Unit 2 (AP) Flashcards
How are the House and Senate different?
house
-2 yr term
-435 members (proportionate to state pop.)
-power to initiate revenue bills, impeach officials
senate
-6 yr term
100 members (2 per state)
-ratify treaties, confirm presidential nominations, try impeached officials
How do Representatives and Senators represent their constituents?
2 senators per state (100)
435 house (proportionate to state pop)
Bicameral
Two house legislature (in the US it is the House of Representatives and the Senate)
Explain the role and importance of the House Rules Committee
in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor
not actually responsible for a certain area of policy
reviews, adopts and schedules consideration of floor resolutions
What are the roles of leaders, parties, and committees in Congress?
leaders: to facilitate, influence, organize and delegate to the congress
parties: political parties, usually vote with bills that have the ideals of their party
committees: to specialize in certain issues to discuss potential laws (bills) ex: agriculture, budget, armed forces, transportation
The lawmaking process in Congress
bills can be drafted by anyone, but can only be proposed by congress members
What are the factors that influence how members of Congress make decisions?
getting reelected (pork)
voting with same party members
influence by whips and other congress members;
What is the House ways and means committee and what is it responsible for?
chief tax writing committee of the congress
members on this committee are not allowed to serve on any other committee
responsible for making recommendations to the house on all bills for raising revenue. concerns on taxes, customs duties, and international trade agreements
delegate model of representation
a model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents
How does congress override a veto?
2/3 vote in both houses
What does a “closed rule” mean on a House bill?
a procedural maneuver that prohibits any amendments to bills up for a vote on the House floor, unless they are recommended by the committee reporting the bill
How Congress “check” the power of the courts?
impeach judges
confirm nominations of judges
How does Congress “check” the power of the Executive branch? budget
approve nominations
can use majority rule to override vetos
How does Congress impeach the president?
first vote in house, if pass..
senate holds a trial overseen by chief justice of supreme court (senate is jury)
if 2/3 of senate find guilty, he is removed and vp takes over
How can the president influence legislation?
threat of a veto
can propose alternations to avoid veto
Who makes up the president’s cabinet?
vice president
15 heads of executive departments
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Treasury
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Know the many roles of the president
(1) chief of state, (2) chief executive, (3) chief administrator, (4) chief diplomat, (5) commander in chief, (6) chief legislator, (7) party chief, and (8) chief citizen
List and explain the expressed and implied powers of the president and describe the differences between the two
expressed powers of the president
-execute law
-appoint department heads
-veto legislation
-deliver state of the union
-make policy recommendations
-convene and adjourn congress
-appoint ambassadors
-receive ambassadors
-serve as commander in chief
implied powers of the president
-organize federal bureaucracy
-issue executive orders
-exercise executive privilege
-enter into treaties with foreign nations
-serve as head of state
How can a president be removed?
impeachment and conviction by the senate for treason bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors (impeachment)
How has office of the President expanded since ratification of the Constitution?
changed from about three cabinet members to 15 cabinet members
hundreds of people work in the white house itself
What are the roles of the Vice President? Cabinet? Executive Office? White House Staff?
vp: presiding officer over the senate, ceremonial duties
cabinet: advise the president on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each members respective office
executive office: (EOP) provide the president with the support they need to to govern effectively
white house staff: personal assistants to the President
How does the president use the bully pulpit?
to influence the public
ex: Teddy Roosevelt used popularity and access to the media to ask the American people to change things - not wait around for gov to fix things, but to fix things themselves
ex: FDR fireside chats = faith and unity in the government
How does the President win congressional support?
developing good relations with Congress, good tactics, good powers of persuasion and bargaining
What are the factors the affect the president’s ability to get public support?
