POLS 155 EXAM 3

apportionment

the process by which seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among the fifty states

bicameralism

the political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies

bill

proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature

cloture

a parliamentary process to end a debate in the Senate, as a measure against the filibuster; invoked when three-fifths of senators vote for the motion

collective representation

the relationship between Congress and the United States as a whole, and whether the institution itself represents the American people

conference committee

a special type of joint committee that reconciles different bills passed in the House and Senate so a single bill results

constituency

the body of voters, or constituents, represented by a particular politician

delegate model of representation

representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents

descriptive representation

the extent to which a body of representatives represents the descriptive characteristics of their constituencies, such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender

enumerated powers

the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs

filibuster

a parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it

implied powers

the powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government

inherent powers

the powers neither enumerated nor implied but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country’s existence

joint committee

a legislative ___ consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certain topics but lacks bill referral authority

majority leader

the ____ party in either the House or Senate; in the House, the ____ serves under the Speaker of the House, in the Senate, the ____ is the functional leader and chief spokesperson for the majority party

markup

the amending and voting process in a congressional committee

minority leader

the party member who directs the activities of the minority party on the floor of either the House or the Senate

oversight

the right to review and monitor other bodies such as the executive branch

politico model of representation

a model of representation in which members of Congress act as either trustee or delegate, based on rational political calculations about who is best served, the constituency or the nation

pork-barrel politics

federal spending intended to benefit a particular district or set of constituents

president pro tempore

the senator who acts in the absence of the actual president of the Senate, who is also the vice president of the United States; the president pro tempore is usually the most senior senator of the majority party

representation

an elected leader’s looking out for constituents while carrying out the duties of the office

select committee

a small legislative committee created to fulfill a specific purpose and then disbanded; also called an ad hoc, or special, committee

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party; the ____ is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president

standing committee

a permanent legislative committee that meets regularly

surge-and-decline theory

proposing that the ____ of stimulation occurring during presidential elections subsides during midterm elections, accounting for the differences we observe in turnouts and results

trustee model of representation

representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best for their constituents

whip

in the House and in the Senate, a high leadership position whose primary duty is to enforce voting discipline in the chambers and conferences

The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between ________.

1. large and small states

2. slaveholding and non-slaveholding states

3. the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution

4. the House and the Senate

large and small states

While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned ________.

1. according to the state’s geographic size

2. based on the state’s economic size

3. according to the state’s population

4. based on each state’s need

according to the state's population

The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because ________.

1. districts must include urban and rural areas

2. states can gain but never lose districts

3. districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups

4. states have been known to create more districts than they have been apportioned

districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups

Which of the following is an implied power of Congress?

1. the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states

2. the power to increase taxes on the wealthiest one percent

3. the power to put the president on trial for high crimes

4. the power to override a presidential veto

the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states

Briefly explain the benefits and drawbacks of a bicameral system.

demands careful consideration and deliberate action on the part of the legislators. A primary drawback is that it is tougher overall to pass legislation and makes it extremely difficult to push through large-scale reforms.

What are some examples of the enumerated powers granted to Congress in the Constitution?

authority to collect taxes, regulate commerce, coin money, declare war, raise armies, and establish post offices

Why does a strong presidency necessarily sap power from Congress?

The executive and legislative branches complement and check each other. The purpose of dividing their roles is to prevent either from becoming too powerful. As a result, when one branch assumes more power, it necessarily assumes that power from the other branch.

Senate races tend to inspire ________.

1. broad discussion of policy issues

2. narrow discussion of specific policy issues

3. less money than House races

4. less media coverage than House races

broad discussion of policy issues

The saying “All politics is local” roughly means ________.

1. the local candidate will always win

2. the local constituents want action on national issues

3. the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them

4. the act of campaigning always occurs at the local level where constituents are

the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them

What does Campbell’s surge-and-decline theory suggest about the outcome of midterm elections?

the president's party will lose seats during the midterm election. During the presidential election, he suggests that there is a surge in political stimulation, which brings out voters who are not interested in politics. These voters will favor the party holding the presidency. However, during midterm elections, it is the opposite. The midterm election has a smaller turnout because those uninterested voters will not vote. So that will give an advantage to the party not holding the presidency.

Explain the factors that make it difficult to oust incumbents.

_____ chase off would-be challengers because they are able to raise more money given that people want to back a winner and that voters know incumbents by name because they won the office in a previous election. The challengers who do take on incumbents typically lose soundly for the same reasons.

A congressperson who pursued a strict delegate model of representation would seek to ________.

1. legislate in the way they believed constituents wanted, regardless of the anticipated outcome

2. legislate in a way that carefully considered the circumstances and issue so as to reach a solution that is best for everyone

3. legislate in a way that is best for the nation regardless of the costs for the constituents

4. legislate in the way that they think is best for the constituents

legislate in the way he or she believed constituents wanted, regardless of the anticipated outcome

The increasing value constituents have placed on descriptive representation in Congress has had the effect of ________.

