GOV Chapter 12 Study Guide
How does incumbency influence a person's candidacy?
It strongly influences a candidate's ability to raise money and is the most important factor in determining success in a congressional campaign.
Bicameral committee composed of members of both chambers of Congress
Joint Comittee
What are the enumerated powers of Congress?
Judicial Powers: - Establish the federal court system - Punish counterfeiters - Punish illegal acts on the high seas Economic Powers: - Impose taxes - Establish import tariffs - Borrow money - Regulate interstate commerce - Coin and print money, determine the value of currency National Security Powers: - Declare war - Raise and regulate national armed forces - Call up and regulate state national guard - Suppress insurrections - Repel invasions Regulatory Powers: - Establish standards of weights and measures - Regulate copyrights and patents Administrative Powers: - Establish procedures for naturalizing citizens - Establish post offices - Govern the District of Columbia
Pork Barrel (Pork)
Legislators' appropriations of funds for special products located within their congressional district.
Practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague vote on another bill
Logrolling
A role in which an elected or appointed leader acts as an advocate for citizens by listening to and investigating complaints about a government agency is called a ______
Ombudsperon!
How does each branch check the other branches?
Oversight is the process by which Congress "checks" the executive branch to ensure that the laws Congress passes are being administered in keeping with legislators' intentions. Congressional oversight is a check on the executive branch because the federal bureaucracy that implements laws is part of the executive branch.
The process by which the legislative branch checks the executive branch to ensure that the laws Congress passed are being administered in keeping with the legislature's intent is called ______
Oversight!
What are the effects of interest groups in legislative decision making?
They can affect electoral outcomes, for example, through an endorsement process by which a group notifies its members that it backs a certain candidate in the hope that members get on the bandwagon and express their support at the polls.
What types of bills are used to appropriate money for special projects?
Pork Barrels!
What are the effects of the colleagues and staff in legislative decision making?
Provide cues for members of the House and the Senate in their decision making over whether to vote for a pending piece of legislation. Members may seek the opinions of the like-minded colleagues in determining how to vote on a proposed bill. In addition, legislators may consult with peers who are policy experts.
Reallocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state based on changes in the state's population since the last census is called _____
Reapportionment!
Redrawing congressional district boundaries within each state is called _____
Redistricting!
A legislative committee's explanation to the full chamber of a bill and its intent is called a ____
Report!
What kind of bills must exclusively originate in the House of Representatives?
Revenue (Taxation) Bills
What are the term lengths for Congressmen?
Senate - 6 years in office House - 2 years in office
An agreement by every senator to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation is called a _____
Unanimous Consent!
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Why do incumbents often win re-election?
Several factors make it more likely that someone already in office will be returned to that office in a reelection bid: Stronger name recognition: Having run for election before and served in government, incumbents tend to be better known than challengers are. Easier access to media coverage: Media outlets routinely publicize the activities of elected congressional officials, rationalizing that they are covering the institution of Congress rather than the individuals Non-Incumbent challengers face an uphill battle in trying to get coverage of their campaigns, Campaign contributions: Political action committees individuals are interested in a supporting candidates who will be in a position to help them once the election is over. Because donors are aware of the high reelection rate of incumbent candidates, incumbents garner and enormous proportion of contribution, sometimes as much as 80 percent any given congressional election year. Casework: When an incumbent personally helps constituents solve problems with the federal bureaucracy, the resulting loyalty and good word-of-mouth reputation help to attract support for that candidate during a run for reelection. Franking: The privilege of sending mail free of charge is known as franking. Federal law allows members of Congress free mailings to every household in their state or congressional district. These mailing make it easy for members of Congress to stay in touch with their constituencies throughout their tenure in office.
Which chamber initiates tax bills?
The House of Representatives
Which body is seen as the more deliberative chamber?
The Senate
Which chamber specializes in foreign policy?
The Senate!
Who is the leader in the House? What is their role as leader?
The Speaker of the House is the leader, the speaker serves as the presiding officer and manager of the House.
The number of seats available to each state in the House of Representative Varies on what?
The State's Population
What is the primary source of Congressional Authority?
The U.S. Constitution
Gerrymandering
The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit an incumbent, a political party, or another group.
A model of representation that says that a member of Congress should vote for the position that best represents his or her constituents' view even if the legislator does not share those views is called ____
The instructed delegate model!
What are the effects of the political parties in legislative decision making?
The partisan breakdown of Congress is important because most major legislative votes cast are "party votes," meaning that most members of one political party vote one way, and most members of the other party vote the other way.
What are the effects of the constituents in legislative decision making?
The people whom the members of Congress represent-- wield perhaps the strongest, if indirect, influence with respect to congressional decision-making.
Logrolling
The practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague's vote on another bill.
The system in which the member with the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is given preference when the committee chooses its chair is called ____
The seniority system!
