Unit 3 Vocab Flashcards
When parties redraw district lines to gain an advantage over other parties.
Gerrymandering
The process of drawing district lines to pack in opponents like cattle into as few districts as possible; decreases opponent’s voter strength & influence
Packing
Taking one district & cracking it into several pieces; spreads voters out among many districts. denying opponent a lot of votes
Cracking
When two reps from one party are made to compete against each other for the leadership in one district
Kidnapping
Determine the population in the U.S.
Census
Divide or organize (an area) into new political districts.
Redistricting
Redistribution of representation in a legislative body, especially the periodic reallotment of U.S. Congressional seats according to the changes in the census figures as required by the Constitution.
Reapportionment
Grants congress the power to pass all laws necessary & proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers
Elastic Clause
Congress controls the purse strings; they dole out the money
Power of the Purse
Power to investigate/review bureaucratic agencies and bureaus to ensure they are implementing the laws as intended.
Oversight
Total amount of money that U.S. owes
Debt
Spend less than you earn; extra funds
Surplus
Spend more than you earn; excess spending
Deficit
When all senators agree
Unanimous Consent
When senators talk non-stop to stall the debate
Filibuster
When Senate votes to end debate over bill with a 2/3 vote
Cloture vote
Mandatory spending; spending that doesn’t have to be approved by congress every year-(social security, medicare/medicaid, unemployment, disability)
Entitlements
- Most powerful person in the House
- Leader of the majority party
- Allows people to speak on the floor
- Assigns bills to committees
- Influences which bills are brought to a vote
- Appoints members of special and select
committees
Speaker of the House
Q: Do states have to redraw their boundaries after each census?
Yes, states must, as accurately as possible, demonstrate shifts in population and fairly develop redistricting schemes. Districts must be equal in size/population - “one man, one vote”
Baker v Carr
Q: Is racial gerrymandering constitutional?
Racial gerrymandering was unconstitutional as the only factor; must use race + other factors to gerrymander
Shaw v Reno
Spending that automatically carries over from year to year, congress does not need to approve; includes entitlements (social security, medicare/Medicaid, unemployment, disability)
Mandatory Spending
Spending congress must approve every year; includes military and non-military spending
Discretionary Spending
Allowed voters to directly elect senators
17th amendment
Allows members of Congress to exchange votes, bills might pass for frivolous reasons.
logrolling
This reserves a portion of spending for a pet project like a bridge to nowhere. Congress-persons often anonymously add these & add them in conference (skipping most of the
legislative process).
earmark
Does not permit amendments from the floor
Closed Rule
Permits amendments from the floor
Open Rule
- Initiate revenue bills
- Impeach federal officials
- Elect the president in case of an electoral college tie
House Sole Powers
- Conduct impeachment trials
- Consents to ratification of treaties by 2/3 supermajority vote
- Vote & confirm appointments of President
Senate Sole Powers
Schedules the House floor legislative calendar and directs management for all House committees
House Majority leader
Works to promote the party and works against the majority party’s agenda; loyal opposition
H/S Minority leader
Schedules the Senator floor legislative calendar and direct management for all House committees
Senate Majority leader
Committees in charge of entitlements and taxes
H Ways & Means Comm./S Finance Comm.
Committees in charge of discretionary spending
H/S Appropriations Committees
Takes work from H/S appropriations committees & H ways/means committee + S finance committee and creates budget
H/S Budget Committee
Helps President make budget
OMB
Withdrawing unanimous consent/temporary stops
Holds
Idea that the budget will increase by a certain amount each year
Incrementalism
Coordinate ideas on, and garner support for proposed legislation.
Majority Whip
Coordinates the party in response to legislative matters
Minority Whip
- Name recognition
- Media Coverage: Greater for incumbents
- Fund raising advantage_Winner=$ most spent
- Proven track record- CASEWORK / PORK
- FRANKING privileges – free mailing
- GERRYMANDERING (390/435)
Incumbent advantages
2-year terms
House of Representatives
6-year terms
Senate
Number of members in House of Representatives
435
Number of members in Senate
100
They feel duty-bound to vote in line with the party platform and the wishes of their party’s leaders
Partisans Theory
Agents of those who elected them. Believe that they should vote the way they think “the folks back home” would want.
Delegate Theory
Believe that each question they face must be decided on its merits. Conscience and independent judgement are their guide.
Trustee Theory
Combine the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles. They balance both their constituents and party lines.
Politico Theory
subject matter committees that handle bills in different policy areas (OVERSIGHT)
Standing Committees
resolve differences in House and Senate bills
Conference Committees
- Minimum of 25 years of age
- U.S. citizen for 7 years
- Resident of the state they represent
House Requirements
Minimum of 30 years of age
U.S. citizen for 9 years
Resident of the state they represent
Senate Requirements
a few subject-matter areas—membership drawn from House and Senate
Joint Committees
Allows bills to skip the committee process; simple majority; rarely used
Discharge Petition
About the legislative branch and its powers
Article I
Having two branches or houses (like the legislative branch/congress)
Bicameral
States that congress has the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce
Commerce Clause
-Declare War
-To raise and support armies
-To provide and maintain a navy
-To provide for organizing the militia
War Powers
-To lay and collect taxes, duties to pay debt
-To borrow $
-To regulate interstate and foreign commerce (AKA- Commerce Clause)
-To coin $
-Punish counterfeiting
Financial Powers
-To establish rules of naturalization
-To establish post offices
-To establish and enforce patents
-To define and punish piracy and other crimes against the nation- TREASON
-Establish courts
Governmental Powers
- This is where most work is done SMALLER/SPECIALIZED; Here, all bills are researched, revised, and voted on
-This is where most bills die (90% of bills never get out of committee) - Have GATEKEEPING AUTHORITY; PROPOSAL POWER
Committee Importance (Bill-law)
Once bill is approved by both House & Senate, it is then sent to President where he/she can sign it into law, veto it (congess can override veto with 2/3 vote), or sit on it.
President Importance (Bill-law)
In the House, the top committee slots are effectively decided by the Republican and Democratic party leadership along with seniority and preference; majority party controls the most significant leadership positions.
Political Party Importance (Bill-law)
- Function as a traffic cop for bills coming out of committee
- Provide rules for the debate
- Schedule bill on calendar, allot time for debate, and specify what kind of amendments may be offered
Rules Committee (House)
- Bill is introduced to either House or Senate (unless $ bill-start in House)
- Bill is sent to committee where most of the work is done-bills are researched, revised, and voted on
- After committees approve of it, it is sent to full H/S floor where it is debated & voted on
- If bill is passed, it is sent to other house where it undergoes the same process
- Once bill passes both houses, if each house has a different form of bill, then it sent to conference committee to be compromised
- Once same bill passes both houses, then it is sent to President to be signed into law, vetoed, or sat on
Rules of Law-making (Bill-law)
Districts
House constituencies
States
Senate constituencies
