Final Flashcards
Expansionist Stage
Member is trying to grow and solidify their re-election constituency; early in the members career; frequently go back home to attend events
Protectionist Stage
Member has a solid re-election constituency and is not long trying to expand but preserve it; member can become resentful from their constituents demands
Policy Responsiveness
When the member or their constituency has an interest in a certain policy so the member works to get it
Allocation Responsiveness
The member ensures their constituency get their fair share of federal dollars ex. Pork barrel legislation
Symbolic responsiveness
A members gesture of support ex. Press statement, issuing a bill
Service responsiveness
Member performing case work, helping their constituency navigate government programs, etc
This is an example of Congress working because 85% of those who had requested help from their representative said they were satisfied with the response they received
Home style
How members of Congress choose to conduct themselves when they are back home
Dyadic representation
One legislator and one constituency
Collective representation
How Congress represents the American people as a whole
Delegates
Support the opinion of their constituents even when their personal preference goes against them
House of Representatives
Trustees
View themselves as having been chosen to exercise independent judgement
Senators
Descriptive Representation
Occurs when a member of Congress belongs to your social or demographic group
Substantive representation
Occurs when members of Congress accurately reflects their constituents interests
Introspective representation
How a members personal life experiences shape what they do in Congress
Budget and Accounting Act of 1921
Delayed responsibility for the budget to the president, required the president to solicit information and requests from Congress and then send his budget to Congress
Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974
Restricts the president from impoundment and also set up the CBO Zane budget committees in Congress
Concurrent Budget Resolution
Adopted by both chambers and not sent to the president, does not have the force of law
Continuing resolutions
A form of joint resolutions authorizing continuous spending based off the previous year when concurrent budget resolution is not passed
Supplemental appropriations bills
Congress responding to unexpected events and appropriating additional money for a specific purpose during anytime in the year
Sunset provisions
Solution to unauthorized programs that explicitly identifies when a program needs to stop operations unless it is renewed
Rescissions
When Congress cancels appropriated spending following a presidential request or it’s own initiative; funds may be legally delayed for 45 session day and after this both Houses must approve or the money must be spent
Deficit
Annual difference between tax revenue and government expenditures
Government Bond
When there is a deficit, it is a long term investment where people who purchase the bond have a fixed rate of interest
National debt
When the government repeatedly borrows money, it is the amount of borrowed money accrued
Dynamic Scoring
Tells the anticipated consequences of a program taking into account secondary macro economic effects, these scores are often inaccurate
Pay as you go programs
Taxes of current workers are immediately paid to the current beneficiaries
The Federal Reserve
Interdependent group comprise of 7 members appointed by the president for 14 year term, staggering terms with one expiring every two years and members cannot be removed, federal reserve controls the supply of money using various techniques
Inside lobbying
Quiet behind the scenes work to influence congressmen, testify at hearings, contact government officials, engage in informal contacts, present research, and help draft legislation
Outside lobbying
Lobbying to put pressure on the public, talk with people from the press and media, inspire letter writing campaigns, mount grassroots lobbying, have influential constituents contact their representatives, run ads
Astroturf lobbying
A lobbyist providing a constituents a letter to communicate to their government official
Revolving door
Practice where members of Congress or a high ranking executive staff member become a lobbyist immediately after leaving government service
District Courts
Lowest level of federal courts, every state has at least one identified by region, trial courts with federal, civil, and criminal law, they can strike down laws that violate the constitution
Appellate/CIRCUIT courts
They receive appeals that fall in their district, engaged in error correction in fact or law, no jury
Ex. DC Circuit Court or Appeals
Supreme Court
Determines its own case load, has some original jurisdiction, determine cases of law
Blue slip procedure
Informal custom of the Senate and not required by law, for district and circuit courts when the presidents nominated a judge the senate judiciary committee sends a blue piece of paper to the Senators the nominee is from, when the Senators returns a positive blue slip it only means tag nominee should not be blocked not that they will actually support the nominee, rare that the Senate will confirm a nominee not supported by both home state Senators
Divided Government
Occurs when the presidency is held by one party and one or both of houses of Congress is held by the other party
Legislative Effectiveness Score
Uses a computer program to collect all relevant information on the progress of every public bill introduced in the House and Senate, to capture the ability of a legislator to advance their ideas into law
Companion bills
Any bills that goes through the House and Senate in identical forms and one will become law
Text reuse
Method that looks at bills that were introduced but not passed and if language in the bill has been used in a bill that has passed
Squire index
Measure of state legislative professionalism using three measures pay, session, and staff resources
Line item veto
Governors can strike certain lines in a bill and veto those but sign the rest into law
Missouri Plan
The governor appoints people to anon-partisan commission that will then provide the governor a refined list of names for judicial vacancies, governor picks judge for vacancy for a year and then citizens will vote in a retention election for the judge to stay the entire term
Initiative
Citizen write a law where a certain number of signatur are required to put on the ballot
Indirect initiative
Responds to the concern the initiatives cut off the state legislator, so citizens write a bill and get signatures and it sent to the state legislator to adopt, amend, or defeat. If the public is upset with the outcome, it can be put on ballot after get signatures to do so
Referendum
Opportunity for voters to determine whether or not to uphold a law that a state adopts
Recall
Election to remove someone from office before their term is up, not likely to happen to governors but more likely to happen to lower offices
Balances budget requirement
State government require balances budgets in different forms, either the governors budget needs to be balances or adopted is balanced
Operating budget
State budget that sets money for government programs, can’t borrow money for this
Capital budget
Money for capital projects, state can borrow money for this
Tax and expenditure limits
State governments limited on how fast expenditures and taxes can rise over time
Rainy day funds
Money set aside in times of good to use is times of bad, emergency fund
Intergovernmental transfers
Federal sending money to states and normally these funds are restricted in many ways
Ex. Matching grants, crossover sanctions
South Dakota v Wayfair
Tested interstate commerce, SD was trying capture revenge from online sales from merchants and the Supreme Court upheld it allowing state government to have online sales taxes
Sin taxes
Taxes in legal issues bad on public health ex. Cigarettes, alcohol
State owned business
Provides states revenue and are supposed to be a non profit with a small percentage going to state revenue ex. Liquor store
Gambling revenue
Revenue on gambling activities ex. Casino pacts, lotteries
FICA Tax
Federal Insurance Contributions Act, payroll tax to pay for social security and Medicare
