Studied by 110 people
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1) Where is the center of policymaking?
Congress
2) What are the attractions to the job of being a member of Congress?
Power, salary, retirement and health benefits
3) What is substantive representation?
When the representative’s views and actions reflect the people’s views and interest, regardless of resemblance to the group
4) What is meant by pork barrel projects?
Federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district. Helps congressmen get reelected.
5) What are the advantages of incumbency and why do incumbents lose?
They usually win due to familiarity, money, and resources. Lose during scandals or if they have served for much too long (20+ years)
6) What do PACs buy with their money?
Access to the politician
7) What is bicameralism?
System of being split into two chambers for one legislative body. House and Senate make up congress
Impeachment
the process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing.
Impeachment Process
starts in the house, they bring forth evidence and vote for impeachment, if impeached the senate will hold a trial to reach a verdict to remove the official from office
House
435 members based off population, 2 year terms, only need to be 25 and a 7 year citizen, speaker in charge of impeachment and revenue bills, debate is limited
Senate
100 members (2 per state), 6 year terms, must be 30 and a 9 year citizen, in charge of treaties, approving presidential nomination, foreign affairs, unlimited debate
10) What do congressional whips do?
Party leaders who work with the majority or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to the passage of a bill favored by the party.
11) What is a filibuster?
A senate strategy where a senator opposed to a piece of legislation uses their right to unlimited debate to prevent the senate from ever voting on a bill. 60 members are needed to halt a filibuster on legislation.
12) Why are committees and subcommittees important to Congress?
Do the work in congress, writing/rewriting and drafting legislation, make suggestions on whether it should pass or not
Standing Committee
permanent and generally more powerful than other comittees
Select Committees
created for a specific purpose, investigate certain problems, temporary
Joint Committees
permanent committees with members from the house and senate, make recommendations
Conference Committees
has members from both houses, they meet to compromise agreement on a bill or law that has emerged from both houses in different forms
14) What is presidential power according to Neustadt?
Power to persuade, not command
15) Know the 22nd Amendment
A president cannot be elected more than twice, ratified in 1951
16) Know the responsibilities of the vice-president
President of senate, breaks ties in senate, assumes presidency if the president can no longer serve
17) How does the President control the bureaucracy?
Power to appoint, head of the agency, executive orders
OMB (office of management and budget)
oversees the performance of federal agencies and administers the federal budget
NSC (national security council)
advises the president regarding integration of forging, military, and domestic policies that relate to national security
CEA (council of economic advisors)
offers economic advice to the president on the formulation of domestic and international economic policy
Legislative veto
a vote in congress to override a presidential decision
Pocket veto
a type of veto where the president lets a bill die by not voting on it during the 10 day period
20) What is a midterm election?
A congressional election in the middle of a presidential term
21) What are electoral mandates?
The idea that an election victory signals support for the winners proposed policies
22) Know the War Powers Resolution (1973)
Requires that the president consults with congress whenever possible prior to using the military and to withdraw forces after 60 days unless congress grants an extension or declares war. Passed due to vietnam war, presidents have viewed it as unconstitutional
23) How does the president use the press?
Uses it to get his point across, used to help keep the public informed
24) How do presidents use public opinion and public approval?
President can use them to sway congress into doing something that he wants
25) Know the budget process
President submits a budget request to congress
Lawmakers release their own budget plans and set overall spending levels with a budget resolution
House and senate subcommittees set funding for each program
House and senate resolve their differences
President signs and becomes law
26) What is incrementalism?
Describes the budget process in which the best way to guess the current year's budget is to take last years and “plus a little bit more”
27) What is the military industrial complex?
An informal alliance between a nation’s military and the arms industry that supplies it. Seen together as a vested interest which influences public policy
28) What is budget reconciliation?
Congressional process through which program authorizations are revised to achieve required savings. Also includes tax or other revenue adjustments
Authorization Bill
An act of congress that establishes. Continues, or changes a discretionary government program or an entitlement. It specifies program goals and maximum expenditures for discretionary programs.
Appropriations Bill
act of congress that funds programs within limits established authorization bills. Appropriations usually cover one year.
30) Which committees write tax codes in Congress?
Ways and Means committees
What is the budget
Policy document allocating expenditures and benefits for the year
who prepares the budget for the President
Office of Management and Budget
who prepares the budget for the Congress
Congressional Budget Office
32) What are uncontrollable expenditures?
Expenditures that are determined by how many eligible beneficiaries there are for a program or by previous obligations of the government that congress cannot easily control
33) What is the major reason why the national debt increases?
We spend more than we take in
34) Know where the U.S. government gets its revenues
Taxes
35) What are tax expenditures?
Revenue losses that result from special exemptions, excursions, or deductions allowed by federal tax law
36) Know the 16th Amendment
Congress can collect income taxes
37) What are social welfare policies?
Programs that offer public services, financial aid, and other assistance to those who meet specific needs
38) What is income distribution?
Upper 1% is making 60% of the income, disproportionate
39) What are entitlements?
Policies for which congress has obligated itself to pay X level of benefits to Y number of recipients. Social Security benefits are an example
40) What are means-tested programs?
Social welfare programs based on need/income
What is Medicare
health insurance for the elderly
What is Medicaid
health insurance for the poor
42) What is the poverty line?
Level of income which a family of 4 can have a basic level of life, currency at 22,000
43) Know the differences between the welfare systems in Europe and America
America has far fewer benefits but less taxes
Regressive Tax System
if you make more your taxes are less
Progressive Tax System
if you make more your taxes are more
45) Know the different tax revenue sources
Income, corporate, property, sales, payroll, etc
46) What are transfer payments?
Payments from the government treasurer directly to the individual, about half the federal budget, social security and disability are examples
Note
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