elections

Question 1

past methods to limit voter participation

Answer 1

property ownership and literacy requirements
poll taxes
gender/race restrictions
placement of pols and schedulling of polling hours
voter registration rules

Question 2

current limitations on voting

Answer 2

prisoners are prohibited from voting in 48 states
depends on the state

Question 3

australian ballot

Answer 3

electoral format that presents the names of all candidates for any given office on the same ballot

Question 4

convenience voting

Answer 4

voting by mail

Question 5

electoral districts

Answer 5

geographical area that a specific senator, governor, representative or president represents

Question 6

electoral college

Answer 6

institution established by the constitution for the election of the president and vicepresident

Question 7

gerrymandering

Answer 7

manipulate the boundaries of an electoral consituency so as to favor one pary or class

Question 8

first past the post

Answer 8

voters cast their vote for a candidate of their choice which means that the candidate who reiceives most votes wins

Question 9

folk theory of democracy

Answer 9

belief system that the voting public supports, elects and embraces candidates who reflect the collective whishes and desires of people

Question 10

2 accounts of populist democracy

Answer 10

the public decides issues through the election of individuals who will carry their will out
2. people rule through direct democracy

Question 11

retrospective theory of voting

Answer 11

the electorate in its greate role as appraiser of past events, past performance, past actions; election outcomes is based on public approval/disapproval of the actual performance of incumbent political leaders

Question 12

3 factors of the electoral system that affect who gets elected

Answer 12

1. who decides to run for office and which candidates have an edge over others
2. incumbents have advantage
3. district lines

Question 13

casework/constituency service

Answer 13

talking to constituents, providing minor services, introducing special bills and intervening with the bureaucracy for them

Question 14

patronage

Answer 14

direct services/ benefits that members provide for their districts

Question 15

example of patronage

Answer 15

pork barrel legislation- representatives seek to capture federal projects and funds for their districts

Question 16

franking priviledge

Answer 16

members of congress can send mail to their consitutents free of chage to keep them informed

Question 17

Mayhew 1974

Answer 17

because of focus on re-election, members of congress work to express public opinion, handle consituent request, legislating and oversight

Question 18

party leadership in house and senate

Answer 18

power in the hands of majority leader and minority leader who are both elected by party caucus or conference and together control senate’s calendat

Question 19

committee system

Answer 19

congress’ second organizational structure is a division and specialization of labour rather than power hierarchy

Question 20

characteristics of committee system

Answer 20

a fixed size, officers, rules, staff, offices
2. jurisdiction is defined by the subject matter of the legislation it deals with
bills assigned to them , most of them die there

Question 21

what are the 2 types of commitee

Answer 21

authorizing - deals with substantive issues; the executive and its agencies has the authority to act
appropriating - provides money through 12 appropriation bills that enable agencies to deployauthority they have been granted

Question 22

on what is based the committee hierarchy?

Answer 22

seniority

Question 23

staff system

Answer 23

comes after the committee

Question 24

staff system responsibilities

Answer 24

handle consituency requests
deals with legislative details
oversees the activities of administrative agencies
drafts proposals, organzies hearings, negotiate with lobbyists

Question 25

explain how a bill becomes a law

Answer 25

1. needs to be submitted by a senator or rep to the clers of house/senate and referred to the appropriate committee for deliberation
2. during deliberation, the committee refers it to a subcommittee- hearings
3. if it makes past the hearings, it goes to the rules committee which establishes the rules by which action will be governed on the bill
4. bill’s supporters prefer a close rule - forbidding members of congress from offering amendments to abill from the floor; those against it prefer an open rule that permits floor debate and the addtion of amendments from the floor
5. debate, unlimited until cloture is invoked
6. The bill is voted on. If passed, it is sent to the other chamber unless that chamber already has a similar measure under consideration. If either chamber does not pass the bill then it dies. If the House and Senate pass the same bill then it is sent to the President. If the House and Senate pass different bills they are sent to Conference Committee. Most major legislation goes to a Conference Committee.

conference commitee: If the Conference Committee reaches a compromise, it prepares a written conference report, which is submitted to each chamber.
The conference report must be approved by both the House and the Senate.

must be signed by the president to become law

Question 26

how is the house majority able to manipulate the agenda and pass legislation?

Answer 26

1. speaker of the house serves as a presiding officer
2. committee on rules can bring bills, resolutions, conference report to the floor to limit debate and amendments and the majority can get resoutions, special rules adoptes
   the speaker appoints conference committee to suit the needs of its majority

Question 27

senate features

Answer 27

the majority’s party leader doesn’t preside and attempts to move the senate by making motions from the floor
- motions can be fillibusteres
- for cloture it’s required 3/5 of the majority
- polarized parties mean that a minority party that has 41 or more can block majority party legislation on the floor