specialized info to Congress

Census

Every 10 yrs, we count every person, citizen or non-citizens, and determine the population in each state to determine HOR

Reapportionment

When states gain or lose HOR seats because of a change in population

Redistricting

Done by states legislatures

Redrawing of congressional districts

Gerrymandering

Drawing of districts to favor 1 party

Done to protect incumbents or to reward supporters

Limitations on How Districts Can be Drawn

Must be equal in size in terms of population

No Malapportionment

Can’t dilute minority voters

Must be continuous (ex: all of district 1 must be touching eachother/can’t be separated by district 2)

Joint Resolution

Like a bill, used for funding

Tends to keep the govn’t opperating when a budget hasn’t been passed yet

Concurrent Resolution

Congress can end hostilities with a concurrent resolution and can’t be vetoed

Qualifications to be POTUS

Must be 35yrs old

Natural-born citizen

Resident of the US for at least 14 yrs

What is the term and term limits to be POTUS?

Term is 2yrs

Term limit: 2 (4yrs)

Powers of POTUS

National Security

• Commander in Chief: In charge of army

• Make treaties with other nations

• Nominate ambassadors (senate needs to confirm)

• Chief Diplomate: Receive other heads of state

Legislative Powers

• Give State of the Union Address

• Recommend legislation

• Convene and Adjourn Congress for special reasons

• Veto

Administrative Powers

• Appoint officials to the bureaucracy

• Fill vacancies during recession when congress is not in session

Judicial Powers

• Grant pardons for federal crimes

• Appoint federal judges (senate must confirm)

Expansion of the Power of POTUS

Lincoln suspends habeaus corpus

FDR increased size of the govn’t with the New Deal

Nixon impounds funds

Cheney increases power of the VP

Executive orders and Agreements allow POTUS to basically make laws without approval from Congress

Role of the VP

President of the Senate

Advisor to POTUS

Who is Selected as VP?

Someone is selected to BALANCE the ticket

Usually from a different region of the US, different wing of a party, or different expertise

White House Office

Closest assistants to POTUS

Not confirmed by the Senate

Chief of Staff

In charge of White House Office

Closet ally to POTUS

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Help POTUS comply the budget

Part of the Executive Office of the POTUS

Must be confirmed by the Senate

National Security Council

Advise POTUS on foreign policy

National Security Advisor

Part of the Executive Office of the POTUS

Must be confirmed by the Senate

Council of Economic Advisors

Advisors on FISCAL policy

Part of the Executive Office of the POTUS

Must be confirmed by the Senate

The Cabinet

Heads of each of the 15 departments

Must be confirmed by the Senate

How Loyal is the Cabinet to POTUS?

Not very because they end up working closer with the department they run

Honeymoon Period

1st 100 days

When POTUS has the most clout/power

Lame Duck Period

The end of a term, either after a 1st term defeat or the end of the 2nd term

POTUS is weak and can’t get agenda done

Why does the popularity of POTUS decrease into their term in office?

Expectation gaps

Scandals

Failed Policies/Promises

Lame Duck Period

War Powers Act

Passed to decrease power of POTUS

POTUS must get advise from Congress when possible

Must inform Congress of troop deployment within 48 hrs. If Congress doesn’t approve, POTUS have 60-90 days to withdraw trooops

Legislative Veto

Congress foes against an act by the executive branch and declared unconstitutional because it violates separation of powers

Line Item Veto

Would allow POTUS to cross off lines the the budget

Only Clinton had it because it was declared unconsitutional

Bully Pulpit

POTUS’s ability to use the media to persuade the public, then in turn, Congress

Impeachment

HOR draws the charges, Senate holds the trial and votes to impeach (2/3 vote)

Chief Justice presides over trial

Only punishment is removal from office, then they can be tried against in criminal court if persued

Presidential Coattails

Popularity of POTUS carries congressional members for re-election

Ex: 2008

What occurs to a POTUS in the midterm election after they are elected?

Usually use HOR and some Senate seats

Voters get buyers regret

Mandate Electora

Landslide election

Ex: Reagan in 1984 and Obama 2008

Relationship Between POTUS and Press

POTUS needs press, but fears it