ap gov - unit 2 Flashcards

1
Q

how many members does the house have?

A

435

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2
Q

The House represents …?

A

Districts: population

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3
Q

How many terms do you serve in the House?

A

2 years

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4
Q

What are the rules like in the House?

A

More formal and strict

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5
Q

How many members does the Senate have?

A

100

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6
Q

The Senate represents…?

A

the states

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7
Q

How many terms do you serve in the Sentate?

A

6 years

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8
Q

What are the rules like in the Senate?

A

Less formal and fewer rules

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9
Q

Standing committees

A

PERMANENT; revise bills and hold hearings
-most bills NEVER advance beyond this committee
-congressional oversight
-investigate executive branch

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10
Q

Committee Chairs

A

Leader of congressional committees; always from MAJORITY party
(big influence over legislation)

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11
Q

Speaker of the House

A

Most powerful member of congress; favors own party’s legislation
-schedules bills for debate & votes
-always from MAJORITY party

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12
Q

President of the senate

A

aka Vice president; casts tie-breaking vote

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13
Q

Party leadership

A

-Committee chairs
-majority & minority leaders
-speaker of House
-whips
(all determined by political party)

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14
Q

House’s duties

A

-initiates all tax and REVENUE bills
-power of impeachment
-House RULES committee
-Committee of a Whole
-Discharge petition

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15
Q

Committee of a Whole

A

house forms itself into a committee, to help ease the process

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16
Q

Discharge petition

A

majority of House can force bill out of committee

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17
Q

Examples of enumerated powers

A

-declare war
-raise an army
-raise revenue/tax
-passing a federal budget
-coin money

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18
Q

Examples of implied powers

A

-economic legislation
-environmental legislation
-social issues

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19
Q

Discretionary spending

A

must be approved ANNUALLY as part of budget bills
-largest area of spending = defense
-education

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20
Q

Whats the largest area of discretionary spending?

A

defense

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21
Q

Mandatory spending

A

REQUIRED by law (can ONLY be changed by legislation) over 2/3 of federal spending
-entitlements
-interest on debt

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22
Q

Over 2/3 of federal spending is on what?

A

mandatory spending

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23
Q

Entitlement spending

A

Benefits people are entitled to receive by law;
-Social security
-medicare
-medicaid
-temporary assistance for needy families
-supplemental nutrition assistance program

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24
Q

Pork barrel legislation

A

bring benefits, jobs, and money to a district

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25
Q

Logrolling

A

Vote trading;
I vote for yours, you vote for mine

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26
Q

Reapportionment

A

changing the # of seats each state has in the House of Reps; following the census

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27
Q

Redistricting

A

Redrawing or congressional districts done by STATE LEGISLATURE

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28
Q

Baker v. Carr

A

Banned MALAPPORTIONMENT;
“one person, one vote”
14th amendment
districts must be similar, NO GERRYMANDERING

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29
Q

14th amendment

A

equal protection clause

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30
Q

Gerrymandering

A

Drawing congressional districts in bizarre shapes; usually to benefit a party, UNFAIR

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31
Q

Shaw v. Reno

A

Banned RACIAL GERRYMANDERING;
racial redistricting violates 14th
minority majority districts *

32
Q

Trustee

A

A representative that votes HIS/HER CONSCIENCE regardless of what the constituents want

33
Q

Delegate

A

A representative that votes on how the CONSTITUENTS WANT, even if she/he personally disagrees

34
Q

Politico

A

Sometimes acts like a trustee, sometimes acts like a delegate

35
Q

Divided government

A

DIFFERENT parties control White House, Sentate, and/or House of Reps

36
Q

Policy gridlock

A

slow/difficult to pass legislation/confirm nomination

37
Q

Veto

A

message to congress REJECTING a bill

38
Q

Pocket veto

A

When the president takes NO action and session of congress ends within 10 days of receiving bill-can’t be overridden

