AP GOV UNIT 2 REVIEW

Senate

• Each state is represented equally 2 representatives

• Must be at least 30 years old, Hold Six Year Terms, More Constitutional responsibilities

• Big Issues and Generality

House of Representatives

• Each state is represented by population, more populous states have more representatives, and less populous states have less representatives.

• Must be at least 25 years old, hold two terms, closer to the issues people in their districts care about.

• Incumbent election rates are very high >90%

Census

a survery taken every 10 years to count population and determine the number of congressional districts each state has.

Redistricting

the redrawing of district boundaries to ensure each district has an equal population done by state legislature.

Gerrymandering:

drawing district boundaries to give the majority party a future advantage

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 the 14th amendment (equal protection of the law), ruled in 6-2 decision that the government can force states to redistrict every 10 years.

• Gave federal courts the right to weigh in on redistricting

Shaw V Reno:

• while voters live in 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

• Violated equal protection clause

Voting Richts Act of 1965

• Encouraged states to increase minority representation in Congress

• Other states have been accused of gerrymandering, had to do redistricting

Article 1 Section 8 Clause 1

gives congress much control ogver budgetary spending, congress has the power to influence other by preventing access to funds or adding conditions.

House of Ways and Means Committee

oversees spedning laws and taxing

Oversight 

Review federal agency work (checks executive branch), investigate corruption, hold hearings (experts and citizens discuss government issues and propose solutions)

• Committe chairs can subponea 

• Confirms memebers of presedential cabinet

• Approevss nominess for federal courts 

Delegate Model

• Consider themselves delegates who mirror the views of their district

Trustee Model

• Some consider themelsves trustees who should think about consitutents view but use their judgment while making decisions

Legislative Process

• Both houses of the Legislative Branch must pass the same bills

• In the house of represnatives the debate of bills are limited

• Rules Committee: determines how long a bill will be debated and whether open or closed rules for ammedning bills are allowed.

• Senate: Does not control debate, no time constraints

  • Fillibuster: used to delay bills vote, by senator making a very long speech

  • Cloture: the vote to end a fillibuster requires votes of 60 members 

Riders

amendments do not have to be relevant to the bill, allow senators to add amendments 

Pork barrles

riders create money to a home state

Earmark

provisions in legislation that allot money to a project

Confernece Commitee

each house version of a bill is sent to comittee which negotiatie compromise bills, compromise bill rueturns to both houses for voting, failure to pass a compromise bill will kill it.

Pocket Veto

President doesnt sign bill into law and congressional session ends during 10 day

Line Item Veto:

gives the president the power to veto cetain parts of the bill

Discharge Petition

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

Standing Committee

permanenet, speicialized,

Joint Committees 

made up of memebers of bouth houses, used for investigations or communicating with the public. 

Select Committees

temporary committess created in each house for a spech reaeason

• Usually carry out investgations to write special bills

Conference Committee

Temporary committees made up of memebers from committees of both house who wrote a bill, try to create compromise bills.

President Power

• Administrative head of the executive branch, brief congress on state of the union, veto legislation. Can appoint federal judges, and department secrateries that must be approved by the senate

• Only congress can declare war but president can mobilize the armed forces

Divided Government

: when the president and majorities are not from the same house 

Unified Government

when the house majorities and the president are from the same party

Bully pulpit

lets the prsident speak with the american people to help the peope pressure congress through means of television, radio, social media.

Cabinet

Secretaries run each departmnet 15 departments, friction between departments

Impeachment 

• Gives congress the ability to remove president for crimes, house of representatives impeaches president

• Senate holds trial 2/3 of votes to remove the president