AP Gov FRQs Chapter 11

Oversight (what it is, how it is done)

Oversight is Congress overseeing the Federal Bureaucracy (Entities in the executive branch such as agencies)

-Done to make sure they are meeting the goals Congress had in mind when they were created 

-Controlling budget based on performance

-Confirmation power: The Senate has “final say”

-Hold hearings to review agency performance: The heads of the “bureaucratic entities are asked to report to the committees

Incumbent Advantages

-Name recognition 

-Outspending - Interest Group Contributions (They influence people who are running)

-Constituency service

Incumbent Advantages - Constituency service

-Casework: Helping individual constituents with specific issues 

-Pork Barrel: Spending money on a specific state or district 

Bicameralism - unique powers of the House and the Senate “Congress at work” 

House: 

-Start of bills related to taxes/revenue

-Impeachment of the President 

Senate:

-Ratifies treaties

-Confirmation powers

-Removal of the president

House: Rules Committee

After going through the committee, the bill goes to the Rules Committee, where they decide on rules regarding debate, such as time and amendment limits

Senate: Filibuster 

-A method used to continue discussion on a bill to prevent or delay it from being voted on 

Used by the minority party (not the majority, because they have control)

No longer do the talking stage, they just announce it 

The lawmaking process: unique elements in House (Rules Committee) and Senate (filibuster)

Same in both houses-

1. The bill is introduced and sent to a specific committee, and could be referred to a subcommittee 

2. The committee holds hearings (to gather information), and the bill is voted on within the committee (could be tabled/ended)

3. In the House, it is sent to the Rules Committee

4. Goes to the floor and is then further amended and debated, and then voted on

5. If won by a simple majority, it is sent to the other house

6. If the bill is different from the one from the other house, then it is sent to the conference committee, where they create a compromise bill that is returned to both houses to be voted on 

7. Sent to the President, where they could sign off on it or veto (can be overturned by a 2/3 vote in both houses)

Reapportionment, Redistricting, and Gerrymandering

After the census, the 435 seats are rearranged based on population (given to each state)

-Redistricting happens after reapportionment to ensure each district has the same number of people

- Redistricting is redrawing boundaries for electoral districts

-Gerrymandering- creating districts unfairly, in order to benefit a specific group 

Supreme Court views on redistricting and gerrymandering

Shaw vs Reno

-Districts cannot  be drawn with a primary focus on race if they result in a district with an unusual shape (goes against the Equal Protection Clause) 

Baker vs Carr

-Baker said his vote was being “debased” by living in a highly populated area - Went against the Equal Protection Clause (went against the Constitution, so it is a justiciable issue)

-Set the precedent of using the Equal Protection Clause as a challenge to redistricting to bring cases to the Supreme Court