Unit 2 -AP Gov

How do Representatives and Senators represent their constituents? Does Congress reflect the racial and gender makeup of the US at large?

2 senators per state (100)

435 house (proportionate to state pop)

less minority groups

How do Congressional elections work?

senate and house elected by state citizens

What are the roles of leaders, parties, and committees in Congress?

leaders: to facilitate, influence, organize and delegate to the congress

parties: political parties, usually vote with bills that have the ideals of their party

committees: to specialize in certain issues to discuss potential laws (bills) ex: agriculture, budget, armed forces, transportation

Know the lawmaking process in Congress

bills can be drafted by anyone, can only be proposed by congress members

What are the factors that influence how members of Congress make decisions?

getting reelected (pork)

voting with same party members

influence by whips and other congress members

What is the House ways and means committee and what is it responsible for?

chief tax writing committee of the congress

members on this committee are not allowed to serve on any other committee

responsible for making recommendations to the house on all bills for raising revenue. concerns on taxes, customs duties, and international trade agreements

Explain the role and importance of the House Rules Committee

in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor

not actually responsible for a certain area of policy

reviews, adopts and schedules consideration of floor resolutions

How often does the president veto a bill?

average president veto rate is 1.9%, so not very often

How does congress override a veto?

2/3 vote in both houses

What does a "closed rule" mean on a House bill?

a procedural maneuver that prohibits any amendments to bills up for a vote on the House floor, unless they are recommended by the committee reporting the bill

How Congress "check" the power of the courts?

impeach judges

confirm nominations of judges

How does Congress "check" the power of the Executive branch?

budget

approve nominations

can use majority rule to override vetos

Who decides and controls the committee chairs in Congress?

appointed by president of the senate or speaker of the house or president pro tempore, or a committee, or a vote is necessary

How are the House and Senate different?

house

-2 yr term

-435 members (proportinate to state pop.)

-power to initiate revenue bills, impeach officials

senate

-6 yr term

100 members (2 per state)

-ratify treaties, confirm presidential nominations, try impeached officials

How does Congress impeach the president?

first vote in house, if pass..

senate holds a trial overseen by chief justice of supreme court (senate is jury)

if 2/3 of senate find guilty, he is removed and vp takes over

How can the president influence legislation?

threat of a veto

can propose alternations to avoid veto

Who makes up the president's cabinet?

vice president

15 heads of executive departments

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Department of State

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Know the many roles of the president

(1) chief of state, (2) chief executive, (3) chief administrator, (4) chief diplomat, (5) commander in chief, (6) chief legislator, (7) party chief, and (8) chief citizen

List and explain the expressed and implied powers of the president and describe the differences between the two

expressed powers of the president

-execute law

-appoint department heads

-veto legislation

-deliver state of the union

-make policy recommendations

-convene and adjourn congress

-appoint ambassadors

-receive ambassadors

-serve as commander in chief

implied powers of the president

-organize federal bureaucracy

-issue executive orders

-exercise executive privilege

-enter into treaties with foreign nations

-serve as head of state

How can a president be removed?

impeachment and conviction by the senate for treason bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors (impeachment)

How has office of the President expanded since ratification of the Constitution?

changed from about three cabinet members to 15 cabinet members

hundreds of people work in the white house itself

What are the roles of the Vice President? Cabinet? Executive Office? White House Staff?

vp: presiding officer over the senate, ceremonial duties

cabinet: advise the president on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each members respective office

executive office: (EOP) provide the president with the support they need to to govern effectivly

white house staff: personal assistants to the President

How does the president use the bully pulpit?

to influence the public

ex: Teddy Roosevelt used popularity and access to the media to ask the American people to change things - not wait around for gov to fix things, but to fix things themselves

ex: FDR fireside chats = faith and unity in the government

How does the President win congressional support?

developing good relations with Congress, good tactics, good powers of persuasion and bargaining

What are the factors the affect the president's ability to get public support?

