AP Gov Unit 5 Part 1

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house age requirement

25

senate age requirement

30

house term

2 years

senate term

6 years

why is the house office term important

the link to public opinion - more likely to act as delegates

why is the senate office term important

more long term view-more likely to act as trustees

Reapportionment

Geographical shift from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and Southwest

partisan gerrymandering

1. drawing election district boundaries to favor one political party over another.

Baker v Carr

prior to this, SCOTUS didnt accept gerrymandering cases. led to “one person one vote” rule

Racial Gerrymandering

redrawing election district boundaries to create “Majority-Minority districts”-designed to increase the chances of a minority candidate winning an election.

Shaw v Reno

Racial Gerrymandering challenged as a violation of the EPC of the 14th amendment. shape indicated race was the only reasoning behind the boundries.

Incumbent Gerrymandering

gerrymandering for the purpose of reelecting someone already in office

packing

concentrating voters of an opposing party into a few districts

Cracking

dividing the remaining voters of an opposing party into several districts where they will be the minority

Incumbency Advantage

refers to the overwhelming percentage of incumbents who get re-elected.

Franking Privilege

free mailing services given to incumbents

Pork Barrel Spending

spending that goes to local interests rather than national-seen as wasteful-done through earmarks

earmarks

parts of appropriation bills: designates spending for a specific geographic area

VP

“president of the senate” votes when there is a tie

Speaker of the House vs. President Pro Tempore

speaker of the house is more powerful

House Rules Committee

debate in the House has time limits. senate is unlimited

Filibuster-Cloture

60 votes-based on unanimous consent

exception to filibuster

budget reconciliation bills

House Ways and Means Committee

where tax legislation starts

Advice and Consent

presidential nominees (majority vote) and treaties (2/3 majority vote)

Standing commitee

permanent committees-broad areas of policy

select committees

temporary -handle topics not covered by standing committees

Conference Committees

a joint committee that reconciles similar bills passed by the House and Senate

Joints Committee

part of house and senate

Mark-up

Describes the process of changing, editing and amending a bill that comes to a committee. Primarily the role of standing and subcommittees

Pigeonhole

Committee chair refuses to let a bill “out of committee”

Discharge Petition

forces a bill out of committee (requires signatures of a majority-either in the House or Senate

Oversight

Congressional power to investigate how laws are being enforced/carried out by the executive branch.

Subpoena Power

power to require people to provide evidence and testimony

Reciprocity (Logrolling)

members supporting each other’s bills: positive contribution to passing legislation

Rider

addition/amendment to a bill that is not related to the original bill

delegate

what the people of their congressional district want over what the party wants and whats best for the country

partisan

whats best for the party over whats best for the country or what the people in their congressional district want

trustee

whats best for the country over what the party and people of their congressional district want

politico

shifts through delegte, trustee, and partisan based on the situation

participatory democracy

a form of government in which citizens participate individually and directly in political decisions and policies, rather than through elected representatives.