AP GOV UNCC SESSION

Overview of the Electoral College
  - Total Members: 538 total members
    - Congress Members: 535 members (comprised of House of Representatives and Senate)
    - Additional Members: 3 extra members from the Electoral College.
Apportionment of Congressional Members
  - Based on population data collected through the census.
  - House Length of Terms: 2 years
  - Senate Length of Terms: 6 years
  - Comparison of Terms: Senate holds a longer term, while House members are re-elected every 2 years to stay accountable to the public.

Comparison of Structure
  - Formality: The House is more formal than the Senate.
    - Committees in the House:
      - Standing Committees: Permanent committees that address ongoing issues.
      - Select Committees: Temporary committees established for specific issues (e.g., 9/11 Commission, Benghazi Investigation).
      - Conference Committees: Joint committees formed to reconcile differences in legislation passed by both House and Senate.
Bill to Law Process
  - Lifecycle of a Bill:
    - Proposal: A Bill is proposed and must be introduced in either the House or Senate.
    - Committee Stage: Bills are referred to committees where they can be either moved forward or killed. Majority of bills die in this stage.
    - Debate on the Floor: If a bill advances, it is debated on the floor and voted on:
      - For House bills, it must go through the Rules Committee to set terms for debate; the Senate does not have this requirement.
    - Voting: If approved in one house, moves to the other house.
      - If changes occur, the bill goes to the Conference Committee to reconcile differences.
  - Presidential Action: After both houses approve, the bill is sent to the President who can:
    - Sign the Bill.
    - Veto the Bill: Rejected by the President.
    - Pocket Veto: The President does nothing for 10 days during which the Congress is adjourned, resulting in the bill being killed.

Proposal of the Budget: Proposed by Congress and specifically the Ways and Means Committee.
Types of Spending:
  - Mandatory Spending: Required expenditures, must occur regardless of budget (e.g., Social Security, interest on national debt).
  - Discretionary Spending: Expenditures that Congress can adjust each year (e.g., defense, funding for agencies like NASA).
    - Historical Spending: Peak funding for NASA was 5% in the 1960s during the space race; currently, it is under 1%.

Definition and Context: The manipulation of district boundaries to favor one party over another.
  - Significance of the Census: Districts are redrawn every ten years based on census data.
    - Key Cases:
      - Shaw v. Reno: Addressed gerrymandering in North Carolina, emphasizing the racial implications.
      - Baker v. Carr: Established the principle of “one person, one vote” in Tennessee due to unequal district populations.
      - Harper v. Moore: Recent case concerning extreme gerrymandering in North Carolina affecting participation in primaries.

Definition of Redlining: A discriminatory practice where banks refuse loans based on residents' areas, often affecting minority communities.

Constituents: The people represented by legislators.
Legislative Models:
  - Delegate Model: Legislators act according to the wishes of constituents.
  - Trustee Model: Legislators use their judgment, may not always reflect constituents’ immediate desires.
  - Politico Model: A blend of the two; legislators act as delegates in some matters and trustees in others.

Congressional Powers to Check the President:
  - Impeachment: Congress can impeach the President.
  - Veto Override: Requires a two-thirds majority in Congress to override a presidential veto.
  - Funding Control: Congress can financially restrict presidential actions (fund the executive budget).
  - Declare War: Congress has the power to declare war, while the President can deploy troops for up to 60 days without Congressional approval.
  - Advice and Consent: Congress must confirm various presidential appointments, including judicial appointments.

Role of the President: Enforces laws made by Congress; acts as Commander in Chief and Chief Diplomat.
Executive Agreements: Agreements made by the President that are non-binding without Congressional ratification.
Expansion of Powers: The presidency has grown in power since George Washington, with each president contributing to this trend.

Article III: Establishes the judicial branch and its duties in interpreting laws.
- Judicial Review: The power of the Supreme Court to determine whether laws are constitutional.
- Precedent and Stare Decisis: Refers to principles that guide judicial rulings based on previous cases.
Judicial Restraint vs. Judicial Activism:
- Judicial Restraint: Judges limit their power, leave interpretations as is.
- Judicial Activism: Judges make decisions that can change the precedent.

Definition: Part of the executive branch responsible for implementing federal laws.
Oversight: Congress monitors and can restrict bureaucratic agencies’ funding or request testimonies from agency officials.
Purpose of Bureaucracy: To ensure that federal agencies effectively enforce laws and regulations once enacted by Congress.