Week 7:

Question 1

Committees

Answer 1

• essential part of legislative process

- enable legislators to utilize or develop expertise in areas of interest

Question 2

Appropriations Committee

Answer 2

• one in house and senate
• responsible for appropriating money o fund programs
• regulates government spending
• super A committee

Question 3

Distributive theory on committees

Answer 3

A committees main goal is to achieve tangible, most easily politicized legislative accomplishments

Question 4

Informational theory

Answer 4

“Proposes that legislative bodies establish committees to provide lawmakers with the specialized expertise required to make informed judgements in a complex world”

• a committee is composed of policy experts who inform the legislation on specific issues

Question 5

Partisan Theory

Answer 5

Views committees as agents of their party caucuses. According to this perspective, committee members are expected to support their party’s programs or, at minimum, not advance policies opposed by a majority of their own party

• committees are extensions of parties and pursue partisan agendas- extend reelection efforts