AP Gov Unit 2

Baker v. Carr (1962)

• charles Baker sued Tennessee for not redrawing its state legislative districts because his county’s population had grown but not gained representation

  • Violated 14th amendment (equal protection of the law)

  • Ruled in 6-2 decision that the government can force states to redistrict every 10 years

  • Led to the development of the “one person, one vote” doctrine

  • Gave federal courts the right to weigh in on redistricting

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

• white voters living in North Carolina’s 12th district sued the state for gerrymandering to isolate African Americans into the 12th district

  • Ruled in 5-4 decision that the state was using racial bias in its redistricting

  • Violated equal protection clause

  • Any racial gerrymandering required a compelling state interest

Voting Rights Act of 1965

• encouraged states to increase minority representation in Congress

  • Initially made little change

  • 1982 amended to make states create majority-minority districts (concentrating minority populations into districts)

    • Made it easier for minority candidates to get elected

  • Many states redistricted after the 1990 census, resulting in an increase of minority representation

Power of the purse

• gives Congress power to influence others by preventing access to funds or adding conditions

  • Can be used positively to fund programs or negatively to harm an agency

House of Ways and Means Committee

• oversees spending laws and taxing

• Senate can approve presidential nominations to court and ambassadors to other countries

  • Must also ratify all treaties the president signs

Delegate Model

(representational view): consider themselves delegates who mirror the views of their districts

Trustee Model

(attitudinal view): some consider themselves trustees who should think about constituents’ views but use their judgement when making decisions

Rules Committee

• determines how long a bill will be debated and whether open or closed rules for amending bills are allowed

  • Open rules allow amendments

  • Closed rules forbid amendments

  • Republicans (majority) in 1994 promised open rules for most bills

  • Considered most powerful committee in House

  • Can kill a bill by postponing vote or make it easy for an opponent to add killer (poison-pill) amendments

  • Can bring bills up for immediate vote

Pork barrels

“pet project” riders created to get money to a home state

Earmark

• provisions in legislation that allot money to a project (appropriation and authorization bills)

  • Not allowed by House

Conference committee

• committee each house’s version of a bill is sent to which come from the committees of each house that wrote the bill

  • Attempts to negotiate compromise bill

  • Compromise bill returns to both houses for voting

  • Failure to pass a compromise bill will kill it

  • Sent to White House if passed for presidential approval

markup sessions

After investigations committees amend and rewrite parts of bills in meetings

Pigeonholed

a bill stuck in a committee

Discharge petition

the way to force a bill out of committee for a floor vote

Standing committees

• permanent, specialized

  • Ex. House Ways and Means, Senate Judiciary, Senate Armed Services

  • 17 in the Senate, 20 in the House

Joint committees

• made up of members of both houses

  • Normally used for investigations or communicating with the public

Select committees

• temporary committees created in each house for a special reason

  • Usually carry out investigations to write special bills

  • Ex. House Watergate Committee, Senate Select Committee on Unfair Practices

Conference committee

• temporary committees made up of members from committees of both houses who wrote a bill

  • Try to create compromise bills, then submit to both houses

  • Disbanded once a compromise bill is negotiated

President pro tempore

the temporary president when the VP is absent

Mostly honorary position

Usually given to oldest member of the majority party

logroll

President jawbones (tries to influence) and colleague

Northwest Ordinance (1787, 1789)

created by the Articles of Confederation, provided guidelines for settling new territories and creating new states, reaffirmed in the Constitution in 1789

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

gave president broad powers to bring unlimited troops for unlimited time to Vietnam

War Powers Act (1973)

passed in an attempt to make president get congressional approval before making war, limiting president to 10,000 troops or 60 days and 30 additional days to withdraw

Bully pulpit

lets the president speak with the American people and helps them to pressure Congress

Literalist doctrine

president only has the powers listed in Article II of the Constitution and should not use power that is not granted; not followed by any president 1920s

Stewardship doctrine

gives the president the ability to use power in multiple ways and arenas; free to use any power not denied to them by the Constitution; increases power of president

Unitary executive theory

gives executive branch nearly unlimited power to develop any policy that is necessary

petit juries

decision known as verdict

Guilty verdict only returned if all 12 jurors vote to convict

Split jury = “hung jury”, results in a mistrial

appellate jurisdiction

Acts in appellate jurisdiction, can only decide issues of law and not facts of a case

original jurisdiction

Federal District Courts: have original jurisdiction

writ of certiorari

If 4 justices agree to review lower court’s decisions, court issues a writ of certiorari - document used to request lower court transcripts of case

Amicus curiae briefs

effort to sway the justices, can be very influential

solicitor general

can argue on the government’s behalf

Quasi judicial agencies

rule enforcement, punish violators

Quasi-legislative agencies

independent agencies who fill in gaps and write rules

Independent agencies

generally normal bureaucracies with presidential oversight

Regulatory agencies/independent regulatory commissions

more independence, act as watchdogs over federal government; Congress and president are not supposed to interfere

Board of Commissioners

Runs regulatory agencies.

Alliance/issue network

a close working relationship formed when issues affect many groups by pro/con coalitions of interest groups, Congress members, and bureaucrats

Iron triangle

informal alliance made of three groups: particular industry + lobbyists, congressional committee dealing with that industry, and the agency that is affected

Civil service system

office of Personnel Management is bureaucracy’s employment agency, administers civil service examination, publishes job opening lists, and hires based on merit