Politics Unit 3 Vocab

Article 1

Establishes the legislative branch of the federal government, known as Congress, and defines its powers and structure.Creates a Bicameral Legislature, two houses, established lawmaking, enumerated powers, and elastic clause

Requirements House

25 years old, U.S. citizen for 7 years, Resident of the district/state in which they are running at time of election

Requirements Senate

30 years old, U.S. citizen for 9 years, residency in state representing

Bicameral

Two chambers of congress, House and Senate

Overall Powers: House and Senate

Enumerated Powers: War Powers: power to declare war, Financial Powers: coin money (power of the purse), Governmental Powers: establish courts.

Also can:

• Impeach, House impeaches Senate holds trail

• Power of Purse (mentioned earlier)

• Oversight

Constituencies House

435 members, population per district 770,000 people. Based on census, redistricting, each state is gauranteed at least one representative, can lose reps if population decreases, can gain reps if population increases, reps stay the same if population does. 

Constituencies Senate

100 members total, 2 members from each state. Came from Great Compromise. Whole population of state is constituency. 

Terms of Office House

2 Year terms (all up at same time), 435 total members (#set by law). Directly elected, representation proportioned by population, No term limits. 

Terms of Office Senate

6 Year terms (staggered: 1/3 of Senate is up for reelection every 2 years) , 100 total members (# set by Constitution), equally represented 2 per state, No term limits.

Elastic Clause

Congress can make/enact laws which shall be necessary and proper.

Impeachment Process

The House impeaches and the Senate holds the trial. If convicted, removed from office, very hard to convict as 2/3 majority of senators present is required for conviction

ENUMERATED POWERS: War Powers (Legislative Branch)

Declare War; Raise and support armies, provide and maintain navy

ENUMERATED POWERS: Power of the Purse Financial Powers (Legislative Branch)

To lay and collect taxes, duties to pay debt, borrow money, regulate interstate and foreign commerce, coin $

ENUMERATED POWERS: Government Powers (Legislative Branch)

Establish rules of naturalization, establish post offices, establish courts

Committee Hearings

A meeting where committee members gather information, ask questions, and hear testimony from experts, government officials, or citizens about a proposed bill.

Purpose: Done to evaluate a bills details and implications before voting on whether it should move forward.

Congress Oversight

Checks on Executive and Judicial Branch;

Proposition of Constitutional Amendments, must pass both houses with a 2/3 majority 

Speaker of the House

Head of the House, top position, leader of majority political party, elected representative of a congressional district. 

Standing Committee

Permanent legislative committee established under House of Reps or Senate, handles bills and issues in a specific, ongoing policy area. Specific committees for specific issues. 

Sole Powers: House

Impeachment: Charging someone with a crime

All $ bills must start in House

Pick the President in case of tie in Electoral College

Sole Powers: Senate

Hold the trial for impeachment

Ratify all treaties

Confirm all presidential appointments

Checks & Balances Vs. Executive (Legislative) 

Confirms executive appointments, ratifies treaties, appropriates money, can override presidential veto, can impeach and remove President

Checks & Balances Vs Judicial (Legislative)

Create lower federal courts, can impeach and remove judges, Approve appointments of federal judges, can propose amendments to overrule judicial decisions. 

President of the Senate

Vice President of the President, only job is to break ties

Senate: Pro Tempore

Oldest Member of Majority Party

Only job: 4th in line for Pres.

Chairman Ranking Member

Always member of majority party, runs their committee, chosen by the Speaker of the House

Filibuster (Senate only)

A tactic used by Senators to delay or block a vote on a bill by continuing for an extended period of time.

No time limits in senate, filibuster lasts as long as a senator speaks

Cloture

A Senate procedure used to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.

Requirement: Needs 60 out of 100 votes (3/5 majority) to invoke cloture.

After cloture is invoked, debate is limited and bill moves to a final vote.

Rules Committee (House)

Determines the rules for considering a bill on the House floor.

Establishes when, how long, and under what conditions a bill can be debated and voted on. 

Gives time limits, usually equal so both majority and minority can debate for same amount of time. 

Decides whether a bill can be amended on the House floor and imposes restrictions on what types of amendments are allowed. 

Incumbent Advantage

Inherent electoral benefit, candidate has if they already hold the position in which they are running. Things that come into play: name recognition, resources and funding, established campaigns, and strategic districting.

Census

A count of the population and a property evaluation. Happens every 10 years.

Redistricting

Drawing legislative districts based on the populations counted in the Census, determined by State governments

Packing

Gerrymandering by packing people into one Congressional district (causing people in that party to lose representation everywhere else) 

Cracking

Gerrymandering by redistricting a majority into multiple districts in which they are separated and forced to be the minority

Mandatory Spending

Required spending for benefits and entitlements. These things are Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid

Entitlements: programs that every American citizen is entitled to.

3 Types of Mandatory spending: 

Mandatory spending: 2/3 of government spending 

Discretionary spending: 1/3 of government spending with 2 categories

Net Interest

Discretionary Spending

Defense and Nondefense. 

Government spending that Congress must approve. Spending that lawmakers control through appropriation acts.

Deficit

Amount by which government spending is more than what is made

Surplus

Income is greater than the money that is spent

Debt

Total amount of money that a government owes its creditors

Conference Committee

A temporary, joint committee made up of members form both the House and Senate

Purpose: Reconcile difference between the House and Senate versions of the same bill in order to produce a single, unified version of a bill approved by both chambers before sent to President.

Override of Veto

If a bill is vetoed, goes through house and senate again with 2/3 votes in order to make it a law.

If president doesn’t make deicision for 10 days while congress is in session, bill becomes law.

If president doesn’t make a decision and congress is adjourned, bill is thrown out. Known as “pocket-veto”

Gerrymandering

Drawing of political or electoral districts for the purpose of making it easier for an incumbent party to remain in power

Apportionment

Redistributing seats in the House of Representatives (435 members) based on changes in population, based on Census

Shaw v. Reno

Racial gerrymandering. Can a state gerrymander based on race.

Outcome: unconstitutional, not legal under the 14th Amendment.

Equal Protection Clause → no discrimination

Race cannot be only factor.

Rucho vs. Common Cause

Partisan gerrymandering. Can a state gerrymander based on party.

Outcome: Courts cannot decide on a political matter, Congress and States decide.

Federal Budget

Annual financial plan that outlines the governments expected revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year. Includes Mandatory, Discretionary, and Net Interest.

Revenues: Raised through individual income taxes, payroll taxes, corporate income taxes, and other…

Entitlements

Programs that every American citizen is entitles to. 

• Medicare

• Social Security 

• Medicaid

Process of a Bill to a Law

Introduction → Committee → Floor Debate → Other Chamber → Conference Committee → President

Partisan Voting

Feel duty-bound to vote in line with their party platform and wishes of their party’s leaders

Delegate Voting

Agents of those who elected them. Believe that they should vote the way they think, “the folks back home” would want

Trustee Voting

Believe that each question that is faced must be decided based on its merits. Conscience and independent judgement are their guide. 

Politico Voting

Combine the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles. Balance both constituents and party lines.

17th Amendment

Amended senate voting. Changed it from State Legislatures voting on it to it being voted on by the people