gov 111 test (3)

Legislative Branch is

Bicameralism

two branches of legislature

House of Representatives and Senate

How many terms does the Senate serve

6 years

House of Represenatives terms

2 years

The three classes of senate

class 1, class 2, class 3

How many seats in senate

100 that is divided into class (33/34 per class)

pork barrel legislation

is the use of government funds for localized projects, often with the goal of winning political favor or votes from constituents. These projects can include infrastructure, such as highways, dams, and bridges.

House of reprenstatives seats

435

gerrymandering

the manipulation of an electoral constituency's boundaries so as to favor one party or class. (ex:recently redrew maps to give their party a majority of congressional seats by concentrating Democratic voters in a few districts while "cracking" other groups across multiple districts.)

redistricting

Why is congress referred to as the first branch of government

Article 1 of Constitution refers to it as that and is among the world's most representative body

delegate voter

votes according to the preference of their constitutions

Trustee

votes according to who they think is best for their constituents.

What is the difference between acting as a "delegate" and as a "trustee"?

A Delegate votes according to the preference of their constitutions; a trustee votes according to who they think is best for their constituents.

What is the importance of bicameralism?

By dividing law making into two separate houses it serves as a system of checks and balances on each and prevents a concentration of power.

representation in House of Representatives

based on the population of Districts within a state

representation in Seante

Each state has 2 _____ and each represents the entire state

House is more attuned with local interest groups with specific legislative agenda.

"People home" Senators are agents for groups and interests, state or national

How do the house of Representatives and senate "check and balance" each other

Through specific constitutional powers to create law such as the House of Representatives has the sole power to create bills to raise revenue; also both houses of Congress MUST pass identical bills in order for it to become law

What are the constitutional prerequisites for becoming a member of house of Representatives?

you must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state they represent at the time of election

What are the constitutional prerequisites for becoming a member of senate

you must be at least 30, a U.S. citizen for a minimum of nine years, and be an inhabitant of the state they are chosen to represent at the time of election.

/What factors affect who gets elected and what he or she does in office?

The economy, media coverage and information, voter democratic, experience, etc.

In office demands of constituents, personal beliefs, rel-election concerns

*What is the significance of appointment, redistricting and gerrymandering

Are all processes that define political power and the allocation of representation in government; their abuse can undermine the democratic process of fair political representation.

How does the incumbency advantage impact policymaking?

by decreasing legislative turnover, insulating incumbents from public opinion, and creating incentives for reelection-oriented behavior like focusing on constituent services over risky policy innovation.

Beyond legislation, what additional powers does congress have

Power to control the Federal budget and taxes; regulate commerce; declare War and oversee the overall defense of the nation; the Senate's exclusive authority to confirm or reject presidential appointments and ratify treaties, and the ability to conduct investigations and impeach federal officials

What is oversight

Is the review, monitoring, and supervision of Federal agencies, programs, and policies to ensure accountability and proper implementation

What are the powers of congress with respect to oversight

Power to investigate and hold hearings through committees, gather testimony and documents, issuing subpoenas to compel compliance

What powers belong exclusively to house of representatives

has sole power to initiate all revenue raising bills, to initiate the impeachment of federal officials, and elect the President in the event of an Electoral College tie

Which power exclusivity to Senate

has the sole power to provide "advice and consent" on executive branch, federal judge and ambassador appointments of the President, to give advice and consent on the ratification of treaties and the sole power to conduct the impeachment trial

What are the various leadership positions in Congress?

Speaker of the House, majority leader, minority leader, standing committee

Speaker of the House

is the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, with duties that include managing legislative debates, maintaining order in the chamber, appointing members to committees, and setting the legislative agenda. They are also a powerful party leader and second in the line of presidential succession after the Vice President.

majority leader

is the leader of the majority party in a legislative body, such as the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. Their role is to schedule legislation, plan the legislative agenda, and serve as the party's chief spokesperson, ensuring their party's goals are advanced.

minority leader

is the floor leader of the second-largest party in a legislative body, responsible for directing their party's activities, developing its position on legislation, and negotiating with the majority party. They lead floor debates for their party and help shape its legislative agenda.

standing committee

is a permanent legislative committee with a fixed jurisdiction that considers bills and issues and has oversight responsibilities for specific policy areas. These committees are vital to the legislative process, reviewing legislation, conducting oversight of government agencies

What is the role of the party in organizing congress

Acts as organizers, coordinators, and power‑structures.

Woodrow Wilson once wrote, "congress in session is congress on exhibition, while congress in its committee rooms in congress at work" what did he mean

The full Congress meeting in public is like a show; the committee rooms are where the real work in Congress gets done.

How is the committee system structured and how do committees structured and how do committees exercise power to influence legislation?

Hierarchical arrangement of standing committees, select/special committees, and joint committees

Who and what determine committee composition?

By the balance of power between the majority and minority parties.

Which branch represents the state's

Senate

Gerrymandering must happen every __ years

10

Redistricting

redistricting is the legitimate and necessary process of redrawing district boundaries (legeal). Must happen every 10 years

3 types of gerrymandering

cracking, packing, stacking

cracking

Divides a cohesive group of voters into many districts so they are a minority in each one, making it difficult for them to win any elections.