1. increasing the sensitivity representatives have to their constituents demands

2. decreasing the rate at which incumbents are elected

3. increasing the number of minority members in Congress

4. decreasing the number of majority minority districts

increasing the number of minority members in Congress

How has the growing interpretation of earmarks and other budget allocations as corruption influenced the way congresspersons work?

allows both sides to benefit from the transaction, congress gets the funding and the patrons get the projects they want. Congresspersons therefore work according to the patrons' wishes as long is it funds specific projects the congresspersons are interested in.

What does polling data suggest about the events that trigger exceptionally high congressional approval ratings?

The peaks of congressional approval ratings have each occurred when the United States began military involvements overseas. This suggests that the start of a foreign war is one of the few things that triggers a positive reevaluation of Congress.

House leaders are more powerful than Senate leaders because of ________.

1. the majoritarian nature of the House—a majority can run it like a cartel

2. the larger size of the House

3. the constitutional position of the House

4. the State of the Union address being delivered in the House chamber

the majoritarian nature of the House—a majority can run it like a cartel

A select committee is different from a standing committee because ________.

1. a select committee includes member of both chambers, while a standing committee includes only members of the House

2. a select committee is used for bill reconciliation, while a standing committee is used for prosecutions

3. a select committee must stay in session, while a standing committee goes to recess

4. a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent

a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent

Explain how the committees demonstrate a division of labor in Congress based on specialization.

designed so that they can individually deal with issues therefore allowing for a more efficient process.

Stopping a filibuster requires that ________.

1. a majority of senators agree on the bill

2. the speaker steps away from the podium

3. the chamber votes for cloture

4. the Speaker or majority leader intervenes

the chamber votes for cloture

Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being ________.

1. tabled

2. neglected

3. vetoed

4. amended

amended

The key means of advancing modern legislation is now ________.

1. committees

2. the actions of the leadership

3. the budget process

4. the filibuster

the budget process

Briefly explain the difference between the classic model of legislating and the modern process.

The _____ of legislating was more straightforward and to the point. While there were debates in the classic model it was more working together to accomplish a task, unlike today's model of legislation that is full of filibusters and irrelevant arguments.

bully pulpit

Theodore Roosevelt’s notion of the presidency as a platform from which the president could push an agenda

cabinet

a group of advisors to the president, consisting of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch who head the fifteen executive departments

executive agreement

an international agreement between the president and another country made by the executive branch and without formal consent by the Senate

Executive Office of the President

the administrative organization that reports directly to the president and made up of important offices, units, and staff of the current president and headed by the White House chief of staff

executive order

a rule or order issued by the president without the cooperation of Congress and having the force of law

executive privilege

the president’s right to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public

going public

a term for when the president delivers a major television address in the hope that public pressure will result in legislators supporting the president on a major piece of legislation

impeachment

the act of charging a government official with serious wrongdoing, which in some cases may lead to the removal of that official from office

king caucus

an informal meeting held in the nineteenth century, sometimes called a congressional caucus, made up of legislators in the Congress who met to decide on presidential nominees for their respective parties

line-item veto

a power created through law in 1996 and overturned by the Supreme Court in 1998 that allowed the president to veto specific aspects of bills passed by Congress while signing into law what remained

Office of Management and Budget

an office within the Executive Office of the President charged with producing the president’s budget, overseeing its implementation, and overseeing the executive bureaucracy

rally around the flag effect

a spike in presidential popularity during international crises

signing statement

a statement a president issues with the intent to influence the way a specific bill the president signs should be enforced

Many at the Continental Congress were skeptical of allowing presidents to be directly elected by the legislature because ________.

1. they were worried about giving the legislature too much power

2. they feared the opportunities created for corruption

3. they knew the weaknesses of an electoral college

4. they worried about subjecting the commander-in-chief to public scrutiny

they feared the opportunities created for corruption

Which of the following is a way George Washington expanded the power of the presidency?

1. He refused to run again after serving two terms.

2. He appointed the heads of various federal departments as his own advisors.

3. He worked with the Senate to draft treaties with foreign countries.

4. He submitted his neutrality proclamation to the Senate for approval.

He appointed the heads of various federal departments as his own advisors.

How did presidents who served in the decades directly after Washington expand the powers of the presidency?

expanded the war powers by waging undeclared war, Thomas Jefferson negotiated the purchase of Louisiana from France, and James Monroe took direct control of foreign policymaking when he issued the Monroe Doctrine.

4. What factors contributed to the growth of presidential power in the twentieth century?

5. How did the election of 1824 change the way presidents were selected?

   1. Following this election, presidents were directly elected.

   2. Jackson’s supporters decided to create a device for challenging the Electoral College.

   3. The election convinced many that the parties must adopt the king caucus as the primary method for selecting presidents.

   4. The selection of the candidate with fewer electoral votes triggered the rise of party control over nominations.

The selection of the candidate with fewer electoral votes triggered the rise of party control over nominations.

