US Government Review - Vocabulary

Congress Overview

• Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
• There are 435 members in the House and 100 in the Senate.
• Total members of Congress: 435 + 100 = 535.
• The Senate is designed to be less influenced by public opinion due to its six-year terms.
• Senators are elected to six-year terms.
• House members serve two-year terms, keeping them in constant reelection mode.
• Congress is generally distrusted by the public, with approval ratings often in the low twenties or even single digits.

Representation in Congress

• Senators are elected statewide; the entire state votes for a Senate seat.
• House members are elected by districts within a state.
• State legislatures redraw these districts every ten years based on census data.
• Gerrymandering: When state legislatures redraw districts to benefit a particular group or party. The Supreme Court can intervene if gerrymandering is excessive.

The Presidency

• The President has two roles: Head of State (apolitical, unifying) and Head of Government (political, divisive).
• The head of government role often clashes with the head of state role.
• Presidents have limited legislative powers and must persuade others to achieve their goals.
• The main source of power for the president is the power to persuade.

Going Public

• Going public: A strategy where the President appeals to the public to pressure other political actors.

Eras of the Presidency

• Traditional Presidency Era: Pre-1930s.
• Modern Presidency Era: Post-1930s.
• Key distinction for critical thinking questions: Identify the year when a president served to determine which era they belong to.

The Courts

• The Supreme Court currently has nine justices.
• The number of justices is not fixed by the Constitution and can be changed by an act of Congress.
• Most legal action occurs at the state level due to the federalist system.
• State vs. National court systems exist within our federalist system.

Political Parties

• Responsible Party Model: A political science model describing what party systems should strive to be for the health of a country. The United States has a two-party system (Democrats and Republicans).
• The U.S. has a two-party system with Democrats and Republicans as the major players.
• First major political parties in America: Democratic-Republicans and Federalists.
• Partisanship has always influenced the workings of Congress.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

• An identical bill must pass in both the House and the Senate before being sent to the President.
• If the President vetoes a bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Types of Votes in Congress

• Voice votes: Not recorded.
• Roll call votes: Public record of how members voted.

Representation and Policymaking

• Congress is tasked with representation and policymaking.
• Allocative representation: Public works projects or grants for specific districts paid for by general tax revenues.

Filibuster

• Filibuster: A practice in the Senate involving unlimited debate to delay or prevent a vote on a bill.
• Closure: Requires 60 votes to end debate and stop a filibuster.
• Speaker of the House: Generally considered the most powerful person in Congress.

Social Media and Politics

• We live in a hyper-partisan world.
• Different social media sites affect users differently.
• Fake news has always been present in American politics.