/Packing

Crams a large number of a group of voters into one district to ensure they win that seat by a landslide, but makes neighboring districts less competitive and dilutes their vote elsewhere.

stacking

Groups a majority community with several other majority communities to create a large, multi-member district where the original majority becomes a minority.

congressional districts

an electoral division of a state that elects a member of the House of Representatives. (435)

Only branch that can impeach

house of Representatives

impeach

Accusation

How many people have been impeached and then convicted

8

New Congress meets every __ years

2 years

What current Congress are we in

119th which begean on jan 3 2025

whip

is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline (that members of the party vote according to the party platform rather than their constituents, individual conscience or donors) in a legislature.

senate president

Vice president

select committee

a temporary or permanent committee established for a specific purpose, such as conducting an investigation or addressing a particular issue outside the scope of a standing committee

conference committee

is a temporary, joint panel of House and Senate members that resolves differences between versions of a bill passed by each chamber. The committee's purpose is to negotiate a compromise, and if a majority from both the House and Senate agree on a final version, it is sent back to each chamber for approval before it can become law.

open rule

the provision by the House of rules committee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a Bill

close rule

the provision by the House rules committee that restricts the introduction of amendments to a Bill during debate

Bill can be introduced in _ and _

house/senate

A bill usally goes to ___ that relfects it's topic

standing comitee (an agricultural bill goes to the agricultural standing committee).

Majority as whole relfects ___ in comitee

Majority (the Republican majority party relfects more republican in subcommittees)

Which branch has no time limit on debate

senate

Logrolling

is the process by which politicians trade support for one issue or piece of legislation in exchange for another politician's support, especially by means of legislative votes

How does proposed legislation pass through the committee process to emerge as a bill

Must be submitted by senator or representative to the clerk of the house or senate and referred to the appropriate committee for deliberation. If the committee approves the bill, it moves to the full chamber for debate and a vote; if it passes, it's sent to the other chamber for a similar process. If both chambers pass an identical version, the bill moves on to the President

How does the textbook version of lawmaking different from the real one

The textbook lawmaking makes it more simple and clear, the real lawmaking process is more complex than what is said in the textbook.

What are the general issues facing any legislative body with members possessing diverse preferences?

It makes it hard to pass anything, as the members have trouble passing legislation.

/How do the political parties and the executive branch influence the legislative process?

Their ability to propose legislation, rally support, and use checks and balances determines whether a Bill becomes a Law.

*Cloture

is a legislative procedure to end debate in a legislative body; it is the primary method for overcoming a filibuster, requires ⅔ votes

Cloture requires how many votes to end the debate in Senate

60

What were the essentials that Hamilton believed were critical for any president to have? Have recent presidents displayed these qualities?

A strong single ("energetic") executive authority.

Some have suggested that a way to guard against tyranny in the chief executive was to divide the executive powers between two or more individuals. How could such a proposal work? Has the chief executive today become too complex for a single individual?

This proposal could work by distributing the power evenly and having them work together to make decisions, in hopes of preventing tyranny. Yes, the chief executive has become too complex for a single individual.

What are the benefits of a strong executive?

It was essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks, protection of property, enabling decisive action in times of emergencies, implementing laws effectively, protecting property rights, and securing liberty.

What are the four essentials a president should possess?

A: unity, duration of term for stability, adequate provision for its support, competent powers.

The single most important quality a president can have according to hamalation

energy

Why not a plural executive?

A system with multiple leaders sharing executive power has focused on potential issues with accountability, effectiveness, and consistency. Many of these critiques were famously articulated.

Does the president possess "all" executive power or only those executive powers "herein granted"

The president possesses all executive power

How is the president elected?

electoral college

How does Article II address vice presidential responsibilities and presidential disability?

In case of the removal, death or disability of the President, the Vice President shall become President

Per the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, what is the line of succession to the presidency in case of the removal, resignation, death, or inability of both the president and vice president?

The Speaker of the House, followed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, and then the cabinet secretaries in the order of their departments' creation.

Who determines the presidential salary, and how much is the president paid?

congress

How may a president be removed from office?

Shall be removed on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors

What are the unintended consequences of the Twenty-Second Amendment?

During the second term it can weaken the president's power and influence due to constitutionally barring them from seeking re-election.

Per the twenty-fifth amendment, how is the presidential inception determined

Presidential interception is determined by United citizens' vote in elections.

Oversight (Congressional Oversight)

Congress's power to review, monitor, and supervise the executive branch and federal agencies to ensure the proper implementation of laws and public policy. This is accomplished through various methods, including formal committee hearings, staff studies, and informal contact with officials, and can address both individual cases and broader programs

defining trait of legislation

bicameralism

Where does executive power rest?

president (only them)

3 pre-reqs for president

president must be 35, must be born on U.S. soil or birth to at least 1 U.S citizen parent, having been a resident of the United States for 14 years

22nd amendment

president can only serve 2 terms

How does a bill become a law?

introduction, commitee review, floor debate, passage in both chamber, preisdential action, law is enacted