Test 2 Course Worksheets Flashcards
The US congress possesses the ______ power, which is the power to make laws.
legislative
Examples of things that Congress has the authority to do
- tax and spend
- coin and regulate money
- borrow money/control budgets
- declare war
Two main ways congressional power is divided
- institutionally between the 2 houses
2. Among its many members
Congress is a _______ institution whose members are elected to speak and act on behalf of their own constituents, but it is also a _______ institution charged with making laws for the entire nation.
Lawmaking; representative
Types of representation of MCs:
Descriptive- mirroring politically relevant characteristics: age, sex, race, education
Substantive- representing interest groups
Roles that Mc’s could fill when deciding how to act in Congress:
Instructed Delegate: mirror preferences of constituents
Trustee: use own judgement to make policy in constituents be interest
Politico: between delegate and trustee
Three electorally minded activities in which MC’s engage
- Advertising themselves (visible to constituents)
- Credit Claiming (casework)
- Position taking (grow your brand)
Congressional candidates who are _______ have a great advantage in winning elections
incumbents
Three reasons why incumbents have such an electoral advantage
- Visibility/name recognition
- Fundraising and spending
- Scare away competent rivals
The most competitive Congressional elections occur when someone has vacated their position or is not running for reelection. This is called:
open seat
term for remedying the dilution of minority votes
gerrymandering
3 ways state governments might gerrymander
- Create “safe seats” for a party
- Force incumbents of rival party to compete
- Racial gerrymandering
What is the so-called “distributive tendency” in Congress?
Tendency of Congress to spread the benefits of a policy over a wide range of members’ districts
The most powerful committee in Congress
Standing Committee
What does a standing committee do
Considers legislation within its designated subject area; the basic unit of deliberation in the House and Senate
Most powerful leader in the House of Representatives and Congress as a whole
Speaker of the House
What are powers the Speaker of the House possess
- Presides over House
- Represents majority party
- Agenda-setting
- Substantial control over {appointing committee heads, desirable committee assignments, which committee has jurisdiction}
Most of the real work of Congress goes on not on the House or Senate floor, but in the _______
committees
Three things Committees do:
- Legislative gatekeepers
- Research reports, hearings, “mark-up”
- Legislative oversight {monitoring bureaucracy}
Congress has many informal groups called _______ that help like-minded members coordinate
Caucueses
What do Caucuses do?
- Ideological - Blue dog democrats
- Racial or Ethnic - Congressional Black Caucus
- Organized groups - most common type
As enduring political organizations, _______ are key to the aforementioned ways in which Congress is organized to make laws
political parties
What does it mean that these organizations have become polarized in recent years?
- Parties ideological views clustered around 2 poles
- Few moderates
- little overlap
Federalist 70, Publius characterizes energetic executive in four ways:
- Unity
- Duration
- Support: separate base of power
- Competent powers
What things characterize impeachable offense?
Grave offense, not necessarily a crime
Inherently political process
Treason bribery or other crimes and misdemeanors
What kinds of issues are NOT impeachable?
policy disagreements
What are expressed powers?
formal powers
What are some important expressed powers of the president
- Military/ Diplomatic: commander in chief, make treaties, nominate ambassadors
- Judicial: Reprieves and pardons, nominate federal judges
- Executive/ Administrative: Take care that laws faithfully executed, nominate officials request written opinions, fill vacancies during recess
- Legislative: State of the Union, recommend legislation, call special sessions of Congress, Adjorn Congress, veto
What are delegated powers
Products of congressional statutes and resolutions {Congress gives president rulemaking power}
What is the Wars Power Resolution and what does it do?
legally limits the president’s power to commit troops
-Pres must notify congress w/in 48 hours of committing troops, 60 days to get congress approval, congress can cut off funds
Presidents role in executive orders:
Directives about how executive branch should be run, only about execution of law, no congress approval required
Presidents role in The Cabinet
Head of top departments and agencies; serve at pleasure of the president
The White House staff
Analysts and advisors, political and policy needs, personal decision making
According to Richard Neustadt, what is the fundamental problem modern presidents face?
Expectations exceed formal authority
How does Neustadt characterize the effective use of presidential power?
- Formal powers are insufficient
- President cannot command
- resorting to command/forceful powers
- veto- failure of bargining
What does it mean for a president to go public to overcome congressional opposition
Obtain the public’s support, {constituents pressure MC’s}
What are some of the limits and shortcomings to a president going public?
- Adversarial to congress
- Posturing and taking positions
- President has national spotlight
- limits of persuasion
What are some of the characteristics of presidential news coverage?
Media-bias, Actor centered, negative and conflict driven, superficial and oversimplified
Federal judges and justices are appointed to _____ terms of office and serve “during good behavior”
What is the intended purpose of these institutional features?
Life
They don’t have to focus on keeping their seat
What is the difference between appellate jurisdiction and original jurisdiction
Appellate: authority to review lower court decisions
Original: the first courts to hear a case; determine facts of law
Federal District Courts
questions of fact
91 Courts
Original Jurisdiction
Criminal and civil federal cases
Court of Appeals
questions of law
13 courts geographiccal appelate 3 judge panel
US supreme court
State court vs federal court
Writ of Cretorari, discretion over caseload interesting federal questions and circuit splits
In order for the Supreme Court to agree to hear a case, the Court must issue a _______
How many justices must want to hear a case?
How is the Supreme Court’s selection of its case different from that of other federal courts
Writ of Certiari
4
Interesting/ Circuit split/Casework/Vote
What is a precedent?
Hard limit on judges’ decisions
Original intent
intentions of the framers or lawmakers
Original meaning/ textualism
meaning of words at time of adoption
past and contemporary dictionary
Plain meaning
strict constructionism
Loose constructionism
Flexible, pragmatic and responsive “living constitution”
What theory argues that justices really just decide the outcome of cases based on their own ideology and policy preferences?
Attitudinal model
One argument claims that judges and justices are rational ______ actors that seek to maximize their preferences
strategic
Judicial Restraint
embraces role as least dangerous branch, generally differential, minimal policy making role
Judicial Activism
Support greater role of courts, less differential, bold policy decisions/ constitution interpertation
The supreme court might avoid making a charged, partisan-looking decision by invoking the ______. This claims that the issue at hand is not a matter of law, but a question that should be sorted out by the political process
charged decisions
What are some of the features that characterize bureaucracy and distinguish it from other types of organizations
- Heirarchial structure
- task specialization
- division of labor
- merit-based
- operate impersonally
In the 1800s, government jobs were often awarded based upon a ______ system where jobs were given to political supporters
spoils system
Four types of Bureaucratic agencies
- Cabinet department
- Independent executive agencies
- Government corporations
- Independent regulatory commissions
Which type of bureaucratic agency is the most independent of political control by Congress and the President?
Independent regulatory Commissions
What three groups comprise any iron triangle?
- Bureaucracy: implements law and regulates
- Subcommittees: reviews bills, hold hearings and exercise oversight
- Interest groups: provide info, support budget requests, contributions
