Gov & Law | Unit 2 Legislative and Exec Branch

- Legislative Branch - Special Interest Groups - Executive Branch

house of reps

• 435 members

• per state - depends on population

• 2 year terms

• 25 years old

• 7 years citizenship

• serves districts of 700,000 ppl

• powers/duties:

  • power of the purse (tax bills)

  • starts impeachment

speaker of the house

leading member of majority party, most influential person in congress

majority leader of house

speakers top assistant - plans legislative agenda, gets important bills to house floor

majority/minority whips

inform members when important bills come up for vote & pressure members to support party leaders

senate

• 100 members

• 2 per state

• 6 year terms

• 30 years old

• 9 years citizenship

• represent whole state

• powers/duties:

  • treaties, supreme court justices, final impeachment

vice president

power to break any senate tie

president protempore

leading member of majority party in senate, substitute for VP, no real power

majority leader of senate

has real power, most influential and speaks first during debate

standing committees

permanent committees directly involved in lawmaking, decide if a bill is worth hearing

select/joint committees

• committees that perform special/temporary tasks like investigations (ex. jan 6th committee), separate between house/senate

• pretty permanent committees that handle matters that interest both house and senate

conference committees

NOT permanent, if two versions of same bill are passed in house and senate, this type of committee is made to compromise - ultimately makes final bill

how a bill → a law

1. desire for legislation voiced

2. bill intro, sent to committee

3. committee action (90% die here!)

4. bill added to calendar

5. floor debates

6. process repeated in other chamber

7. conference committee

8. bill sent to pres

9. pres signs or vetoes bill

10. congress can override veto

special interest group

private non-govt organizations of like-minded ppl whose goal is to influence and shape public policy to benefit their members and causes

• types include:

  • economic, social action & equality, and public interest

• use tactics like:

  • lobbying, shaping public opinion, offering expertise, and electioneering

presidential qualifications

natural born citizen, 35 years old, US resident 14 years

electoral college

electors pledge vote to a certain candidate before election, voters choose electors to nominate their candidates at national convention

elector qualifications

anyone except…

• senators, elected officials/representatives

• non-citizens

• criminals

usually chosen by candidates to honor supporters of campaign

formula for # of electoral votes per state

2 + # of state reps = # of state’s electoral votes

formula for # electoral votes needed to WIN

( total electoral votes/2 ) + 1 = magic #

proposed changes to electoral college

• popular vote winner wins election (remove EC)

• electoral votes by district (Maine-Nebraska method)

  • winner in each congressional district gets an electoral vote