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Pols 206 > Test 2 Course Worksheets > Flashcards

Test 2 Course Worksheets Flashcards

1
Q

The US congress possesses the ______ power, which is the power to make laws.

A

legislative

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2
Q

Examples of things that Congress has the authority to do

A
  • tax and spend
  • coin and regulate money
  • borrow money/control budgets
  • declare war
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3
Q

Two main ways congressional power is divided

A
  1. institutionally between the 2 houses

2. Among its many members

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4
Q

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.

A

Lawmaking; representative

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5
Q

Types of representation of MCs:

A

Descriptive- mirroring politically relevant characteristics: age, sex, race, education
Substantive- representing interest groups

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6
Q

Roles that Mc’s could fill when deciding how to act in Congress:

A

Instructed Delegate: mirror preferences of constituents
Trustee: use own judgement to make policy in constituents be interest
Politico: between delegate and trustee

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7
Q

Three electorally minded activities in which MC’s engage

A
  1. Advertising themselves (visible to constituents)
  2. Credit Claiming (casework)
  3. Position taking (grow your brand)
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8
Q

Congressional candidates who are _______ have a great advantage in winning elections

A

incumbents

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9
Q

Three reasons why incumbents have such an electoral advantage

A
  1. Visibility/name recognition
  2. Fundraising and spending
  3. Scare away competent rivals
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10
Q

The most competitive Congressional elections occur when someone has vacated their position or is not running for reelection. This is called:

A

open seat

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11
Q

term for remedying the dilution of minority votes

A

gerrymandering

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12
Q

3 ways state governments might gerrymander

A
  1. Create “safe seats” for a party
  2. Force incumbents of rival party to compete
  3. Racial gerrymandering
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13
Q

What is the so-called “distributive tendency” in Congress?

A

Tendency of Congress to spread the benefits of a policy over a wide range of members’ districts

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14
Q

The most powerful committee in Congress

A

Standing Committee

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15
Q

What does a standing committee do

A

Considers legislation within its designated subject area; the basic unit of deliberation in the House and Senate

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16
Q

Most powerful leader in the House of Representatives and Congress as a whole

A

Speaker of the House

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17
Q

What are powers the Speaker of the House possess

A
  • Presides over House
  • Represents majority party
  • Agenda-setting
  • Substantial control over {appointing committee heads, desirable committee assignments, which committee has jurisdiction}
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18
Q

Most of the real work of Congress goes on not on the House or Senate floor, but in the _______

A

committees

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19
Q

Three things Committees do:

A
  1. Legislative gatekeepers
  2. Research reports, hearings, “mark-up”
  3. Legislative oversight {monitoring bureaucracy}
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20
Q

Congress has many informal groups called _______ that help like-minded members coordinate

A

Caucueses

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21
Q

What do Caucuses do?

A
  1. Ideological - Blue dog democrats
  2. Racial or Ethnic - Congressional Black Caucus
  3. Organized groups - most common type
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22
Q

As enduring political organizations, _______ are key to the aforementioned ways in which Congress is organized to make laws

A

political parties

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23
Q

What does it mean that these organizations have become polarized in recent years?

A
  • Parties ideological views clustered around 2 poles
  • Few moderates
  • little overlap
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24
Q

Federalist 70, Publius characterizes energetic executive in four ways:

A
  1. Unity
  2. Duration
  3. Support: separate base of power
  4. Competent powers
25
Q

What things characterize impeachable offense?

A

Grave offense, not necessarily a crime
Inherently political process
Treason bribery or other crimes and misdemeanors

26
Q

What kinds of issues are NOT impeachable?

A

policy disagreements

27
Q

What are expressed powers?

A

formal powers

28
Q

What are some important expressed powers of the president

A
  • 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
29
Q

What are delegated powers

A

Products of congressional statutes and resolutions {Congress gives president rulemaking power}

30
Q

What is the Wars Power Resolution and what does it do?

A

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

31
Q

Presidents role in executive orders:

A

Directives about how executive branch should be run, only about execution of law, no congress approval required

32
Q

Presidents role in The Cabinet

A

Head of top departments and agencies; serve at pleasure of the president

33
Q

The White House staff

A

Analysts and advisors, political and policy needs, personal decision making

34
Q

According to Richard Neustadt, what is the fundamental problem modern presidents face?

A

Expectations exceed formal authority

35
Q

How does Neustadt characterize the effective use of presidential power?

A
  • Formal powers are insufficient
  • President cannot command
  • resorting to command/forceful powers
  • veto- failure of bargining
36
Q

What does it mean for a president to go public to overcome congressional opposition

A

Obtain the public’s support, {constituents pressure MC’s}

37
Q

What are some of the limits and shortcomings to a president going public?

A
  1. Adversarial to congress
  2. Posturing and taking positions
  3. President has national spotlight
  4. limits of persuasion
38
Q

What are some of the characteristics of presidential news coverage?

A

Media-bias, Actor centered, negative and conflict driven, superficial and oversimplified

39
Q

Federal judges and justices are appointed to _____ terms of office and serve “during good behavior”

What is the intended purpose of these institutional features?

A

Life

They don’t have to focus on keeping their seat

40
Q

What is the difference between appellate jurisdiction and original jurisdiction

A

Appellate: authority to review lower court decisions
Original: the first courts to hear a case; determine facts of law

41
Q

Federal District Courts

A

questions of fact
91 Courts
Original Jurisdiction
Criminal and civil federal cases

42
Q

Court of Appeals

A

questions of law

13 courts geographiccal appelate 3 judge panel

43
Q

US supreme court

A

State court vs federal court

Writ of Cretorari, discretion over caseload interesting federal questions and circuit splits

44
Q

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

A

Writ of Certiari
4
Interesting/ Circuit split/Casework/Vote

45
Q

What is a precedent?

A

Hard limit on judges’ decisions

46
Q

Original intent

A

intentions of the framers or lawmakers

47
Q

Original meaning/ textualism

A

meaning of words at time of adoption

past and contemporary dictionary

48
Q

Plain meaning

A

strict constructionism

49
Q

Loose constructionism

A

Flexible, pragmatic and responsive “living constitution”

50
Q

What theory argues that justices really just decide the outcome of cases based on their own ideology and policy preferences?

A

Attitudinal model

51
Q

One argument claims that judges and justices are rational ______ actors that seek to maximize their preferences

A

strategic

52
Q

Judicial Restraint

A

embraces role as least dangerous branch, generally differential, minimal policy making role

53
Q

Judicial Activism

A

Support greater role of courts, less differential, bold policy decisions/ constitution interpertation

54
Q

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

A

charged decisions

55
Q

What are some of the features that characterize bureaucracy and distinguish it from other types of organizations

A
  • Heirarchial structure
  • task specialization
  • division of labor
  • merit-based
  • operate impersonally
56
Q

In the 1800s, government jobs were often awarded based upon a ______ system where jobs were given to political supporters

A

spoils system

57
Q

Four types of Bureaucratic agencies

A
  1. Cabinet department
  2. Independent executive agencies
  3. Government corporations
  4. Independent regulatory commissions
58
Q

Which type of bureaucratic agency is the most independent of political control by Congress and the President?

A

Independent regulatory Commissions

59
Q

What three groups comprise any iron triangle?

A
  1. Bureaucracy: implements law and regulates
  2. Subcommittees: reviews bills, hold hearings and exercise oversight
  3. Interest groups: provide info, support budget requests, contributions

Pols 206 (12 decks)

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