UNIT 2 Flashcards
Advantages of incumbency
More well known, prominent name in the media already
What are earmarks?
Funds by Congress for local projects
What is pork barrel spending?
Governmental spending on local projects on a broader scale (mostly for political gain)
Fed. 78 what is it
Describes the Supreme Court, lifetime tenure, limitations on Judicial branch (checks and balances), the purse, JUDICIAL REVIEW–
Majoritarianism in Congress
Growing partisanship in Congress represents majoritarianism
Pluralism in Congress
Members of congress trying to win projects and programs that will benefits their constituents and willing to vote for other legislators for a favor in return promotes pluralism.
Leadership structure in Congress
Speaker of the House- LEADER. Majority leader- WHIPS. Helps speaker.
White House Staff
Appointed by the President. Can be fired. No oversight. No approval by senate. Meets with President daily.
Cabinet
Appointed by President, approved by Senate (2/3). Can be impeached. Doesn’t meet with Pres. often, Congress can abolish and create depts.
Judicial Activism
Promotes judges preferred social and political goals. More flexible when interpreting law, legislation, and the constitution.
Judicial Restraint
Resistance to overturning previous precedents. Not flexible.
Polarization
Political disagreements bc of party ideologies
Gerrymandering
Redrawing a Congressional district to intentionally benefit one political party.
Electoral mandate
An endorsement by voters Presidents may argue they have been given a mandate to carry out policy proposals. This is important to presidents because it reflects what policies they want to pass/enact.
Trustee
Obligated to consider the views of their constituents but may not vote according to those views if believed misguided.
Delegate
Must be prepared to vote against their own preferences.
Does the public like Congress
No, nothing gets done
25th amendment
Presidential succession. If the President is believed to be mentally incapacitated, VP has power until a solution is confirmed (must be approved by majority of cabinet and VP).
Discharge petition
Majority of the house (248 members) can force a bill out of a committee
Iron Triangles
Alliances among bureaucratic/interests groups and Congressional committee members promote their common causes.
Fed. 70
ONE president and why. MORE CHECKS ON ONE PERSON, LESS bias, less competition if there were multiple leaders, discusses the Cabinet.
War Powers Resolution
- President can send troops in combat as needed.
- Pres. must make Cong. aware on what they’re doing within 48 hours.
- After 60 days, if Cong. believes troops are no longer needed, they can send them home or NOTHING– “legislative veto”
Role of oral arguments
Question and answer sessions. Both sides get 30 minutes
Presidential Signing Statements
Presidents written comments on the bill (opinion), form of informal power, explains/dislikes of the bill
Implementation of policy
Executing plan of action by appropriate agency(s)
1. make sure the general public knows abt it
2. enforcement of policy
3. violators punished appropriately
Federal Bureaucracy
A large, complex organization consisting of employees (bureaucrats) with job specifications and a hierarchy.
4 Bureaucratic Structures
- Writing and enforcing regulations
- Issuing fines when there’s violations of laws.
- Testifying before congress.
- Work within the system (IRON TRIANGLES) to push their agenda forward
Bureaucratic discretions/rule making
- Congress gives agencies ability to make policies in the spirit of their legislative mandate.
- Broadest discretion is in domestic and global security.
Oversight of Bureaucracy
- Congress rewrites legislation that authorizes what agencies can/can’t do.
- Conducting hearings to oversee the enforcement of laws
- Approving funds for bureaucratic programs
- Redistricting agency responsibilities
Amicus curiae briefs
Interest groups outside of the two sides of the supreme court case
Stare decisis
let the decision stand