6.Which of the following is an unintended consequence of the rise of the primary and caucus system?

1. Sometimes candidates unpopular with the party leadership reach the top.

2. Campaigns have become shorter and more expensive.

3. The conventions have become more powerful than the voters.

4. Often incumbent presidents will fail to be renominated by the party.

Sometimes candidates unpopular with the party leadership reach the top.

7. What problems exist with the Electoral College?

First, small states are over-represented in the _____. Second, the state by state set-up of the college, in the modern era, leads to states that are safe wins for one party, leaving a handful of states that get all the attention. Finally, its outcomes can differ from the outcome of actual citizen voting (also known as the national popular vote.

8.The people who make up the modern president’s cabinet are the heads of the major federal departments and ________.

1. must be confirmed by the Senate

2. once in office are subject to dismissal by the Senate

3. serve two-year terms

4. are selected base on the rules of patronage

must be confirmed by the Senate

9.A very challenging job for new presidents is to ______.

1. move into the White House

2. prepare and deliver their first State of the Union address

3. nominate and gain confirmation for their cabinet and hundreds of other officials

4. prepare their first executive budget

nominate and gain confirmation for their cabinet and hundreds of other officials

10.How do presidents work to fulfill their campaign promises once in office?

They try to work around divided govt (when one or more houses of the legislature are controlled by the party in opposition to the executive.

11.President Theodore Roosevelt’s concept of the bully pulpit was the office’s ________.

1. authority to use force, especially military force

2. constitutional power to veto legislation

3. premier position to pressure through public appeal

4. ability to use technology to enhance the voice of the president

premier position to pressure through public appeal

12.In what ways have first ladies expanded the role of their office over the twentieth century?

_____ have gone public with issues that matter to the and have even pushed for reform

13.How were presidents in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries likely to reach the public? Were these methods effective?

might make speeches or publish letters in newspapers across the country. These methods may have been effective in their day, but not in comparison to the ability of modern presidents with television, radio, and the Internet at their disposal.

14.The passage of the Tenure of Office Act of 1867 was just one instance in a long line of ________.

1. struggles for power between the president and the Congress

2. unconstitutional presidential power grabbing

3. impeachment trials

4. arguments over presidential policy

struggles for power between the president and the Congress

15.Which of the following is an example of an executive agreement?

1. The president negotiates an agreement with China and submits it to the Senate for ratification.

2. The president changes a regulation on undocumented immigrant status without congressional approval.

3. The president signs legally binding nuclear arms terms with Iran without seeking congressional approval.

4. The president issues recommendations to the Department of Justice on what the meaning of a new criminal statute is.

The president signs legally binding nuclear arms terms with Iran without seeking congressional approval.

16.How have the methods presidents use to negotiate with their party and the opposition changed over time?

able to use patronage to empower their supporters. But as reforms took this option away, presidents had to look for others. Using the bully pulpit is one. Various rewards, mostly symbolic, that a president can give opponents and allies are others.

17.What strategies can presidents employ to win people over to their way of thinking?

can use road trips across the country, major speeches, and rewards to people in their camp. Historically, however, these techniques have only rarely been successful. What works best is for a president find a popular position to get out in front of.

amicus curiae

literally a “friend of the court” and used for a brief filed by someone who is interested in but not party to a case

appellate court

a court that reviews cases already decided by a lower or trial court and that may change the lower court’s decision

appellate jurisdiction

the power of a court to hear a case on appeal from a lower court and possibly change the lower court’s decision

associate justice

a member of the Supreme Court who is not the chief justice

brief

a written legal argument presented to a court by one of the parties in a case

chief justice

the highest-ranking justice on the Supreme Court

circuit courts

the appeals (appellate) courts of the federal court system that review decisions of the lower (district) courts; also called courts of appeals

civil law

a non-criminal law defining private rights and remedies

common law

the pattern of law developed by judges through case decisions largely based on precedent

concurring opinion

an _____ written by a justice who agrees with the Court’s majority opinion but has different reasons for doing so

conference

closed meeting of the justices to discuss cases on the docket and take an initial vote

courts of appeals

the appellate courts of the federal court system that review decisions of the lower (district) courts; also called circuit courts

criminal law

a law that prohibits actions that could harm or endanger others, and establishes punishment for those actions

dissenting opinion

an opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion of the Court

district courts

the trial courts of the federal court system where cases are tried, evidence is presented, and witness testimony is heard

docket

the list of cases pending on a court’s calendar

dual court system

the division of the courts into two separate systems, one federal and one state, with each of the fifty states having its own courts

judicial activism

a judicial philosophy in which a justice is more likely to overturn decisions or rule actions by the other branches unconstitutional, especially in an attempt to broaden individual rights and liberties

judicial restraint

a judicial philosophy in which a justice is more likely to let stand the decisions or actions of the other branches of government

judicial review

the power of the courts to review actions taken by the other branches of government and the states and to rule on whether those actions are constitutional