Branches of Government

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Basic duties of Congress

Representation, Law making, Consensus Building, Overseeing the Bureaucracy, Policy Clarification, Investigating the operation of government agencies, Senate

Casework

Assistance provided by members of Congress to their constituents in addressing problems with federal bureaucracy or specific concerns

Caucus and Conference

The democratic Caucus, and the Republican congress, but both are often called party caucuses because there are many conferences

Censure

A way for inordinate behavior by members of congress to be reprimanded and have them lose position of power but not be expelled from office

Cloture

A procedure through which the senate can limit the amount of time debating a bill cutting off a filibuster

Commitee chair

members of each congressional committee which belong to the majority party

Rules Committee

House Specific, Sets the amount of time debated on a bill. Open rule allows for amendments to be proposed on the floor, and closed rule prohibits amendments from being made

Committee system

Real work of Congress, Dominate Policy making at all stages, New bills usually go straight to subcommittees, hold hearings, investigate problems and wrongdoing, control congressional agenda, guide legislation, House has a Discharge petition

Committee types

Standing committees which are permanent part of the house and senate and hold more importance, Select committees are crested in the house or senate to target specific issues during the two year term, Joint committees have members of both the house and senate but have limited authority, Congress committees are temporary committees created to debate the differences between the two bills passed through both chambers

Constituents

People who live in a specific area under someone elses jurisdiction

Continuing resolutions

When congress doesn’t pass new appropriations bills in the new fiscal year in time they operate under continuing resolutions hwere they use the previous year’s budget to operate the government

Cracking

Breaking down districts into odd shapes in order to disproportionately represent areas of the population

Delegate

Must represent the views of the district rather than him or herself

Descriptive representation

When elected officials share key traits with the people the represent, shared representation.

Discharge petition

If 218 memebers of the HOR vote they can force a bill to the floor to be voted on if it’s being tabled

earmarks

Federally funded projects attached to bills

Electoral connection

The idea that members of congress are compelled to act in an orderly way to try and get reelected.

Filibuster

A tactic used by the party opposed to a bill to block it by holding the floor to speak under the senate rule of unlimited debate until its supporters back down

Formal powers of congress

Taxation and Spending, Borrowing Money, Coinage and Currency, Commerce Regulation, Declare war, Raise forces, Militia oversight, statute creation

Franking privilege

To sned Official mail without the paying for the proper postage.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing district boundaries to be beneficial to one party in particular

gridlock

An inability to enact legislation because of a partisan conflict between congress or congress and the president

Hold

Freezing a bill under the promise to become better educated on the matter but in actuality they just hope it goes away

House of Representatives

Lower chamber of congress with members representing the population proportionately to the state, elected every two years, 435 reps, gotta be 25, originates all tax bills and brings forward impeachment charges

How a bill becomes a law

Drafted, Assigned a bill number, Referred to a committee and sub committee, committee hearing (might get tabled), mark up, reported out, calendered, floor reading debate amendments, full vote, engrossed bill, enrolled bill, please no veto.

Impeachment power

The HOR conducts an investigation, then they right the articles of impeachment, then they conduct a house vote for simple majority

Incumbency advantage

Name recognition, more funding, access to press and services, constituency services since already in office

Incumbent

Congressperson running for a seat they already have, if the incumbent doesn’t run it’s an open seat

Legislative oversight

Check on the executive branch to make sure that the executive branch is enforcing the laws according to how the legislative branch intended for them to be followed

Log rolling

A form of reciprocity where congresspersons might vote for bills which they otherwise wouldn’t normally support in exchange for support on a bill that they would like to have voted on by the other party

Majority Leader

The Senate majority leader acts as the spokesperson for the majority party on the senate floor

Majority whip

keeps the party organized and present and keeps a head count

markup

one of the steps in which a bill becomes law, this determines the final wording of the bill

Minority-majority districts

A district where minority ethnic or racial groups are the majority of sonstituants

Omnibus legislation

Large bills that cover a large number or projects that are often pork-barreled in

Open rule, restricted rule, closed rule

Open means that there can be any number of amendments, restricted is a limited number of amendments, closed is none allowed

Packing

Drawing in as many voters into redrawn districts that align with the party in power to offset the representation of the opposing power

Party unity

The extent to which members of the same party gather to vote on the same policies debated on the floor

Party vote

A position in which the majority of one party votes in opposition to the majority of the other party

Permanent campaign

A continual quest for reelection that is often expensive and based on high cost media campaigns constantly

Pocket veto

When a bill dies because the president fails to sign in the last 10 days of a congressional session

politico

A congressperson who acts as a delegate more on issues that constituents care about and more like a trustee on things like foreign policy

Pork barrel projects

Legislative apporpriations that help specific constituents with the aim of reelection

President Pro Tempore

Most senior person in the senate on the majority party side, largely ceremonial position. there is no real power, but they preside over the senate when the vice president isn’t present

Presidential coattails

Effect where membrs of the same party as the president tend to gain more traction than those outside of the same political party

Presidential systems

system in which the president acts separately of the legislative branch as the head of the government and executive branch. He has presidential and pocket veto power, and overide power

Ranking member

Most senior member of the minority party

Reapportionment

Every 10 years, congressional seats are reassigned in relation to changed state populations, and when a state gains or loses a seat they redistrict their HOR districts

Redistricting & apportionment

Redistricting: Redrawing the geographic boundaries of the legislative districts, Apportionment: Reassigning of the 435 HOR seats

Roll call vote

A recorded vote on legislation, they may vote yes or no, or abstain

Safe district

A district where one party holds a strong political advantage

Senate

100 members 2 for each state, must be 30, 6 year terms, 1/3 up to every 2 years, continual body (not everyone reelected at once), more individualistic because of infinite speaking power, special powers: ratifies treaties, confirms presidential appointees, impeachment trial

Seniority

amount of time a member has served

Seniority system

The informal congressional norm of selecting members who have served the longest to be appointed as the heads of committees

Signing statements

Rhetorical statement by the president when signing a bill to assert how they interpret the bill and how they plan to issue the execution of the bill

Speaker of the House

Elected leader for the house of representatives and leader of the majority party, they set the agenda and discuss the plan for moving forward in the HOR

Subcommittees

Smaller specific portion of HOR standing committees that conduct initial hearings and reviews legislation before sending to a full comittee.

