AP Gov Chapter 11

What groups are underrepresented in Congress

-African Americans (10% in House and 2 senators) -Hispanics (29% in House and 3 senators) -Asians -Native Americans

How much do congressional candidates spend

-total $2 billion for 435 house seats and 33 senate -the average House winner spent $1.6 million -the average Senate winner spent $11.5 million

How have members of Congress use the digital age to their advantage

-track the interests of individual votes, file it in a database, and then use email or phone to engage directly with the voter on issues they know they care about -they use taxpayer's money to employ a technology that allows them to call thousands of households at the same time and deliver a recorded message -they know where the constituents live because of area codes from phone numbers -they gather information to get a detailed list of the specific interests of thousands of voters -emails allow for personal interaction

What are the possible explanations for the success of incumbents

-voters know how their elected representatives vote on important policy -how voters feel about presidential candidates influences their choices on voting for Congress

*pork barrel*

federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district

What do members of Congress take credit for

federally-financed new highways, sewage treatment plants, or research institutions in their constituencies

What is one reason women are underrepresented

fewer women than men become major party nominees for office

What is congress a collection of

generalists

When are backgrounds of representatives important

if they influence how they prioritize and vote on issues ex: women are more active in pursuing interests of women and businessmen are more pro-business than other members

What did Sarah Fulton find

in the 2012 elections, women won 46 percent of the House races and 61 percent of the senate races, but despite this record, women only constitute 1/5 of Congress

What is the most predictable aspect of congressional election

incumbents usually win

What do safe seats do

it makes it more difficult for citizens to "send a message to Washington" with their votes because it takes a large shift in votes to affect the outcomes of most elections

What would happen if congressional seats were more competitive

it would be easier to change Congress

What did the framers of the constitution conceived as the center of the policymaking in America

legislature, the plan was for congress to resolve disputes not the White House or Supreme Court

What would defeating incumbents mean

losing their lawmaking experience

What can a congressperson never show that he or she alone is responsible for

major policy because they are only 1/435 of the house or 1/100 of the senate so they can't promise to end inflation, cut taxes, etc

Do voters always remember who their elected officials are

no, most citizens have trouble recalling the names of their congressional representatives and don't keep up with their voting records

Are the odds of senate incumbents winning reelection as good as in the House

no, they usually win by narrower margins

Is being a member of Congress as glamorous as Americans make it out to be

no, they work 14 hour days dashing from meeting to meeting, continuous travel, lack of time for exchange of ideas or reflection, constant fund raising, and the feeling that Congress is making little progress in solving the country's problems

What do voters appraise women candidates higher than male candidateson

non-policy characteristics such as integrity, competence, collaboration, and problem solving skills

What is congress both

our central policymaking branch and our principal representative branch

What are members of Congress first and foremost

politicians

What do members of Congress emphasize

their experience, hard work, trustworthiness, and service to their constituencies

What happens when an incumbent does not run for reelection

their seat is open and there is a greater likelihood for real competition for the seat because there is a greater chance of winning

What is caused because incumbents usually win reelection

there is some stability in the membership of Congress

What is each state guaranteed through the bicameral

they are guaranteed two senators and the number of representatives are determined by the state's population

What is the main reason people challenge incumbents

they are often naive about their chances of winning because very few people have the money, so they are relying on friends who tell them what they want to hear

What is the result of the advantages of incumbents because of the advertising and credit claiming

they are usually much better known than their opponents and have a more favorable public image

What are the qualities of those who run against incumbents

they are usually not well known or well qualified and lack experience and organizational and financial backing

What have state legislatures done when drawing House boundaries

they have drawn it so the House districts have a majority for one party in the area

What do challengers have to do to face the incumbents

they have to raise large sums if they want to defeat the incumbent because the more they spend the more votes they receive

What do women need to win the vote

they must be more qualified on average than their male opponents

What qualities must members of congress take unrelated to partisan or programmatic content

they must take position on policies when they vote and when they respond to constituents' questions, and the position may affect the outcome of their elections, particularly if the issues are salient and the majority disagree

What would happen if representatives don't share the same perspectives as their constituents

they probably won't be elected

What happened during Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama's elections

they won all 6 of their presidential elections, but in each election they received smaller percentage of the vote than did almost every winning member of their party in Congress

*incumbents*

those individuals who already hold office. In congressional elections, incumbents usually win

How can members service the constituency

through casework or through obtaining federal funds

What is the goal of advertising

visibility

What is the power of presidential "coattails"

voters supporting congressional candidates because those candidates belong to the president's party

Do most incumbents decide to run for reelection

yes

Senate v House: membership

*Senate*: 100 members *House*: 435 members

Senate v House: term of office

*Senate*: 6 years *House*: 2 years

Senate v House: constitutional powers

*Senate*: confirms many presidential nominations, approves treaties, and tries to impeach officials *House*: initiates all revenue bills, passes all articles of impeachment

Senate v House: centralization of power

*Senate*: less centralized, weaker leadership *House*: more centralized, stronger leadership

Senate v House: role of seniority

*Senate*: less important in determining power *House*: more important in determining power