What are the functions of Congress (expand)?
- Represent the people - This means that members of Congress are willing and able to keep their constituents in mind while voting, mostly voting in line with their beliefs. - Make policy - Congressmen and congresswomen agree to debate politics (partisan or otherwise) in order to pass bills for the betterment of society. - Check the executive - Congress provides oversight for the executive branch of government. This includes investigative hearings as well as getting reports from various govt. organizations. - Agenda setting - Congress decides which bills shall be prioritized, meaning they listen to the ideas of the biggest majority of their constituents - Manage societal conflict - Serious problems that create blatant discrimination or an unbalance in equal rights are intended to be checked and solved by the legislative branch through the passage of laws and/or reform.
Congress Created a Bicameral (Two House) Legislature
-House of Representatives-Based on Population -Senate-Based on State Representation
When a committee or subcommittee favors a measure, it usually takes four actions. What are they?
1. Agency Review - When they ask the executive agencies that would administer the law for written comments on the measure. 2. Hearings - These are held to gather information and views from experts, including interest groups, concerned citizens, and celebrities involved with the issue. 3. Markup - When the committee "marks up" the bill with suggested language changes and amendments. They don't necessarily alter the bill, but rather members recommend changes to the full chamber. They may eliminate a component of the proposal or amend the proposal in some way. 4. Report - After agreeing to the wording of the bill, they issue a report to the full chamber, explaining the bill and its intent. The bill may then be considered by the full chamber.
What is the legislative process?
1. Introduction. A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill. 2. Committee Review. Subgroup within the House and the Senate, composed of legislators who have expertise in the bill's subject matter, review the bill. 3. House and the Senate approval. If the bill makes is out of the committee, a majority of members in the House and the Senate must approve it. 4. Conference Committee reconciliation. The Conference Committee reconciles the bill when different versions have passed in the House and the Senate. 5. Presidential approval. If the president signs the bill, it becomes law. But even after this arduous process, a presidential veto can kill the bill.
A special tactic used to extract a bill from a committee to have it considered by the entire House is called ____
A discharge petition!
A primary committee considering a bill is called _____
A lead committee!
Majority-Minority District
A legislative district composed of a majority of a given minority community - say, African Americans - the intent of which is to make it likely that a member of that minority will be elected to Congress.
Trustee Model
A model of representation in which a member of the House or Senate follows his or her own conscience when deciding issue positions.
Instructed Delegate Model
A model of representation in which a member of the House or Senate votes in line with the ideas of their constituents, even if they contrast with their own personal beliefs.
Filibuster
A procedural move by a member of the Senate to attempt to halt passage or or change a bill, during which the senator can speak for an unlimited time on the Senate floor.
Phonemarking
A request by a member of Congress in the form of a phone call asking that an appropriation made to a government agency be used for a project in the member's district.
Lettermarking
A request by a member of Congress in the form of a written letter asking that an appropriation made to a government agency be used for a project in the member's district.
A congressional committee created to consider specific policy issues or address a specific concern is called _____
A select committee!
Who is the leader in the Senate? What is their role as leader?
According to the Constitution, the Vice President should be the leader. However, in all actuality, the Vice President rarely presides over the Senate. The Senate Majority Leader, the most powerful position in the Senate. This leader manages the legislative process and schedules debate on legislation. They ensure that favored bills are passed. However, the Senate Minority Leader is the spokesperson for the minority party in the Senate. Kind of confusing.
A proposed piece of legislation is a ____
Bill!
How does the necessary and proper clause affect our government?
By giving our legislative government more flexibility in passing bills nationally so as to ensure the greatest amount of good for the country.
A procedural move in which a supermajority of 60 senators agrees to end a filibuster is called ____
Cloture!
What are the effects of the President in legislative decision making?
Determines whether to sign or to veto legislation that reaches his desk. But often, before a bill reaches the signing stage, the president's position on it carries enough influence to sway members of Congress, particularly members of his political party, to vote for or against the proposed legislation.
A designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure is called a(n) ______
Earmark!
Reappointment
Every 10 Years (ending in a 0 (2010, 2020)) The Federal Government counts the number of people in the country as a whole. This later may affect the number of seats a state may have.
Which chamber is meant to represent the interests of "the people"?
House of Representatives!
What are the differences between the House and the Senate?
House of Representatives: - It's larger (435 members) - Shorter electoral cycle (2-year term) - Narrow constituency (congressional districts) - Less prestigious - Originates all revenue bills - Less reliant on staff - Power vested in leaders and committee chairs Senate: - Smaller (100 members) - Longer electoral cycle (6-year term) - Broad constituency (states) - More prestigious - Ratifies treaties; confirms presidential nominees - More reliant on staff - Power more evenly distributed
Percentages of Incumbent members being Reelected for House? Senate?
House- 95% Senate-93%
The status of already holding office is known as ____
Incumbency
