Congress Flashcards
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a bicameral Congress?
+ : resist the dangers of faction
Have checks and balances within their house
HOR job and requirements
- meant to be closer and accountable to the people and their wishes
- brief 2 year term
- 25
-7 years a citizen of U.S. - a resident of the state you’re representing
HOR structure
More governed by rules; formally structured
- power is retained by leadership positions (Speaker of the House)
- 25 young | young = controlled
Senate job and requirements
- More politically stable; Insulated from the people and their temporary errors and delusions
-Passions like shay rebellion; can’t enhance their prejudices through law
-30 years old, 9 years a citizen, resident of state
-6 year terms, 1/3 every two years, unlimited terms
Bicameral Economic Policy
- collect taxes
-coin, borrow, and regulate value of money
-regulate interstate and foreign commerce (Commerce clause)
Senate structure
- informal; less rules
-power to individual members
5 main lawmaking Powers of Congress
Power of the Purse (setting fed budget
Power to raise revenue (collect taxes, set tariffs)
Power to coin money (national currency)
Power to declare war
Power to raise and maintain military
What policy does Congress have control over
- economic policy
-foreign policy
-national security
-N&P
-reconstruction
-outward checks and balances
House Economic Policy
All bills to raise revenue must GENERATE IN THE HOUSE
Senate economic policy
- propose budgetary amendments; in practice became coequal partner in setting national revenue policy
What are “ Bills to Raise Revenue”
- increase as well as decrease the revenue available to the federal government
- basically Bills to raise taxes
Bicameral Foreign Policy
- regulate trade with other nations
Foreign policy senate
- Majority confirm ambassadors
- ratify presidential proposed treaties 2/3 vote
impeachment powers
HOR - issue articles of impeachment
Senate - Confirms impeachment with majority vote, convicts impeachment with 2/3 vote
Congress’ budgeting powers
- refuse to fund presidential proposals
- congressional action
Redistricting can be tough because
It could make people’s votes count unequally
The process of how a bill becomes a law is tedious because
- framers of the constitution saw people’s passions trample on minority rights, didn’t want the same to appear in laws
both congress and the house of reps are divided into …
Committees, to make them WORK more efficiently
- better to make laws in a small group, not a large one
How does a committee actually work?
- any one can propose a bill, including a committee as a whole
- has to go to a committee before it goes through Congress houses, and reported out of it
-being apart of a committee helps individual senators or reps in politics/ make a name for themselves when re-election rolls around
Constituency
A body of voters in a given area who elect a rep or senator
Apportionment
Process of determining # of reps per state
Redistricting
States redraw the boundaries of electoral districts
- every 10 years, following U.S. census
Gerrymandering
Manipulating boundaries for the purpose of achieving a self-interested result
partisan gerrymandering
Redistricting to benefit specific interests of groups of voters from specific political parties
independent Commissions
Redistricting in which is not done to benefit a group/ any parties.
- done to achieve true competitiveness within elections
What do Interest groups do
Appeal to congress, and bureaucracy to shape laws
1. Shape policies by mobilizing voters or putting direct pressure on elected officials
2. Gather information they can present to elected officials
What is an interest group
A body or association which uses various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and/or policy
What is a PAC (Political action committees), and how do they differ from interest groups
- collects and distributes campaign funds and information, which is directly adds to elections
- Interest groups deal with the legislative process, though they can give money to PACS, or create their own PACS to send certain candidates through elections