Senate v House: turnover

*Senate*: moderate *House*: small

Senate v House: role in policymaking

*Senate*: more influential on foreign affairs; less specialized *House*: more influential on budget; more specialized

Senate v House: political prestige

*Senate*: more prestige *House*: less prestige

Senate v House: procedures

*Senate*: unlimited debate *House*: limited debate; limits on floor amendments allowed

Senate v House: constituencies

*Senate*: usually larger *House*: usually smaller

What are reasons that women have less ambition to run

-a study found that women with children are significantly less ambitious about running for office than their male counterparts because of greater child care responsibilities -their decision to run are more sensitive than men's to their perceptions of the odds of winning -women are less likely than men to run when they perceive their odds to be poor but more likely than are men to run when they detect a political opportunity

What are the three primary activities that increase the probability of incumbents being reelected

-advertising -credit claiming -position taking

What can help challengers have more of a fighting chance against incumbents

-an incumbent is tarnished by scandal or corruption -boundaries change after the census -major political tidal waves (when the public turns against a party)

What specification does the Constitution make about members of the House

-at least 25 years old -be an American citizen for 7 years -must reside in the state they are elected in

What specification does the Constitution make about senators

-at least 30 years old -be an American citizen for 9 years -must reside in the state they are elected in

What is the difference between challenger and incumbent spending

-challengers gain recognition and chance to be heard -incumbents already have the recognition, so they benefit less than the challengers

What practices do members of Congress do for advertising

-keep themselves visible to their constituents -make frequent trips to their state or district -use the franking privilege to mail newsletters to every household in their constituency

What are the attractions to the job of being a member of Congress

-power -earn a salary of 174,000 -receive generous retirement and health benefits

What have members of Congress been doing more for reelection than ever before

-raising and spending more campaign funds -sending more mail to their constituents -visiting their states and districts more often -staffing more local offices than ever before

How do male independent voters vote

-they are equally supportive of male and female candidates when women have a quality advantage -when candidates have the same quality, male independents are 23 percent less likely to vote for female than male candidates

What are people who are typically elected for congress like

-they come from occupations with high status -have substantial incomes -business, law, and academia are prominent prior occupations

Why is it harder for Senate to be reelected

-they represent entire states, which are almost always more diverse than a congressional district within a state so it provides a larger base for opposition to an incumbent -they are in less contact with their constituencies -they receive more coverage in the media than representatives and are more likely to be held accountable on controversial issues -they draw more skilled and visible challengers who voters already know

What do members of Congress risk when they go to their constituents and stress their policymaking record and stand on policy issues

-they risk alienating some of the constituents -it may win some friends, but it will make enemies of voters who link that vote with service cutbacks

How many Americans could make an accurate guess about how their representatives voted on any issues in Congress

1/5

How many senators are there

100, 2 from each state

How much does the typically incumbent outspend the challenger by

2 to 1

When was partisan polarization at a historic high

2013

What percent do women encounter as a vote deficit relative to their male counterparts

3 percent

How many members are there in the House

435

How many members of Congress are there

535

What percent of voters vote for the party they identify with for House elections

90

What percent of house incumbents seeking reelection win

90 percent with more than 60 percent of the vote

What was an exception to the "one who spends the most usually wins"

Linda McMahon spent $49 million and lost to Christopher Murphy who spent about 1/5 as much money

What position in Congress is reserved for lawyers

district attorney

Who are the most underrepresented in Congress

Women, they account for half the population but they are only 19% of the House and 20 senators

What helps to further ensure incumbent's success in reelection

a lack of strong opponents and the high cost of campaigning

*bicameral legislature*

a legislature divided into two houses. The US Congress and all state legislatures except Nebraska's are bicameral

What are women and African Americans doing in Congress

achieving important positions on committees, increasing the chances of making descriptive representation effective

*casework*

activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get

What does the bicameral create

another check and balance system

When does most congressional advertising take place

between elections

What do most members of Congress represent

constituencies in which their party is in the clear majority, which gives them another advantage

What is the form of congressional advertising

contact with their constituents

How is power separated in Congress

representatives and senators

What does the stability allow for

representatives and senators to gain some expertise in dealing with complex question in public policy

What is descriptive representation

representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics

What always wins congresspersons friends and never makes enemies

servicing the constituency

What is substantive representation

speaking for the interests of groups which they themselves are not members of

What can Congress participate in more: substantive or descriptive representation

substantive

What has been proposed to increase turnover in the membership of Congress

term limits for representatives and senators

What is our bicameral the result of

the Connecticut Compromise

What part of Congress particularly faces weak opponents

the House

What complicates policymaking

the Madisonian system of the separation of powers

Why are there usually weak opponents

the advantages of incumbency scare off potentially effective opponents

What is partisan polarization

the differences between the parties in Congress

What does credit claiming involve

the enhancing the congressional member's standing with constituents through service to individuals and the district

What is gridlock

the inability to compromise and make important policy decisions

What is at the base of every electoral coalition

the members of the candidate's party in the constituency

What happens the more often members of Congress claim credit

the more constituents support them

What candidate usually wins

the one that spends the most money