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What are the key leadership positions in the House of Representatives?

A: Speaker of the House, House Majority Leader, House Minority Leader.

Q: What are the key leadership positions in the Senate?

A: Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader.

Q: What are the steps for how a bill becomes a law?

A: Introduction → Committee → Subcommittee → Committee vote → Floor debate → Floor vote → Conference committee → Final vote → President signs/vetoes.

Q: At which points can a bill be killed (and by whom)?

A: Committee chair refusing hearings, Committee votes, Floor votes, Senate filibuster, President veto.

Q: What happens in congressional committees?

A: Research legislation, hold hearings, amend bills, vote bills out, conduct oversight of the executive.

Q: What are exclusive committees?

A: High-workload, high-influence committees members cannot leave (e.g., House Ways and Means, Appropriations, Rules).

Q: What are floor rules like in the House?

A: Strict debate limits, Rules Committee sets conditions for each bill.

Q: What are floor rules like in the Senate?

A: Unlimited debate, filibuster allowed, individual senators have more power.

Q: What is a discharge petition?

A: A House procedure allowing a majority of members to bring a bill out of committee without committee approval.

Q: What is the filibuster?

A: Unlimited Senate debate used to block bills; originated from 1800s rule changes.

Q: How has the filibuster been used?

A: To block civil rights bills, judicial nominees, and major legislation.

Q: How can the filibuster be terminated?

A: Cloture vote of 60 senators.

Q: How has the filibuster affected judicial appointments?

A: Filibuster was eliminated for judges (2013 for lower courts, 2017 for Supreme Court).

Q: How are differences between House and Senate versions of a bill resolved?

A: A conference committee negotiates one version, which both chambers vote on again.

Q: What constitutional functions does Congress have?

A: Declare war, tax, appropriate money, ratify treaties, approve appointments, remove officials, create/abolish agencies, pass laws.

Q: How have Congress’s functions changed over time?

A: Pre-1933 = legislative supremacy; post-1933 = more delegation to president due to crises and growing federal programs.

Q: What is the president’s role in the legislative process?

A: Proposes laws, submits budget, gives State of the Union, signs/vetoes bills.

Q: What can the president NOT do in lawmaking?

A: Cannot introduce bills directly; cannot redirect appropriated money.

Q: What is an earmark?

A: A set-aside of money for specific local projects to gain legislative support.

Q: What does descriptive representation mean?

A: Legislators mirror demographic characteristics of their constituents.

Q: What is an instructed delegate?

A: A representative who votes based on constituents’ wishes.

Q: What is a Burkean trustee?

A: A representative who uses personal judgment to make decisions.

Q: What is a continuing resolution?

A: Temporary funding that keeps the government operating when the budget is not passed.

Presidency

presidency

Q: What are the trends in presidential versus congressional power?

A: Early = Congress dominant; after 1933 = presidency expands due to crises, New Deal, delegation.

Q: How does the U.S. executive differ from executives in other democracies?

A: U.S. president is both head of state and head of government; others separate these roles.

Q: What fits under the "chief of state" role?

A: Ceremonies, national unity events, symbolic leadership.

Q: How does the chief of state role affect public views of the presidency?

A: Raises expectations for presidents to be inspirational and visible.

Q: What is the honeymoon period?

A: Early months of a presidency with high approval and congressional cooperation; shorter today.

Q: What are the consequences of the honeymoon period?

A: Presidents push major legislation early.

Q: What is the rally-around-the-flag effect?

A: Public unity and higher approval during national crises.

Q: What are the dangers of rallies?

A: Can expand presidential power and reduce oversight.

Q: What is the legislative role of the president?

A: Propose laws, draft budget, veto bills, state of the union leadership.

Q: What is a veto?

A: President rejects a bill; Congress can override with 2/3 in both chambers.

Q: What is a pocket veto?

A: President does nothing and Congress adjourns; bill dies and cannot be overridden.

Q: When can Congress override a veto?

A: With 2/3 vote in House and Senate; cannot override a pocket veto.

Q: What is a line-item veto?

A: Vetoing parts of a bill; ruled unconstitutional in 1998.

Q: Why was the line-item veto struck down?

A: Violated separation of powers.

Q: What is logrolling?

A: Vote trading among lawmakers for mutual benefit.

Q: Why do earmarks exist?

A: To help pass legislation by securing votes.

Q: What is the War Powers Act?

A: President must notify Congress within 48 hours of military action; 60-day withdrawal limit without approval.

Q: What does the Budget and Impoundment Act do?

A: Requires president to spend allocated funds; limits impoundment; strengthens Congress’s budget authority.

Q: What are the limits to presidential pardon powers?

A: Only federal crimes, cannot pardon impeachment, cannot violate constitutional rights.

Q: Why are pardons allowed?

A: Provide mercy and correct injustices.

Q: What judicial appointments can presidents make?

A: Federal judges, including Supreme Court, circuit courts, district courts.

Q: What is the filibuster’s impact on judicial appointments?

A: Filibuster removed — nominations require only a majority.

Q: What war-making powers does the Constitution give presidents?

A: Commander-in-chief, can deploy troops.

Q: What war-making powers are forbidden?

A: Cannot declare war, cannot fund war, cannot use military domestically without authorization.

Q: What is the structure of the federal bureaucracy?

A: Cabinet departments → agencies → long-term civil service workers.

Q: Which parts of the bureaucracy can presidents control?

A: Political appointees (cabinet secretaries, agency heads).

Q: Which parts are isolated?

A: Career civil servants protected by the Pendleton Act.

Q: What actions toward the bureaucracy are NOT allowed for presidents?

A: Cannot create or abolish departments, rename agencies, or ignore congressional spending.

Q: What are executive orders?

A: Presidential directives to the bureaucracy; cannot violate laws; reversible.

Q: What are executive agreements?

A: International agreements without Senate approval; limited compared to treaties.

Q: What is executive privilege?

A: President’s right to withhold information.

Q: When is executive privilege not allowed?

A: In cases involving illegal actions.

Q: What is the Pendleton Act?

A: Created merit-based civil service hiring and limited patronage.

Q: What is the Hatch Act?

A: Limits political activity by federal employees.

Q: What problems come with enforcing the Hatch Act?

A: Hard to police political behavior and intent.

Q: Why do governments have bureaucracies?

A: Expertise, efficiency, and complex policy implementation.

Q: What is the alternative to professional bureaucracy?

A: Spoils system (corruption, incompetence).

Q: What is the president’s diplomatic role?

A: Negotiates treaties, recognizes states, uses executive agreements.

Q: What is the president’s role in legislative scheduling?

A: Can call Congress into special session.

Q: What is the impeachment process?

A: House impeaches; Senate conducts trial and votes on removal.

Q: Who can be impeached?

A: Presidents, federal judges, executive officials.

Q: Why can officials be impeached?

A: Treason, bribery, high crimes, misdemeanors.

Q: Which presidents have been impeached?

A: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump (twice). Nixon resigned before impeachment.

Q: What are recess appointments?

A: Temporary appointments made when Senate is not in session.

Q: How can presidents thwart Congress?

A: Signing statements, veto threats, executive orders, bureaucratic slow-rolling.

Q: What is the bully pulpit?

A: President’s ability to use public attention to influence policy.

Q: What is a presidential signing statement?

A: President’s interpretation of a bill when signing it.