The Lawmaking Process & Presidential Roles

Flashcards about the lawmaking process and the roles/powers of the US President.

Introduce bills in the House or Senate

Only members of the House or Senate.

Sets the agenda in the lawmaking process

Majority party

Bills that must be introduced in the House first

Revenue-raising bills.

How bills are introduced in the House

Dropping the bill in the bill hopper attached to the Clerk’s desk

Next step after bill is introduces

It’s assigned to a committee by the speaker

Where do most bills die in the House?

In the subcommittee.

Purpose of hearings in the subcommittee and full committee stages

To promote a bill and gather expert testimony

Process during the mark-up session

Amendments are added, and the bill is modified

Role of the Rules Committee in the House

Acts as the "traffic cop" of the House, setting rules for debate and amendments.

Four types of rules the Rules Committee can attach to a bill

Open, modified-open, structured, and closed rules

In control of the House calendar

The Speaker of the House

Quorum in the House

Just over half the members, or 218/435.

How a bill is introduced in the Senate

By submitting the bill to the clerks on the Senate floor

What does the Senate parliamentarian do after a bill is introduced?

Assigns it to a specific committee or multiple committees

Unanimous consent in the Senate

Majority leader asks all 100 Senators if they have any objections to the bill

Filibuster

A procedural tool used in the Senate to delay or block a vote on a bill

How to end a filibuster

Invoking cloture, which requires 16 signatures on a petition and a vote of 60 senators.

Necessary vote to pass bill in the Senate

If all 100 Senators are present, a bill must receive 51 votes.

Role of a conference committee

To create a new bill from the versions passed by the House and Senate.

President’s options when a bill reaches their desk

Sign the bill, do nothing, or veto it.

Happens when the President does nothing while Congress is out of session

The bill is pocket vetoed.

How can Congress override a presidential veto?

By a 2/3 vote in both the House and Senate.

Constitutional roles and powers of the president

Administrative head, Commander-in-Chief, veto legislation, appoint officials, make treaties.

Two main advisory styles presidents have historically used

Competitive/Collegial (Hub and Spoke): President talks to many advisors directly and hears lots of different opinions.

Hierarchical (Gatekeeper): President gets advice through one top aide who controls who gets to speak to the president.

Signing statements

written comments a president adds when signing a bill into law, sometimes to explain how they will interpret or enforce it.

Executive Orders

Official instructions from the president that manage operations of the federal government and have the force of law.

War Powers Resolution of 1973

Limits the president’s ability to send troops into combat without Congress’s approval after 60 days.

President’s role in budgeting

Required to submit a budget to Congress

Ways president can affect the economy

Through taxes, trade tariffs, the Federal Reserve, and other policy areas.

Who appoints the Federal Reserve Board?

The President

President's role as leader of the party

To promote and expand the party

Difference between Head of State and Head of Government

Head of State represents the country symbolically and performs ceremonial duties; Head of Government runs the government and makes policy decisions.

President's role as Chief Diplomat

Directs U.S. foreign policy, makes treaties (with Senate approval), and appoints ambassadors.

Two presidencies according to Aaron Wildavsky

Domestic policy and Foreign policy