unit 2 elected policymakers (Congress and president) Flashcards
pork barrel spending
government funding for projects to benefit constituents in hopes to receive political support
logrolling
policymakers agree to support each other’s proposed bills or amendments. Essentially, legislators trade votes to ensure mutual benefits; quid pro quo
(re)apportionment
the process of redistributing seats for the House every 10 years (the census); to ensure one person one vote
redistricting
The process of redrawing the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts within a state to reflect changes in population distribution.
gerrymandering
deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a certain group
partisan gerrymandering
gerrymandering to favor a political party
majority-minority districts
electoral districts where the majority of the population belongs to one or more racial or ethnic minority groups.
malapportionment
unequal distribution of representation in legislative bodies, where districts or constituencies have significantly different population sizes.
incumbency advantage
the advantage that an incumbent officer has at reelection such as connection with constituents and name recognition
political action committee (PAC)
organization that collects contributions from individuals and distributes them to candidates, political parties, or other organizations to influence elections, legislation, or public policy.
discharge petition
tool in the U.S. House of Representatives that allows members to force a bill out of a committee and bring it to the House floor for a vote, bypassing the standard legislative process. This mechanism is used when a committee fails or refuses to act on a bill, often due to political or strategic reasons.
unanimous consent agreement
request made by a senator to proceed with legislative action without objection from any other senator.
filibuster
Tradition of unlimited debate; a “stalling” tactic
cloture
Cloture: a 3/5 vote of Senators ends a filibuster
veto
when the president doesn’t sign the bill into law
Office of management and budget
tasked with overseeing the implementation of the president’s budget and managing the performance of federal agencies.
entitlement program
a government program guaranteeing access to some benefit by members of a specific group and based on established rights or by legislation
mandatory spending
money from the yearly budget that goes towards mandatory programs like Social Security and medicare
discretionary spending
money that can be spent however they please; transportation projects, research, law enforcement etc
budget surplus
when revenues exceed expenditures
budget deficit
when expenditures exceed revenue
national debt
the amount of money that piles up from deficits
delegate role
vote according to constituent roles
trustee role
vote according to their own views
politico role
Role played by elected representatives who act as trustees or as delegates, depending on the issue.
bipartisanship
opposing political parties find compromise, common ground
gridlock
a situation where there is significant difficulty in passing legislation or enacting policies due to political polarization, divided government, or conflicting interests among lawmakers.
divided government
when two different political parties control the executive and legislative branch
lame duck period
the time between an election and when the newly elected officials take office; in the US when the president-elect is called and inauguration day
standing committee
permanent; one house; focus on one area of policy and legislation
joint committee
permanent; two house; usually limited to one policy area
select committee
temporary; one house; limited to one specific issue, investigation or particular task; disbanded when they complete their task
conference committee
very temporary; two house; limited to rewording/amending a bill
17th amendment
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.
speaker of the house
chamber presiding officer; appoints embers to committees; refers bills to committees
majority/minority leader
appointed by their parties to direct strategy; consult with party members
majority/minority whip
they are the assistants to the leaders; build coalitions to pass bills and amendments; gather intelligence such as who is voting for what bill
president of the senate
the VP of the US is the president of the sentae; doesn’t take part in debates and is a tiebreaker if there is a tie
president pro tempore
acts as the president of the senate when the VP is not present; usually the most senior member of the majority party
committee chairperson
an individual elected to lead a particular committee
committee of the whole
100 member body that allows debate on a bill (but not a vote); reduced quorum from 218 to 100
house rules committee
sets limits on amendment & length of debate; affects every bill and doesn’t focus on a policy area
appropriations committee
house and senate combined; responsible for determining how much money the federal government can spend on various programs and services; excellent at funding PORK projects
judiciary committee
Interview potential federal judges (and other legal/court issues)
senate finance committee
hearing legislation pertaining to state and local government revenue mechanisms, taxes, and land use and development.
ways and means committee
Specializes in taxation / revenue; like setting the budget
enumerated powers of the president
Execute laws
Appoint top officials & judges
Commander-in-chief of the military
Negotiate treaties
Convene Congress (special session)
Veto/sign legislation
State of the Union Address
Grant pardons
informal powers
Executive orders; Executive agreements; Executive privilege
pocket veto
the president doesn’t do anything with the bill within the ten day period; he pockets it
presidential pardons
restore various rights lost as a result of the pardoned offense; most federal criminal offenses
executive privilege
ability to withhold information from Congressional investigations. Limited to private conversations w advisors = very limited.
executive agreements
an agreement between the heads of government of two or more nations that has not been ratified by the legislature as treaties are ratified.
signing statements
written pronouncement issued by the President of the United States when signing a bill into law. It is used to express the President’s interpretation of the law, highlight specific provisions, or outline how the administration intends to enforce (or not enforce) certain aspects of the law.
executive orders
directive issued by the President of the United States that manages the operations of the federal government. It has the force of law but does not require approval by Congress. Executive orders are a tool for the President to achieve policy goals
war power resolution
The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action; Withdraw forces after 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants an extension
impeachement
the house charges the official and the senate holds the trial
bully pulpit
Public support is president’s greatest source of influence
bargaining
Refers to negotiation and compromise with other political actors, particularly members of Congress Involves using the President’s unique position as the nation’s leader to shape public opinion, pressure lawmakers, and mobilize support for policies.
chief of state
represents the nation and the people
chief executive
responsible for executing the nations laws
chief administrator
oversees over 3 million employees in the executive branch
chief legislator
At the beginning of each Congress, the president
recommends legislation that he believes is necessary in the State of the Union Address.
The president also has the power to check Congress with a veto.
chief diplomat
directs foreign policy and negotiates treaties
commander in chief
head of the armed forces; the military takes orders from him
chief economic planner
requires presidents to submit and annual economic report to congress and an annual budget
chief of party
head of his political party; campaigns
