Pols 206 haydon final

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Article 1 of the Constitution

Sets up the framework of the legislative branch of government

Article 2 Section 1 of the Constitution

Qualifications for Office

Article 2 Section 2 of the Constitution

Powers of the President

Article 2 Section 3 of the Constitution

State of the Union

Article 2 Section 4 of the Constitution

Impeachment

Article 3 of the Constitution

Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)

Which article did the founders spend the most time writing?

Article 1

What are the two roles of the House and Senate?

representation and national lawmaking

Qualifications to be a Representative

25 years old, citizen for 7 years, live in the state they are running in

Qualifications to be in the Senate

30 years old, 9 years citizen, resident of state

Representation

working on behalf of one's constituency

Speaker of the House

must be a natural born citizen, third in line for President

What is the goal of all politicians?

to get reelected

Three Avenues of Reelection

-Advertising

-Credit Claiming

-Position Taking

-Money

How much of the House of Representatives time is spent making money?

1/3

What are the four functions of congress?

Policy Representation, Allocative Representation, Casework, Symbolic Representation

Policy Representation

fight for what your constituants want as a majority

Allocative Representation

bringing home the benefits

Pork Barrel Projects

public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues

Example of Pork Barrel Projects

Highway work

Earmarks

legislative provisions to allocate spending to a specific purpose or project

Casework

specific legislative work for constituents in your district

Franking

fliers incumbents have that they don't have to pay for

Symbolic Representation

politicians using personal characteristics to connect with voters or campaign donors

What is the expectation of Congress?

to create laws that serve the common good

Collective Responsibility

Congress is responsible for the effectiveness of its laws in solving national problems

partisianship

strong devotion to a political party

hyperpartisanship

when partisanship is above everything else

Polarization

the difference between parties

Article 1 Section 8

power to tax, to pay debts, regulate interstate commerce, and provide for the common defense

Congress\=

House+Senate

Congress election cycle?

covers a two year election cycle

How many mebers in senate

100(2 per state, 6 yr terms)

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

435(based on population, 2 yr terms)

How many electoral votes are there?

538

How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?

270

Bills become laws when...

President signs them or refuses to veto and both the house and senate muster 2/3 majority to override veto

Congressional Oversight

Power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review the operations and budgets of executive departments and independent regulatory agencies, conduct investigations through committee hearings, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy

Advise and Consent

the power of the senate to approve or disapprove of any of the president's appointments or treaties

What do the courts do?

decide if the laws are constitutional

Reappointment

reallocation of seats which happens every 10 years

Trend in South and Southwest?

gaining seats

Trend in Northwest and Midwest?

losing seats

Redistricting

the process of dividing states into legislative districts

partisian gerrymandering

drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party

racial gerrymandering

The drawing of election districts so as to ensure that members of a certain race are a minority in the district

What is true about gerrymandering?

people will self segregate, in the end gerrymandering doesn't matter

Disadvantages of being in Congress?

Salary, No job security, hated/low rate of approval

Advantages of being in Congress?

Perceived Power, Healthcare, Election Rate is high

coattail effect

when a popular candidate is at the top of the ticket and brings other people across the finish line

What does the Speaker of the House do?

Recognize members for the purpose of speaking, authority to interest the rules of the house, assign new bills to specific committees, make appointments to special committees

Current Speaker of the House

Kevin McCarthy

Current House Majority Leader

Steve Scalise

Current Majority Whip

Tom Emmer

Current Minority Leader

Hakeem Jeffries

Current Minority Whip

Catherine Clark

Committees

where the heavy lifting takes place before the bill reaches the floor

Texas Senators

Ted Cruz and John Cornyn

Vice President of the US....

is the presiding officer of the Senate

How votes if there is a tie in the Senate?

the Vice Presidentn

Pro Tempore of the Senate

Replaces vice president if out of office or on vacation. (For the time being)

Current Pro Tempore

Patty Murray

Current Senate Majority Leader

Chuck Schumer

Current Senate Majority Whip

Dick Durbin

Current Senate Minority Leader

Mitch McConnell

What were the founders idea of the executive?

believed in a limited executive

Why was the electoral college created?

to protect the country

Federalists 70

Created by Hamilton, importance of a strong and energetic executive

Head of State

represents the United States as a Whole (apolitical)

Head of Government

head of a party, how assets and resources will be distributed (political)

How many presidents have been impeached?

3, Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump

President Qualifications

35 or older, natural born citizen, and lived the US for at least 14 years

Impeachment

brought up on charges by the House

Impeachment is...

politically painful

3 Areas of Constitutional Powers

Executive Powers, Legislative Powers, Judicial Powers

cheif administrator

Term for the President as head of the administration of the Federal Government

Cabinet

implemented by George Washington, helps oversee government(trusted advisors)

What id true about everyone that works in the Executive Branch?

they work of the President

Commander in Chief

term for the president as commander of the nation's armed forces

Cheif Foreign Policy Maker

the president's executive role as the primary shaper of relations with other nations

Treaties

formal agreements between nations, enforceable by law, confirmed by the Senate (2/3 Majority)

Executive Agreements

agreements between countries that don't carry law and are not approved by the senate

Who has the power to declare war?

Congress

Legislative Power

the constitution gives the President little power to check on Congress

State of the Union Address

The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation.

presidental veto

can be overridden by 2/3 of Senate and House

Executive Orders

clarifications on congressional policy, has backing by the law

Signing Statements

statements recorded along with legislation clarifying what the President means

Pardoning

to forgive or excuse someone

Traditional Presidency

limited presidential powers, admin office and subordinate to Congress

Modern Presidency

1930s high degree of executive power, Industrialization of US, Population moves from Rural to Urban

Great Depression

government regulates economy, solves socail problems and provides political inspiration

9/11

expansion of government into private life

War Powers Act of 1973

reminded the President that Congress was the only branch to declare war(reaction of Vietnam)

Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act

prescribes the way the US government can spy on US citizens possibly committing espionage

Independent Counsel Act

created as a watchdog to make sure the President and Congress are doing their job

Clinton vs. Jones

Clinton was sued by Paula Jones, but he stated that Civil Law does not pertain to him, lost and established that the President can be sued while in office