gov FRQ chp. 12-13 (odds)

1a. The public policy process involves interactions between Congress and the Bureaucracy A. Identify the primary role of Congress in the policy process.

1a. congress makes, writes, and passes legislation/policy

1b. The public policy process involves interactions between Congress and the Bureaucracy B. Explain how divided party control of Congress can make the policy process difficult.

1b. Legislation is more difficult to pass when one party controls the house and the other party controls the senate

1c. The public policy process involves interactions between Congress and the Bureaucracy C. Identify the primary role of the bureaucracy in the policy process

1c. implementation of policy

1d. Explain how one of the following increases the power of the bureaucracy in the policy process Rule making, Bureaucratic discretion

1d. How it increases bureaucratic power Rule making - Bureaucrats write the specific regulations that determine the implementation of public policy, which enhances bureaucratic power Bureaucratic discretion - Individual bureaucratic/agencies have to make choices about how to implement existing laws, which enhances bureaucratic power

1e. Explain how each of the following enables Congress to limit the power of the bureaucracy Oversight hearings power of the purse

1e. How congress limits power Oversight hearing - monitor through hearings, investigations, accounting Power of the purse - increases/decrease budgets, shift spending, punish/reward agencies, kill a program

3a. The United States Congress and the President together have the power to enact the federal law. Federal Bureaucratic agencies have the responsibility to execute federal law. However, in the carrying out of these laws, federal agencies have policy making discretion. A. Explain two reasons why Congress gives federal agencies policy making discretion in executing federal laws.

3a. congress lacks expertise/agencies have expertise, congress does not want to be blamed for bad policy, time-consuming, easier to come to an agreement, more efficient

3b. Choose one of the bureaucratic agencies listed below. Identify the policy area over which it exercises policy-making discretion and give one example of how it exercises that discretion. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Reserve Board

3b. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - clean air and water Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - TV, radio, satellite, telephone Federal Reserve Board - Monetary policy

3c. Describe two ways in which Congress ensures that federal agencies follow legislative intent

3c. Legislative intent - what congress wanted in the law Oversight, budget/appropriations, hearings, investigations, change law, legislative veto (description of each)

5a. Referencing the scenario, describe the informal power being used by the president and explain how the use of that power can influence the legislative process. A1. - describe

5A1. The president is going public to show his interest in the matter and convince citizens and elected representatives to support the issue too. In the scenario, the president is able to use the informal power of going public to further his interest in decreasing the re-arrest rates among individuals released from prison.

5a. Referencing the scenario, describe the informal power being used by the president and explain how the use of that power can influence the legislative process. A2. - explain

5A2. The president was able to influence the legislative process because he has an outsized influence on media coverage and has the ability to direct public attention toward the issue of prison reform. Support from the president pressures Congress to act on his legislative agenda and pass legislation on prison reform.

5c. Describe another part of the executive branch, other than the president, that could affect this legislation after its passage. Explain how that part of the executive branch might affect the success of the First Step Act after its passage. C1 - Describe

5C1. The First Step Act will be implemented by the bureaucracy using their bureaucratic discretion or rule-making authority.

5c. Describe another part of the executive branch, other than the president, that could affect this legislation after its passage. Explain how that part of the executive branch might affect the success of the First Step Act after its passage. C2 - Explain

5C2. The bureaucracy ca affect the implementation of the First Step Act because they have rule-making authority that may change the way that Congress intended for the law to be implemented because the specific requirements and processes established by the bureaucracy can alter the ay policy is carried out.

5b. Explain how the partisan control of Congress described in this scenario impacted the passage of the First Step Act.

5b. The president was able to get the FIrst Step Act passed, in part, because there was Republican control of Congress and unified government typically makes it easier for a president to get legislation passed. The First Step Act had bipartisan support, meaning that both Republicans and Democrats favored the legislation. It is easier to pass legislation that both parties can agree on than legislation that is divisive along party lines.

7a. The federal bureaucracy as part of the executive branch exercises substantial independence in implementing governmental policies and programs. Most workers in the federal bureaucracy are civil-service employees who are organized under a merit system. a. describe one key characteristic of the merit system

7a. hiring or promotion based on merit/experience/qualifications, hiring based on testing

7b. For each of the following, describe one factor that contributes to bureaucratic independence. The structure of the federal bureaucracy, the complexity of public policy problems

7b. Structure of the bureaucracy - large, specialized units/expertise, tenure protections/hard to fire, based on merit, independent agencies/independent regulatory commissions The complexity of public policy problems - specialized units/expertise, delegated authority (bcs Congress and the president cannot handle everything, they delegated authority to the bureaucracy), discretionary authority (BCS legislation lacks details, the bureaucracy can fill in the gaps)

7c. For each of the following, explain one Constitutional provision that it can use to check the bureaucracy Congress, the courts, interest groups

7c. Congress - appropriations (reward or punish agency), legislation (can pass legislation affecting bureaucracy), rejection of presidential appointments to the bureaucracy, impeachment of executive officials Courts - court rulings that limit bureaucratic practices, Judicial review (can declare bureaucratic actions unconstitutional), injunctions against federal agencies Interest groups - use of First amendment, lobbying, protests, media usage, speech

9a. Congress and the president both have a role in making foreign policy. Despite recent expansions in presidential power, there are still limits on presidential decision-making in foreign policy. a. describe two enumerated powers Congress has in making foreign policy.

9a. declaring war, treaty ratification, power of the purse, regulating commerce with other nations, raising and supporting army/navy, passing laws relative to foreign policy, confirming cabinet or administrative appointments

9b. describe two expressed powers the president has in making foreign policy.

9b. receiving ambassadors, appointing ambassadors, commander in chief, making treaties, appointing cabinet officers and administrative agency heads relevant to foreign policy

9c. explain how executive agreements expand the president's ability to implement foreign policy.

9c. They can be entered into unilaterally so there is no interference from congress

9d. explain how one of the following can limit the president's ability to implement foreign policy. Elections, Presidential approval ratings

9d. Elections - Presidents must seek re-election, they can be voted out of office after the first term, and elections can shift the agenda or focus Presidential approval ratings - lower ratings can lead to perceptions of lesser authority or influence, constraining the president's freedom to implement foreign policy.