U3 Gov.

1. 435 members
2. based on the state population
3. at least 25 years old
4. citizen of US for seven years
5. legal resident of the state that elects them
6. live in district they represent

membership of the House

1. 100 members
2. at least 30
3. citizen of US for nine years
4. legal resident of state they represent

members of senate

process of assigning representation based on population, after ever census

reapportionment

to set up a new district lines after reapportionment is complete ( gain or lose seats, must redistrict)

redistricting

to draw a districts boundaries to gain an advantage in elections

gerrymandering

committees of congress perform most legislative activities

committee work

1. whatever party has the majority will control what is happening in congress
2. might make new rules/legislation that impact every member

importance of party affilation

\-most powerful leader

\-can influence proceedings

\-follows the VP in line of succession to presidency

the speaker of the House

\-majority leader

\-minority leader

\-assistance

house floor leaders

speaker’s top assistant, helps plan the majority party’s legislative program and steers important bills through house

majority leader

speaker’s top assistant helps plan the minority party’s legislative program and steers important bills through house

minority leader

assistances of house floor leaders are referred to as __

whips

\-The House Rules Committee

\- “Traffic officer”: directs the flow of major legislation

\-oldest and most powerful committee

\-can move bills ahead quickly, hold them back, and stop them completely

the house making in the House

1. the vice president
2. president pro tempore

leadership of senate

president of senate and presides over the senate

the vice president

\-senate member

\-elected by the senate

\-who stands in as president of the senate in absence of the vice president

\-typically the senate’s longest serving member

president pro tempore

\-the filibuster

\-”Talk the Bill to Death”

law making in the senate

a method in the law making of senate of defeating the bill in the senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote

the filibuster

speaking continuously- not letting other senators take action

Talk the Bill to Death

* different constituencies
* party/politics

sources of tensions

\-president is supposed to represent all citizens in the US

\-congress only represents the members of the state/district

different constituencies

\-most leaders are loyal to their political party/party’s philosophies (partisan politics)

\-divided gov. when on party controls the presidency and the other controls congress

party/politics

\-in times of crisis the president is granted extra powers: martial law, seizing property, control transportation, and communication systems

\-control the economy (shut down national banks)

\-national emergency act (1976): establishes proceedings for how and when a state of emergency exists (limits the president’s power)

emergency powers

__ bills:

\-individual people (immigration/citizenship claims)

\-places

\-claims against the gov.

private

__ bills:

\-involve general matters and apply to entire nation

\-often controversial (tax cuts, health insurance, gun control, abortion, etc)

public

__ bill:

\-write a bill

\-a member of congress introduces it

introducing

committee __:

\-sent to a committee that deals with the same subject

\-house rules committee determines where a bill goes

action

committee __:

\-committee listens to experts on the subject

\-allows congress to see interest/public opinion on the Bill

hearings

__ session:

\-committee meets to decide changes

markup

reporting a __:

\-Bill has accepted by the constitution and is sent to the house of senate for action

Bill

__ action:

\-debating and amending bills

\-pros and cons of the Bill determined in the committee hearing, so typically floor action does not take too long

floor

__ on Bills:

\-a majority of members must be present for the vote

\-passage requires a majority vote

voting

__ steps:

\-conference committee action: if senate/house doesn’t accept what has occurred in the other chamber, members will get together to work on compromises

final

__ actions:

\-after a bill has been signed/approved, the president receives it

\-signs bills=becomes laws

\-veto=goes back to congress

\-pocket veto= president kills a bill past during last 10 days, congress is in session by refusing to act on it

presidential

__ override of the veto:

override the veto by 2/3 vote in both houses

congressional

influence of __:

\-what voters expect: want their representatives to do what is in their best interest

\-visit to the district: politicians will visit the district to get a sense of citizen’s opinion

\-message from home: citizens can contact politicians in Washington (phone, letter, email)

\-party voting: typically vote along party lines 80% of the time

voters

the importance of __:

\-share same views/values

\-political pressure

parties

influence of __:

\-publicly/privately reach out to congress

president

a group of people who share common goals and organize to influence gov. policy

interest group

a paid representative of an interest group who contacts gov. officials on behalf of these investments

lobbyist

direct contact made by lobbyists to persuade gov. officials to support the policies their interest group forms

lobbying

laws that are passed by congress to appropriate money for federal projects ex: I-85

Pork-Barrel Legislation

an agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other’s bills

logrolling

politicians will work hard to get federal grants and contracts for their district/state

grants and contracts

__ legislatures powers:

\-organization of legislatures

\-legislative sessions

state

_ of legislatures

\-unicameral vs. bicameral

\-senate and House of representatives/House of delegares/state assembly/legislative assembly

organization

__ sessions:

\-regulation session: annual/biannual (every other year) gathering of legislative

