Chapter 6 KTR Flashcards
Representation
Those we elect should look out for local interests and carry out represented wills
Represent constituency
Body of voters in specified area who elect representative to legislative body
Policy representation
Congressional work for laws that advocate economic and social interests of constituency
Allocative representation
Congressperson gets projects and grants for district
Pork Barrel
Paid for by all taxpayers but enjoyed by a few Congress members
Casework
Constituency service; covers things such as civilian problems
Symbolic representation
Members of Congress represent positive values that Americans associate with public life and government
National lawmaking
Address country’s social/economic problems through passing laws that serve interests of entire nation
Congressional Powers/Responsibilities
- Laid out in Article I, Section 8
- Tax, pay debt, common defense
- Initiate legislation and must pass every bill in identical form before signed by pres.
Senate
- Higher educated, intellectual
- 100 members
- 6 years; can suspend preoccupation with next campaign for 5 years
- 30 year old minimum
- Tries official who is being impeached
- Ability to confirm appt.
House
- 435 members; hierarchal system
- 2 year term
- 25 year minimum
- Initiate Budget Bills
- Impeaches with treason, bribery, high crimes
Checks and balances
- Congress’ bills: (1) Pres. signs or refrains from voting; (2) 2/3 majority to override
- Congressional oversight
- Congress sets up lower federal courts/salaries/establishes issues of jurisdiction
Congressional oversight
-Congress keeps president/executive branch in check through hearings, selective investigations of executive actions
of Senators/House
- 2 Senators/state
- Based on population for House
Reapportionment
-435 House seats are reallocated among the states after 10 year census
Redistricting
-Redrawing district lines in states with more than one rep.
Gerrymandering
-Process of drawing district lines to benefit one group
Pro-Incumbent Gerrymandering
-State legislature so closely divided members can’t agree who to favor; agree to create districts that reinforce current power structure
Partisan Gerrymandering
-Draw districts to maximize number of House seats their party can win
Racial Gerrymandering
District lines to favor or disadvantage of racial group
Coattail Effect
Added votes congressional candidates of winning presidential party receive in presidential election year as voters generalize enthusiasm for national candidate to whole party
Midterm Loss
Regularity with which presidential party loses seats in Congress in midterm elections (between presidential election years)
Party/Leadership in House
- Majority party decides rules; Speaker of the House, maj./min. leaders, whips
- Mechanism for advancement, stand for wide variety of problems
- Speaker elected by majority party
Party/Leadership in Senate
- More decentralized
- Presiding officer is VP; casts tie-breaking vote when necessary
- President Pro Temper of Senate presides when VP not present
- Real leadership in majority and minority leaders; influence scheduling of bills