Size of the mandate at the last election

Previous Washington experience

Oratorical skills

Competent senior White House staff

Good at handling crises

Good relations with congress and effectiveness in congress

Provide some examples of executive actions/agreements

ex: executive agreement:

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

entered into with congressional authority, negotiated by president then submitted to Congress for approval

US and Mexico created large free trade for imports and exports between the country for goods and services

ex: executive action

trump can make an executive order to build a wall, but it is up to congress to appropriate funds for it to actually happen

What "checks" does the president have on the judiciary?

nominate judges

What "checks" does the president have on Congress?

may veto bills, may adjourn Congress in certain situations

What was the intent of the War Powers Resolution? (What events led to its creation?) How effective is it in limiting the president?

intended to check the president's power to commit the US to an armed conflict without the consent of the senate

It provides that the U.S. President can send U.S. Armed Forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress

has been violated

Diagram the Executive Branch (White House Staff, Executive Office, Independent Agencies, Executive Departments) and describe the function/examples of each

-president

-white house staff: provide for needs within the white house

executive departments: the cabinet, includes defense, education, homeland security

executive office: supports the work of the President, ex: office of management budget

independent agencies: ex: EPA, FCC

Who are and what makes up the Bureaucracy?

cabinet department

independent regulatory commission

government corporations

independent executive agencies

How do federal bureaucrats get their jobs?

they are appointed based on the merit principle (used to be based on patronage but pendleton civil service act banned that)

president and congress have a say in hiring head officials of agencies

NOT elected by the people

What are the four types of agencies into which the federal bureaucracy is organized?

cabinet department

-15, each headed by a secretary

independent regulatory commission

-gov agency with responsibility for making and enforcing rules to protect public interest in some sector of economy and for judging disputes over rules

government corporations

-gov organizations that provides a service that could be delivered by the private sector and typically charges for its service (postal service)

independent executive agencies

-gov agencies not accounted for by cabinet departments. admin appointed by president and serve at president's pleasure (NASA)

What are the factors that influence the effectiveness of bureaucratic implementation of public policy?

factors that can cause failure..

-program design

-lack of clarity

-administrative routine

-administration's dispositions

-lack of resources

-lack of authority

-fragmentation

so opposite of ^^ = effective implementation of public policy

How do bureaucracies regulate and assess deregulation?

lifting of gov restrictions on businesses, industry or professional activities

problems of regulation

-raising prices

-failing to work well

-hurting US competitive positions abroad

How is the bureaucracy controlled? (checks on the bureaucracy)

president

-appoint people to head agency

-issue orders (executive order)

-alter budget

-reorganize agency

congress

-influencing appointment of agency heads

-alter agency's budget

-hold hearings

-rewrite legislation or make it more detailed

What is the role of Iron Triangles?

also known as sub governments, mutually dependent and advantageous relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups and congressional committees or subcommittees. dominate some areas of domestic policy making

Why does Congress delegate "rulemaking authority" to the Bureaucracy?

Congress passes the bills to make them laws, bureaucracies actually implement the laws into the public

bicameral

divided into two parts, or houses

bill

a proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration, drafted in legal languages, house or reps or senate has to formally submit for consideration (anyone can draft one)

casework

Activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals; cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get

caucus

A group of members of Congress sharing some interest or characteristic. Most are composed of members from both parties and from both houses.

cloture

A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate.

committee chairs

The most important influencers of the congressional agenda. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house.

conference committees

formed when the senate and the house pass different versions of the same bill, members from both iron out differences and bring back to pass as a single bill

constituent

a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent

delegate model of representation

a model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents

divided government

one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress

earmark

Funds that an appropriations bill designates for a particular purpose within a state or congressional district

executive agency

An administrative agency within the executive branch of government. At the federal level, executive agencies are those within the cabinet departments.

filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

franking privelage

benefit allowing members of congress to mail letters and other materials for free

gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

house rules committee

reviews all bills coming from a House committee before they go to the full House and schedules before full house

house ways and means committee

The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole.