\-special session: specially called meeting of the legislatures, usually deal with immediate issue

legislative

__: largest political subdivision of a state

counties

the governing body of most countries

county board

a urban unit of government charted by a state

cities and municipalities

laws at local level

ordinances

units of local government found in some states, usually a subdivision of a country

townships

a meeting called by an elected official to get input from constituents

town meeting

__ are governed by an elected body, the school board

school districts

__: hire superintendents, set budget for schools, decide on new programs/facilities, set policies, and can have final say in hiring teachers/staff

school boards

served as ceremonial figure representing the country

head of the state

__:

\-implements laws that congress passes

\-appoints federal judges and heads of executive departments

chief executive

__: in charge of military

commander in chief

meets with foreign leaders, appoints ambassadors, makes treaties

chief diploment

__ leader: state of union message, proposes legislation, signs/vetos, calls congress to special sessions

legislative

__ planner: appoints economic advisors, meets business leaders, prepares an annual budget request, submits economic reports

economic

__: rewards party supporters with government position, help elects other party members

party leader

__ orders: a rule issued by the president that has the force of law, choosing the president

executive

__ Qualifications:

natural born citizen, at least 35 years old, and resident of the US for at least 14 years

President

__: an event before an election where members of the party go to the polls and vote on which candidate they want to see earn their party’s nomination

primary

__: an event held before an election where members of a political party select delegates to send to the national party convention where they will also vote to nominate a candidate (by the end of summer, the national conventions are over)

caucus

__:

\-the candidate from each party will now try and appeal more voters

\-debates are held between the main candidates

\-presidential election day is always the first tuesday after Nov. 1

\-electoral college will meet in December to officially determine the president

general election

__:

\-president

\-vice president

\-speaker of the house

\-president pro tempore of the senate

\-cabinet officers

presidential successions

The president and vice president are not directly elected by the __. Instead, 538 electors elect the president and vice president (the number is compiled from 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 100 in the Senate, and three for the District of Columbia

voters

Presidents need __ out of 538 votes to win the presidency

270

__: the candidate who receives the most popular votes in a given state wins all the electoral votes for the state. Every state, but Maine and Nebraska

Winner Take All System

whichever candidate receives the most popular votes in each district gets that a districts electoral vote. The remaining two electoral votes in those states are rewarded to the candidate who wins the most popular vote- Maine and Nebraska

allocation by congressional districts

winner take all system & allocation by congressional districts are the __

electoral college systems.

__:

\-developing and implementing foreign policy

\-united nations and ambassadors

The Department of State

__:

\-manages monetary resources

\-U.S. mint

The Department of Treasury

__:

\-programs to protect natural resources

\-research to protect fish, wildlife, and endangered species

\-national parks systems

the department of inferior

__:

\-policy on farming, agriculture, food

\-supports farmers and ranchers

department of agriculture

__:

\-enforces federal law for public safety

\-drug enforcement administration (FBI)

\-US Marshalls

the department of justice

__:

\-promotes American business and industries

\-exports and imports

\-trade agreements

department of commerce

__:

\-productivity of workers

\-minimum wage and overtime pay

the department of labor

__:

\-security of country

\-military forces to defer war (army, naval, marines, air force, and space force)

the department of defense

__:

\-protecting public health

\-healthcare and medicaid

the department of health and human services

__:

\-policies and programs that address housing needs

\-improve communities

the department of housing and urban development

__:

\-programs relating to transportation

\-nation’s mass transits, railroads, bridges, and waterways

the department of transportation

__:

\-laws and policies about energy

the department of energy

__:

assistance to public and private schools

the department of education

__:

\-benefit programs for veterans, families, and survivors

\-pension, education, disability, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehab, and medical care

veteran affairs

__:

\-protect against act of terrorism

\-customs, border protection, coast guard, secret service, TSA, ICE

homeland security

__:

ceremonial duties, deal with emergencies and celebrations, attend political party dinners, speak at party functions and campaign for others

head of state and party leader

__: power to carry out law and supervise the executive branch of state government.

chief executive

__:

\-set legislative agendas

\-propose legislation, send messages to legislature, present new programs as part of the budget

\-call a special session of legislature

\-line item veto: the vote of an executive to reject one or more items in a bill without vetoing the entire bil

legislative leader

__: the veto of an executive to reject one or more items in a bill without vetoing the entire bill

line item veto

__:

\-increase employment and revenue

\-obtains grants from national gov.

\-transportation and pollution control

\-attempt to get foreign businesses to relocate to state

\-state budgets

guardian of state economy

state constitutions guide qualifications for __. usually have to:

\-30 years old

\-american citizen

\-state resident of 5 years

\-usually serve 4 years

governors

elections for __:

\-gain the nomination for a political party through a primary win

\-run in general election

\-most states: candidate wins a plurality vote is elected

governor

the largest number of votes in an election:

plurality

__: varies depending in state, but usually: corruption, bribery, and other major crimes

impeachment

__: the procedure by which an elected official may be removed from office by popular vote (only in some states)

recall

__: no individual, group organization, or government entity is above the law

rule of law

__:

\-power of the supreme court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional

\-Marbury vs. Madison

judical review