AP US Gov Unit 2

What is the most democratic governing body?

Congress

Structure of Congress

Bicameral

435 Representatives

100 Senators

Representatives represent… and Senators represent…

Citizenry at large

States

17th Amendment

Direct election of senators

Who must approve laws and why?

Both houses

To prevent rash laws

When are Representatives and Senators elected?

Reps every 2 years

Senators every 6 years - 1/3 reelected every 2 years

Caucuses

Groups of like-minded people that unite around a particular belief or concern and elect respective leaders to set agendas and name committee members to enhance the chances of passing their desired policies

Power of the Purse

Power to raise revenue through taxes

Congress must approve of money being taken from the treasury

Congress decides how to spend tax revenues

Power to coin money

Help budget based on proposal of the president

27th Amendment

Members of Congress set their own salaries

Commerce Clause

Used to assume authority over policy connected to issues concerning interstate (and sometimes intrastate) commerce

Congress Power over Military and Foreign Affairs

Oversees the military

Can raise armies and navies

Mandate drafts

Declare war

Determines salaries of military personnel

War Powers Act of 1973

Replaced Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Gives president 48 hours to engage in urgent combat without informing Congress, Congress then forced to take a position

Differing Powers of Chambers of Congress

House decides the president if no candidate wins the necessary majority

Only House of Representatives can proposal revenue laws

House can impeach a federal official

Senate must approve treaties the president enters with foreign nations

Senate can remove an official after impeachment

Senate advice and consent power

Advice and Consent

Power allows senators to recommend or reject major presidential appointees and allows them to recommend people to serve in the executive branch

Makeup of the House and Senate

535 voting members of congress and 30,000 support staff

Most members men, college educated, above average incomes (many very wealthy)

Senate often older, wealthier, and less diverse than the House

Fillibuster

Lengthy speech to delay action on a bill

Rule 22/Cloture Rule

Wilson inspired cloture rule to enable and require a 2/3 supermajority to close up or stop debate on a bill and call for a vote (eventually lowered to 3/5)

Whip

In charge of party discipline

Ways and Means Committee

Committee exclusive to the House that determines tax policy

Appropriation Committees

Committees in both house that control purse strings

Joint Committee

Unite members from the House and Senate

Select Committees

Temporary committees set periodically for some particular and typically short-lived purpose

Conference Committee

Temporary committee created to iron out differences on a bill

Rules Committee

Assigns bills to the appropriate standing committee, determines which bills ar scheduled for debate, and decides when votes take place

Committee of the Whole

Includes but does not require all representatives and allows longer debate among fewer people and allows non-voting house members to voice their opinion and vote (100 members needed to act)

Discharge Petition

Modern device that functions as a step toward transparency as it brings a bill out of a reluctant committee if 218 members sign

Riders

Nongermane amendments added to benefit a member’s own agenda

Omnibus Bill

Includes multiple areas of law and or programs

Pork Barrel Spending

Funds earmarked for specific purposes in a legislator’s district

Logrolling

Trading votes to gain support for a bill

Individual Income Taxes

Taxes paid by workers on the income made during the calendar year

Corporate Taxes

Taxes paid by businesses on profits

Social Insurance (payroll) Taxes

Taxes paid by both employees and employers to fund SS, Medicare, and unemployment

Tariffs and Excise Taxes

Taxes paid on certain imports or products – excises specifically on products that are bad for health

Deficit

Difference between spending and revenue

Leaders of the House of Representatives

Speaker of the House - recognizes members for speaking

Majority and minority floor leaders - first recognized in debate

Whips- in charge of party discipline and tallying votes

Leaders of the Senate

Vice President (non voting)

President pro tempore - temporary president

Majority leader - first recognized in debate, more powerful than president pro tempore

Whips

Standing Committee Chairs

Chair most senior member of the majority party

Vice chair most senior member of the minority party

Select Committees

Put together temporarily for a specific purpose

Can be exclusive to one house or not

Before the entire chamber votes, a bill must first clear…

Committee with a majority vote

Germane

Can only offer amendments to bills typically related to the legislation under consideration

Nothing reaches the House floor unless what allows it?

The Rules Committee

Mandatory Spending

Payment required by law or mandated for specific programs

Discretionary Spending

Funding that congressional committees debate and decide how to give up

How can Congress override a veto?

With a 2/3 vote in both houses

Largest Category of Discretionary Spending

Human Resources

Gridlock

Congestion of opposing forces that prevent ideas from moving forward (between Houses and between Congress and the President)

Party line voting is becoming more or less common?

More

Overall approval rating of Congress has increased or decreased?

Decreased

Who determines the congressional map?

Majority party in state legislature

Reapportionment Act of 1929

Mandates the periodic reapportionment of US congressional seats passed on changes in the census

Gerrymandering

Process of drawing illogical district lines to give the advantage to one party

Safe Seats

Districts in which a party consistently wins by more than 55%

Marginal seats (swing districts)

One party doesn’t consistently win by that margin

Racial Gerrymandering

Used to dilute votes of Black Americans (going against the 14th and 15th amendment)

Baker v. Carr

Baker v. Carr is a landmark United States Supreme Court case that established the principle of "one person, one vote." It ruled that state legislative districts must be roughly equal in population, ensuring that each person's vote carries equal weight. This decision had a significant impact on the redistricting process and the concept of political representation in the United States.