impeachment

The political equivalent of an indictment in criminal law, prescribed by the Constitution. The House of Representatives may impeach the president by a majority vote for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

incumbent

individuals who already hold office, in congressional elections, incumbents usually win

legislative oversight

Congress's monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings.

legislative veto

A vote in Congress to override a presidential decision. if challenged, Supreme Court could find it in violation of separation of powers

logrolling

An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills

majority leader

partisan ally of speaker of house, majority party's manager in senate, responsible in each house for scheduling bills, influencing committee assignments, and rounding up votes on behalf of party's legislative positions

minority leader

The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.

pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

pork

federally funded projects designed to bring to the constituency jobs and public money for which the members of Congress can claim credit

rider

A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat.

seniority system

in effect until 1970s, member serving the longest and whose party controlled the chamber became chair

speaker of the house

chosen by majority party, has formal and informal powers, second in line (after vp) to succeed presidency

standing committees

handle bills in different policy areas

subcommittee

Division of existing committee that is formed to address specific issues

trustee model of representation

a model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best for their constituents

bully pulpit

the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

cabinet

Advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice president, and a few other officials selected by the president. (14 secretaries, attorney general and others)

executive agreement

A formal agreement between the U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that does not require Senate approval.

executive privilege

The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security.

expressed / enumerated presidential powers

powers to the president directly stated in the constitution

informal / inherent / implied presidential powers

inherent powers:powers that are needed to get the job done, go without saying (ex: anything that defends borders)

implied powers: those implied by express powers but not stated "the express power to appoint implies the power to dismiss"

line-item veto

Presidential power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

twenty-fifth amendment

A 1967 amendment to the Constitution that establishes procedures for filling presidential and vice presidential vacancies and makes provisions for presidential disability.

twenty-second amendment

Passed in 1951, the amendment that limits presidents to two terms of office.

veto

a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body by the president

war powers resolution

law passed in 1973 the requires presidents to consult with congress whenever possible prior to using military force and to withdraw forces after 60 days unless congress declares war or authorizes an extension

watergate

The events and scandal surrounding a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972 and the subsequent cover-up of White House involvement, leading to the eventual resignation of President Nixon under the threat of impeachment.

white house staff

Personnel who run the White House and advise the President. Includes the Chief of Staff and Press Secretary

administrative discretion

The authority of administrative actors to select among various responses to a given problem. Discretion is greatest when routines, or standard operating procedures, do not fit a case.

bureaucracy

According to Max Weber, a hierarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality.

civil service

A system of hiring and promotion based on the merit principle and the desire to create a nonpartisan government service.

command and control policy

The typical system of regulation whereby government tells business how to reach certain goals, checks that these commands are followed, and punishes offenders.

deregulation

The lifting of government restrictions on business, industry, and professional activities.

executive orders

Regulations originating with the executive branch. Executive orders are one method presidents can use to control the bureaucracy.

gov corporations

gov organization that provides a service that could be delivered by a private sector and typically charges for its service (ex: Postal Service)

hatch act

A federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics while on duty

incentive system

market like strategies are used to manage public policy

independence executive agency

government agencies not accounted for by cabinet departments. admin appoint by presidents and at president's pleasure (ex: NASA)

independent regulatory commission

A government agency with responsibility for making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest in some sector of the economy and for judging disputes over these rules.

independent regulatory commission / agency

A government agency with responsibility for making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest in some sector of the economy and for judging disputes over these rules.

iron triangles (subgovernments)

A network of groups within the American political system that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. They are composed of interest group leaders interested in a particular policy, the government agency in charge of administering that policy, and the members of congressional committees and subcommittees handling that policy.

issue networks

The loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas

merit system

entrance and promotion are awarded on the basis of demonstrated abilities rather than "who you know"

office of personnel mangament

office in charge of hiring for most agencies of federal government, using rules in the process

patronage

One of the key inducements used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone.