Congress Flashcards
What triggers legislative reapportionment? How often must this occur?
The US census, every 10 years
Malapportionment (what is it; where is it permitted in the American political system? Where is it not permitted?)
Malapportionment is the creation of electoral districts with divergent ratios of voters to representatives. For example, if one single-member district has 10,000 voters and another has 100,000 voters, voters in the former district have ten times the influence, per person, over the governing body.
Permitted in: the senate
NOT permitted in: any other places
What is a lobbyist? What is the revolving door phenomenon about?
A lobbyist is someone who goes to congress and argues for or against the passage of the law they have a stake in.
The revolving door phenomenon is where people are in government, leave government, go to lobby for an interest group and come back to the government
members of congress…
are single-minded seekers of re-election
What is a lobbyist? What is the revolving door phenomenon about?
a lobbyist is someone who’s job is to go to capitol hill and persuade lawmakers to support or oppose a bill.
the revolving door phenomenon is when someone who has worked in government leaves to work for an interest group (special because of insider to the knowledge), then they go to former colleagues and get the bill passed how they want it and eventually go back to work in government
members of congress are:
single minded seekers of re-election
how are members of congress single minded seekers of re-election
advertising (publicizing)
credit claiming (look what law I got passed, responsibility for a good outcome)
position taking (taking a position on issues that are relevant to constituents)
Madison’s dilemma in relation to congress
1) selfish politicians vs. 2) public good
how to reconcile these?
pit ambition against ambition
parties in government
majority party gets to appoint leadership, pick committee chairs, 9 members to majority party for rules committee, and party unity voters