39
Q

Commander-in-Chief

A

Head of the armed forces, directs troop movement- THE PRESIDENT

40
Q

Bully pulpit

A

Having a position of authority that allows the president to speak out about any issues to the public(raise awareness)

41
Q

Bargaining

A

When there is a conflict between the president’s and Congress’s agendas, they need to bargain to work out appointments, budgets, and legislative goals

42
Q

Persuasion

A

Used to gain support for agenda from public and Congress

43
Q

Signing statements

A

written command issued by president (when signing a bill that require presidential interpretation)

44
Q

Executive order

A

Having the power of law and doesn’t require congressional approval (on-the-spot decisions)

45
Q

What is the president’s longest lasting influence?

A

Judicial nominees

46
Q

Federalist No. 78

A

LIFE TERMS for federal judges
establishes an INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY that can engage in JUDICIAL REVIEW

47
Q

What’s the least dangerous branch?

A

Judicial - lacks war powers, relies on other branches to enforce their decisions

48
Q

Precedent

A

A past decision that influences future decisions

49
Q

Judicial activism

A

Courts are able and should overrule other branches when wrong

50
Q

cabinet department

A

MAJOR area of responsibility over a BROAD policy area
(ex: education)

51
Q

Executive agencies

A

perform public services
(ex: environmental protection agency)

52
Q

Independent regulatory commissions

A

Make rules regulating SPECIFIC industries to protect public

53
Q

Government corporations

A

Provide services that could be provided by PRIVATE COMPANIES (not profitable)

54
Q

The 4 Administrative Tasks

A
  1. writing and enforcing regulations
  2. issuing fines
  3. testifying before Congress
  4. Issue networks and iron triangle
55
Q

Issue Networks

A

The looser, more informal, and TEMPORARY version of iron triangles

56
Q

Iron triangles

A

-congressional committees
-interest groups
-bureaucratic agencies

57
Q

Political patronage

A

Bureaucrats receiving jobs as politico favors

58
Q

Congressional oversight

A

Committee hearings & investigations into an agency’s activities

59
Q

Committee hearings

A

Agency heads must TESTIFY before Congress about agency’s activities

60
Q

Power of the Purse**

A

CONGRESS can alter department budget depending on whether they are pleased or not with an agency’s activities

61
Q

Congress can…

A

-congressional oversight; power of the purse*
-establish/abolish an agency

62
Q

The president can…

A

-appoint/remove agency heads
-make executive orders

63
Q

Congress’s powers

A

-make laws
-power of the purse*
-pass tax, budget, and appropriation bills
-declare war

64
Q

Congress check on executive branch

A

-override president’s veto (2/3 both houses)
-impeach the president
-refuse to pass a bill the president wants
-confirm presidential nominees (Senate only)
-ratify a treaty (Senate only)

65
Q

Congress checks on Judicial branch

A

-impeach federal judges
-aler the # of judges on court
-pass a slightly altered version of same law
-confirm judicial nominees (Senate only)
-propose a constitutional amendment to override Court’s decision

66
Q

Who has the most influence in the Senate?

A

Majority Floor Leader

67
Q

conference committee

A

reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

68
Q

Where are the details of legislation usually worked out in?

A

subcommittee

69
Q

A divided government causes what?

A

delays in decision making

70
Q

Largest portion of uncontrollable spending

A

entitlement spending

71
Q

To which congressional committee would a proposal to reform the national income-tax system initially be sent?

A

Ways and Means

72
Q

What has decreased in Congress over the past twenty years?

A

the influence of committee chairs

73
Q

Largest source of federal revenue

A

income tax

74
Q

Rules committee

A

place a bill on the legislative calendar, limit time for debate and determine the type of amendments allowed

75
Q

Most powerful figure in Congress

A

Speaker of the House

76
Q

NOMINATIONS

A

SENATE

77
Q

conference committee

A

when bill passes house and bill that is similar passes the senate and they are not the same, so conference committee works them out