Shaw v. Reno

Shaw v. Reno was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1993 that dealt with racial gerrymandering. The case challenged the constitutionality of a North Carolina congressional district that was drawn with the intent to create a majority-minority district. The Court ruled that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing district lines, unless there is a compelling government interest. This decision had significant implications for redistricting and voting rights.

Reynolds v. Sims

Reynolds v. Sims was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1964 that established the principle of "one person, one vote" in the context of state legislative districts. The Court ruled that state legislative districts must be roughly equal in population, ensuring that each person's vote carries equal weight. This decision had a significant impact on the redistricting process and the representation of urban areas in state legislatures.

More safe seats leads to…

Extremes from the left and the right to come into power (less moderates/compromises)

Delegate Model of Voting

Vote to try to represent will of constituents

Trustee Model of Voting

Believe they are entrusted to use their best judgement regardless of constituents views

Politico Model of Voting

Blends delegate and trustee models by considering a variety of factors and vote for whatever makes the most sense to them at the time (when public has more interest, their opinions would be considered more)

Reapportionment Act of 1929

Mandates the periodic reapportionment of US congressional seats passed on changes in the census

Majority party in state legislature determines congressional map

Formal Powers of the President

Powers given to the President from Article II of the Constitution

Informal Powers of the President

Political powers interpreted to be inherent in the office to achieve policy goals

President as a Chief Legislator

May recommend new laws in public appearances and in their State of the Union address

Can adjourn or convene Congress

Has final approval on bills

Cannot introduce legislation in Congress

President as a Chief Ambassador

Head of state who serves as public face of the country

Bully Pulpit

Brightly lit stage to pitch ideas to the American people

Pocket Veto

If the president recieves a bill in the final ten days of a congressional session and does nothing killing the bill

If a bill isn’t signed or vetoed in 10 days…

It becomes law

Line Item Veto

Not a power of the president

Allows an executive to eliminate a line of spending from an appropriations bill or a budgeting measure (vetoing part but not all of a bill)

President as Commander in Chief

Cannot declare war

Leader of the military

War Powers Act

President can order the military into combat 48 hours before informing Congress

President as Chief Executive and Chief Administrator

Runs the federal bureaucracy (like a company)

Designs a budget

US Main Diplomat

US Secretary of State

President as Chief Diplomat

Receive ambassadors, make treaties (with Senate approvak)

Executive orders

Empower the president to carry out the law or to administer the government

Can issue a directive that falls within the President’s authority as head of the executive branch

Executive privilege

Right to withhold information or their decision making process from another branch to protect confidentiality

President as Chief of Party

Face of their political party, advances party goals

President as Chief Magistrate

Judicial powers to shape the court

Appoints federal judges, grants pardons and reprieves

Pardon commutation

Lessening sentences

Amnesty

Pardoning a large group

The Cabinet

Principal officers in each of the executive departments who advise the president

State Department

First department created, promotes foreign policy of the US across the globe

Ambassador

Top diplomat appointed to represent the US

Defense Department

Headquartered at the Pentagon, civilian officers who serve the president and have not served in uniformed military service for 7+ years

Joint Chiefs of Staff

Council of the top uniformed officials from each division that advise the president on military strategy

Federal Agencies

Subcabinet entities that carry out specific government functions and often fall under larger departments

Chief of Staff

Gatekeeper responsible for smooth operation of the white house

Recess Appointments

If the senate is not in session when a vacancy arises, the president can appoint a replacement who will serve until the Senate reconvenes and votes on that official

Attorney General

Heads the Department of Justice and oversees the nation’s law enforcement and federal prosecutions

Represents the US in legal matters and advises the president

White House Counsel

Provides legal support for the Office of the President

Reviews legislation, treaties, executive agreements, pardons, etc.

National Security Counsel

Intended to ensure the president is adequately and regularly informed as to the dangers America might face

President, VP, national security advisor, CIA director, secretaries of state and defense

Federalist No. 70

Written by Alexander Hamilton

Argues for the need for a strong executive branch and a single executive leader, advocating for the presidency as a unitary office rather than a collective body.

The main idea is that a strong executive is essential for effective governance and the protection of the nation's interests.

Executive Office of the President

Carries out most constitutional duties with a large group of advisers and supporting agencies

Office of Management and Budget

Considers the needs and wants of all federal departments and agencies, the fiscal and economic philosophy of the president, federal revenues, and other factors to arrange the annual budget

White House Staff

President’s immediate staff of specialists

Require no Senate approval, come from the President’s inner circle

Do not have loyalties to departments or agencies and don’t compete for funding

What 3 categories are the White House staff split into?

National Security, Economy, and Communications

Chief of Staff

Gatekeeper responsible for smooth operation of the white house

Attorney General

Heads the Department of Justice and oversees the nation’s law enforcement and federal prosecutions