Midterm 2 Flashcards
What is the lame-duck session?
Any session of Congress that occurs after a national election and before the new Congress has convened. Before the 20th amendment Congress could meet in these as long as four months.
What is the spoils system?
How you get a job in Washington. Based on political connections.
Who is the speaker of the house?
The chief officer of the House of Representatives. Is partisan and institutional figure. Article 1 section 2 of the Constitution specifies that the house of representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers. First order of business when new congress convenes.
Who is the majority leader?
This speaker of the house top Lieut. running the chambers day to day business and planning its agenda. In the Senate it’s the highest ranking member of the majority party.
What is the minority leader?
Speaks for the minority party in public forums and tries to outwit the majority party. In the Senate and the house it is the highest ranking member of the minority party.
What is a divided government?
A situation in which different parties control the presidency and at least one of the chambers of Congress. Each congressional party has a split personality. Generally results in neither party getting their way. It leads to a gridlock. Laws such as the clean air act homeland security act have been passed during a divided government.
What is the war power resolution?
It prevents the president as commander in chief to have too much power to wage war. Congress is allowed to check. Gives the president power to deploy troops in the instance of a national emergency given that congress may be delayed. Once the president does so he has 48 hrs to notify congress and the troops can stay 60 days in action.
What is the delegate theory of representation?
Some believe that wall makers should serve as delegates who follow majority opinion in their electorate. A delegate does what constituents want regardless of the legislators own beliefs about what policies would best serve the country
What is the trustee theory of representation?
Some people say Congress should function as trustees who exercise their judgment independent of constituents views. It’s a type of representation in which legislators exercise independent judgment.
What is bicameralism?
Two chambers consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The framers hoped that dividing the lawmaking body would curb the legislative branch is natural dominance in a democracy. Two separate bodies would need time and effort to agree on anything making bad laws less likely.
Why is bicameralism so important?
It shapes everything about Congress. Every state has two senators. Each state gets House members according to its population. The most populous state California currently has 53 members while the least populous each have one. Each house member represents 700,000 people. It means that two sets of eyes to spot legislative problems and to deliberate about solutions.
What is a filibuster?
Any attempt to block or delays senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length,by offering numerous motions or by other obstructive actions.
What is a committee?
A group of legislators in the house and senate that deliberate on bills or other measures and make recommendations to the full body.
What is a standing committee?
It is the most important and it is permanent bodies that evaluate legislative proposals within their jurisdictions, they choose certain bills for consideration, and then revise and report those bills to the four chamber they also oversee specific agencies and programs.
What is a subcommittee?
This is what standing committees divide their work among. They handle pieces of the committees jurisdiction.