Substantive representation

Representation in which a member of congress serves constituents’ interests and shares policy concerns.

Ticket splitting

When voters vote for members of opposite parties on one ballot in a single election

Trustee

When legislators vote based on their own values and expect voters to respect their decisions

Unanimous consent agreements

Agreements that require 100% majority vote and set the rules, schedule and time limits for debating and voting on a bill

The 25h Amendment

Establishes the rules for official presidential succession, filling a vice-presidential vacancy, or presidential disability. If a president dies or resigns, vice pres steps up. If VP becomes vacant, new pres elects a new member to be voted upon by both chambers of congress. Pres can temporarily transfer power to VP if disabled

Basic Criteria for President

35 years old, Must be a live in the USA for 14 years, natural born citizen

Cabinet

Must be the front-line implementers of the Presidents agenda, group of 15 executive department heads

Chief of staff

Serves as the agent of the president and must do what the president thinks not their own biases. Manages all aspects of the white house’s operation

Commander in chief

The president can control the day to day operations of the military through the department of defense

Constitutional authority

Powers derived from the provisions of the US constitution that outline the president’s duties and authroity

Statutory authority

Powers given to the president additionally through laws written by congress

Constructionist vs. Stewardship

Constructionists follow the strict wording of the constitution and do not push past it, whereas stewardship presidencies serves under the moral obligation to aid the public as long as it isn’t explicitly forbidden in the constitution

Executive agreement

An agreement between the President and another country that acts as a treaty but does not require senate approval, but they are less binding and can be withdrawn from

Executive Office of the President

Council of advisors that can help the president make choices and can help prepare an annual budget request

Executive orders

Proclamations that can make changes to the government without congressional approval

Executive privilege

The right of the executive branch to keep their conversations private from the legislative and judicial branches

Formal Presidential Powers

Chief executive of federal bureaucracy, nominate and appoint key officials, implement and enforce laws, veto bills, negotiate treaties, recognize foreign nations, commander in chief, chief of state (symbol of the nation), Pardon or grant clemency, Power to convene congress, Take care clause: has to make sure laws are faithfully executed

Informal presidential powers

Propose annual budget to congress, Develop policies that promote peace and prosperity, National morale builder, international peace maker, public opinion leader, party leader

Going Public

A presidents use of speeches to persuade the public to appeal to congress about the policies the president would like to be voted on

Head of government

The president manages federal agencies and makes sure laws are carried out

Head of state

ceremonial head of government

impeachment

Only way to remove a president, done if there were high crimes or treason or other felonies and misdemeanors

Impoundment

When a president refuses to spend money that congress formally appropriated

Institutional presidency

refers to the permanent staff of advisors and agencies surrounding the president turning it into an organization

presidential appointment process

The president’s staff runs a background check on all candidates, then the president writes a formal nomination for each candidate, then the senate debates their approval

Presidential approval rating

The percentage of Americans who believe the president is doing a good job in office

Presidential pardon

Applies only to federal crimes, can erase conviction of an individual

Presidential power (Neustadt)

The real power of the president is in their ability to persuade the public rather than their actual formal powers

Presidential succession act of 1947

Establishes the order of who becomes president when both the president and VP can no longer serves (speaker, pro tem, sec

state, treasury, defense, etc)

Recess appointment

Selection by the president to be the ambassador or head of a department while the senate is not in session, bypassing senate approval until the end of the next senate position

State of the Union

An annual speech in which the president calls upon congress to report on the condition of the country and to recommend policies

treaty

formal, legally binding contract between two sovereign nations that is governed by international law

Two presidencies thesis

There is the presidency focused on domestic policy and the presidency focused on foreign policy, and they often have an easier time with foreign policy

Unilateral action

A policy decision made and acted upon ny the president and staff without hte explicit approval or consent of congress

Unitary executive

States that the president is the sole and unyeiliding authority under the executive branch and everyone must answer to them

Vesting clause

States that “Executive power shall be vested in a president of the united states of America,” making them both the head of government and head of state

Vice Presidents

Job is to preside over senate hearings, primarily ceremonial job, power to cast tie-breaking votes in the senate, only real formal power is to become president if the current one kicks the bucket

War powers resolution

The president must notify congress 48 hours before mobilizing troops, and they can only be deployed for a maximum of 60 days

White House Office (WHO)

Advisory to the president

General attitudes towards bureaucracy

Negative and mixed due to red tape and slow functioning regarding the daily functions of governmental institutions

Budget maximizers

Bureaucrats who seek to expand funding for their organization wether or not that extra spending is worthwhile

Bureaucracy

Complex structure of offices, tasks, and rules where employees have specific responsibilities and work within a set heirarchy or authority

Bureaucrat

Career Government Employee