AP Gov Ch 2.1-2.3

What establishes Legislative Branch?

Article I

House of Representatives

• Members: 435 (population based) 

• Minimum age: 25 

• U.S Residence Requirement: 7 years 

• Term Length: 2 years (all members reelected every 2 years) 

• Constituents: 1 per 750k 

• More public pressure --> more connected to people 

• Limited and formal debate – 1 hour 

• Led by Speaker of House 

• Less coalitions than senate 

Senate

• Members: 100 (2 per state) 

• Minimum age: 30 

• U.S Residence Requirement: 9 

• Term Length: 6 years (1/3 elected every two years for continuous body) 

• Constituents: 3.3 per million 

• Less public pressure --> more connected to states 

• Unlimited and informal debate (filibuster) 

• Led by VP and President pro tempore 

Why is having majority in Congress so important?

They get to determine who leads every committee 

both chambers refer bills to committees ---> majority chooses who runs the most important and can sway legislation their way

Coalitions

• More likely to form in the Senate due to longer terms

• Representatives who come together to pursue shared goals

• Alliance among Senators (can be across party lines) to achieve specific legislative goals

Specific Enumerated Powers of Congress

• Passing a federal budget, raising revenue by laying and collecting taxes, borrowing money, coining money 

• Declaring war/providing fund necessary to maintain armed forces 

• Determining the process for naturalization (becoming U.S citizen) 

• Regulating interstate commerce 

• Creating federal courts and their jurisdictions 

• Enacting legislation under authority of necessary and proper clause 

• Conducting oversight of executive branch, including federal agencies in bureaucracy 

Pork Barrel Legislation

Funding for a local project that is slipped into a larger appropriation bill

• Example: Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere"-- 400 million, used to secure their political support

Logrolling

Combining several pieces of legislation into one bill to secure enough votes for passage

Why is the House of Rules Committee so important? 

Because it establishes rules for debates on bills (control) 

• when & how long, who and what amendments can be made to a bill

Committee of the Whole

Relaxes debate rules by majority vote (100 members needed to conduct a business)

Discharge Petition

Majority vote to get a bill out of committees to the floor

Unanimous Consent

Agreement from all to get work done faster (no filibuster) and most common way to bring bill to the floor

Holds

prevents bills from going on the floor for vote

Conference Committee

• Both chambers refer bills to committees, which conduct hearings 

• reconciles differences in bills, includes ppl from both houses; comes here after both houses view a bill and differences arrise

What makes up “revenue?” 

• Income tax 

• Corporate tax 

• Payroll tax 

• Tariffs 

• Interest 

Mandatory Spending

• 2/3 of Federal budget

• Must be spent by law, entitlement spending 

• Ex: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid 

Discretionary Spending

• 1/3 of Federal budget

• Leftover money that is fiercely debated over and approved yearly 

• Ex: defense, education, infrastructure 

Entitlement Spending and Discretionary Spending

Entitlement spending should go up, discretionary goes down (unless tax revenues increase/budget deficit increases) 

Redistricting

Process of drawing electoral district boundaries 

Gerrymandering

Redistricting to manipulate electoral district boundaries with the intent of creating a political advantage 

Ideological Divisions in Congress

• Partisan Voting 

• Trustee 

• Delegate 

• Politico 

Partisan Voting

When members of Congress vote based on their political party affiliation 

Trustee

Voting based on own knowledge and independent judgement 

Delegate

Sees themselves as an agent of those who elected them and will vote on issues based on the interest of their own constituents 

Politico

combination of trustee and delegate 

Lame Duck President

• Outgoing president who successor has already been chosen 

• If outgoing president loses: 2-month period between winner of the election winning and their inauguration. The president is then often seen as having less power, as officials know that they will not be in power for much longer. 

Political polarization

• When political attitudes move toward ideological extremes --> gridlock 

Gridlock

Situation in which no congressional action on legislation can be taken due to lack of consensus 

How do the branches compete?

They compete by checking each other's power so one does not become too dominant:

• President (exec) can veto legislation while Congress (legis) can override this veto-- also impeachment

• Courts (jud) can declare laws or exec actions unconstitutional; Congress (legis) can limit judicial jurisdiction or put forth amendments to overturn court decisions

• President (exec) appoints fed judges while courts (jud) can rule against exec orders

How do branches cooperate?

Cooperate by working together

• Congress and president: drafting, passing, signing laws; foreign policy and treaties

• Exec enforces court decisions; fed judges picked by pres and confirmed by Senate

Role of Speaker of House

• oversees House proceedings, maintains order, and ensures rules are followed during debates and votes

• leader of the majority party

• appointing members to committees

Role of VP (in senate)

presides over Senate but barely around; makes big tie-breaker vote

Role of pro tempore

usually held by senior member, presides over Senate in absence of VP

Filibuster

speeches used to prolong debate and delay/prevent voting on a bill

Cloture motion

can end a debate (filibuster) with a 60% vote

Power of Purse (Where do they start?)

• Congress has power over $$$

• Must began in House because more connected to the people***

Riders

• Provisions/amendments added to bill unrelated to primary purpose

• Example: mandate for federal standards on state ids attached to a military spending bill

Impeachment

(House) act of bringing formal charges against a gov officia

Removal

(Senate) actual trial

Disappearing Middle

As of recent years, less moderates and more radicals

Why is Senate viewed as the Upper House?

• Fewer members = ability to act independently from public influence for sake of balance

Unique Powers of Senate

• Approval of appointments government officials like the President

• request holds

• ratify treaties

Divided Government

• when different political parties control the executive branch and Congress

Unified

• When same political party controls both Executive Branch (president) and both chambers of Congress

Shaw V. Reno

• Racial Gerrymandering

• Petitioner - Shaw (against racial gerrymandering)

• Respondent - Reno (argued racial gerrymandering was for the best of minorities)

• 5-4 in favor of Shaw —> racial gerrymandering banned

How does a bill become a law?

• Start with ideas

• Pro Tempore/Speaker

• Committee

• Bills die or go to the floor

• They discuss with a conference committee