Size of the mandate at the last election
Previous Washington experience
Oratorical skills
Competent senior White House staff
Good at handling crises
Good relations with congress and effectiveness in congress
Provide some examples of executive actions/agreements
ex: executive agreement:
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
entered into with congressional authority, negotiated by president then submitted to Congress for approval
US and Mexico created large free trade for imports and exports between the country for goods and services
ex: executive action
trump can make an executive order to build a wall, but it is up to congress to appropriate funds for it to actually happen
What “checks” does the president have on the judiciary?
nominate judges
What “checks” does the president have on Congress?
may veto bills, may adjourn Congress in certain situations
What was the intent of the War Powers Resolution? (What events led to its creation?) How effective is it in limiting the president?
intended to check the president’s power to commit the US to an armed conflict without the consent of the senate
It provides that the U.S. President can send U.S. Armed Forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress
has been violated
Diagram the Executive Branch (White House Staff, Executive Office, Independent Agencies, Executive Departments) and describe the function/examples of each
president
-VP-president of the Senate; breaks tie votes
-white house staff: provide for needs within the white house
executive departments: the cabinet, includes defense, education, homeland security
executive office: supports the work of the President, ex: office of management budget
independent agencies: ex: EPA, FCC;
Who are and what makes up the Bureaucracy?
cabinet department
independent regulatory commission
government corporations
independent executive agencies
How do federal bureaucrats get their jobs?
they are appointed based on the merit principle (used to be based on patronage but pendleton civil service act banned that)
president and congress have a say in hiring head officials of agencies
NOT elected by the people
What are the four types of agencies into which the federal bureaucracy is organized?
cabinet department
-15, each headed by a secretary
independent regulatory commission
-gov agency with responsibility for making and enforcing rules to protect public interest in some sector of economy and for judging disputes over rules
government corporations
-gov organizations that provides a service that could be delivered by the private sector and typically charges for its service (postal service)
independent executive agencies
-gov agencies not accounted for by cabinet departments. admin appointed by president and serve at president’s pleasure (NASA)
What are the factors that influence the effectiveness of bureaucratic implementation of public policy?
factors that can cause failure..
-program design
-lack of clarity
-administrative routine
-administration’s dispositions
-lack of resources
-lack of authority
-fragmentation
so opposite of ^^ = effective implementation of public policy
How is the bureaucracy controlled? (checks on the bureaucracy)
president
-appoint people to head agency
-issue orders (executive order)
-alter budget
-reorganize agency
congress
-influencing appointment of agency heads
-alter agency’s budget
-hold hearings
-rewrite legislation or make it more detailed
What is the role of Iron Triangles?
also known as sub governments, mutually dependent and advantageous relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups and congressional committees or subcommittees. dominate some areas of domestic policy making
Why does Congress delegate “rulemaking authority” to the Bureaucracy?
Congress passes the bills to make them laws, bureaucracies actually implement the laws into the public
bill
a proposed law presented to a legislative body for consideration, drafted in legal languages, house or reps or senate has to formally submit for consideration (anyone can draft one)
constituent
a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent;divided government one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress
executive agency
An administrative agency within the executive branch of government. At the federal level, executive agencies are those within the cabinet departments.
house rules committee
reviews all bills coming from a House committee before they go to the full House and schedules before full house
house ways and means committee
The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole.
incumbent
individuals who already hold office, in congressional elections, incumbents usually win
majority leader
partisan ally of speaker of house, majority party’s manager in senate, responsible in each house for scheduling bills, influencing committee assignments, and rounding up votes on behalf of party’s legislative positions
minority leader
The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.
trustee model of representation
a model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best for their constituents
bully pulpit
the president’s use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public
twenty-second amendment
Passed in 1951, the amendment that limits presidents to two terms of office.
war powers resolution
law passed in 1973 the requires presidents to consult with congress whenever possible prior to using military force and to withdraw forces after 60 days unless congress declares war or authorizes an extension
civil service
A system of hiring and promotion based on the merit principle and the desire to create a nonpartisan government service.
deregulation
The lifting of government restrictions on business, industry, and professional activities
government corporations
government organization that provides a service that could be delivered by a private sector and typically charges for its service (ex: Postal Service)
iron triangles (subgovernments)
A network of groups within the American political system that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. They are composed of interest group leaders interested in a particular policy, the government agency in charge of administering that policy, and the members of congressional committees and subcommittees handling that policy.
policy implementation
the stage of policymaking between the establishment of a policy and the consequences of the policy for the people whom it affects. It involves translating the goals and objectives of a policy into an operating, ongoing program.
Senior Executive Service
An elite cadre of about 9,000 federal government managers at the top of the civil service system.