Term
| Congress - In the Constitution |
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Definition
Article 1
longest, given most care
makes congress the dominant player
the peoples' branch |
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Term
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Definition
-the authority to make laws necessary to carry out the government's powers.
-laws for ALL American citizens |
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Definition
-the responsibility to represent various interests in society
-represent much smaller districts & their interests |
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Definition
-a supervisory activity of Congress that centers on its constitutional responsibility to see that the executive branch carries out the laws faithfully
-checks & balances
-full subpoena power
-hold hearings on literally anything
-launch investigations
-power of the purse - cut all together or demand groups spend a specific amount on certain things |
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Term
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Definition
| Bicameral: House & Senate |
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| The House of Representatives |
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Definition
-must be 25 years old
-must be a citizen for 7 years
-term is 2 years
-435 seats, done by population, census changes the seats
-very rule bounded (rules committee) |
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Definition
-must be 30 years old
-must be a citizen for 9 years
-term is 6 years
-2 members per state, 100 members total
-political inequality
-benefits small states
-ignores rules
-no one denied floor, no restrictions on amendments |
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Term
| Differences between House & Senate - Constituency |
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Definition
House: Smaller districts, more specific
Senate: statewide |
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| Differences between House & Senate - Role of Leadership |
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Definition
House: Speaker of the House, can be strong or weak (Strong right now), House members can change rules
Senate: technically VP is presiding officer, usually doesn't (unless tiebreaker). When he's not there: president pro tempre. Senate Majority Leader: much less power than speaker of the house |
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| Differences between House & Senate - Tradition of the Chambers |
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Definition
House: get it done, no time for debate, need permission to speak, difference in debate nowadays may be bad-->respect important for style, respect leaves, harder to make a deal
Senate: deliberative body, civil, polite, respectful, unlimited debate |
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Term
| Place of Parties in Congress |
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Definition
-Majority party in control: more staffers, chairmanship, bigger budget, decide when they recess/adjern
-party organizes everything |
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Definition
-determined largely by party
-very little would get done without them or parties |
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Term
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Definition
Permanent congressional committees with responsibility for a particular area of public policy. Ex. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-legislative heavy lifting
-controlled by majority (chairman)
-usually most important
-have large # of subcommittees |
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Term
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Definition
-temporary
-usually set up to investigate an issue or highlight an issue
-no legislative ability, can't bring legislation to the floor |
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Definition
-permanent
-members from House & Senate
-provide resources to congress or manage fundamental affairs
-no legislative ability |
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Term
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Definition
-a temporary committee formed to bargain over the differences in House & Senate versions of a bill. Members usually appointed from the House & Senate standing committees that originally worked on the bill
-Most important when standing committees aren't |
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Definition
-Congress has given itself an adequate # of staffing
-each chamber has budget to hire them
-individuals & committees hire staffers
-essential |
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Definition
Congressional Research Service
-PHDs and experts on anything they want to know about
-opinions without partisan swaying |
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Definition
Government Accountability Office
-auditing & watchdog
-not just financial, records too |
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Definition
Congressional Budget Office
-experts on finances
-not partisan |
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Term
| How Legislation is Made - 1 |
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Definition
| A bill is introduced (by member of Congress) in the House or Senate, where it is sent to the relevant standing committee. Here the chairman decides what to do with it: sit on it, send to subcommittee or do something with it. |
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| How Legislation is Made - 2 |
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Definition
Most of work done in committees/subcommittees. Hearings are held, usually open to the public, bill can be revised, and a recommendation to pass or table the bill is made.
-most bills fail right here |
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| How Legislation is Made - 3 |
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Definition
| Before debate takes place in the House, the House Rules Committee defines the rules for the debate. In the Senate, the leadership proposes rules for floor action. The legislation is debated on the floor, amendments are proposed, and the bill is voted on by the full membership of the House or the Senate. |
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| How Legislation is Made - 4 |
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Definition
| If bill passes and no similar bill has been passed by the other chamber, it is sent to that chamber for consideration. If the other chamber HAS passed a similar bill, a conference committee of members of both chambers is formed to work out a compromise version, which is sent to the full membership of both chambers for final approval. Only if it passes both chambers in identical form is it sent to the president |
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| How Legislation is Made - 5 |
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Definition
If the president signs --> law
If he vetoes it can be overridden by a 2/3 majority in each chamber |
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Term
| Nature of/Influences of Members' Decisions & Behaviors |
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Definition
-Congress made of individual beings w/goals, preferences, desires
-what constituents think
-Interest group connections
-President
-desire to keep their seat drives behavior a lot
-want to make good public policy
-want to advance in their career |
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Term
| Type of Behavior - Advertising |
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Definition
| anything they engage in to get their name out there, name recognition is crucial |
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| Type of Behavior - Credit Claiming |
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Definition
| make sure constituents know when you've done something good for the district |
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| Type of Behavior - Position Taking |
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Definition
| individual members making sure constituents know what they stand for on issues important to them, you know what they want |
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| Type of Behavior - Build Trust |
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Definition
| going to local events, places, etc. |
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Definition
| takes what constituents want into account, but does what's best regardless |
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Definition
| find out what constituents want & does it |
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| the reallocation of House seats among states after each census as a result of population changes |
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Definition
| the process of altering election districts to make them as nearly equal in population as possible. Takes place after each population census |
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Term
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Definition
| the process by which the party in power draws election district boundaries in a way that enhances the reelection prospects of its candidates |
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| the trading of votes between legislators so that each gets what he or she most wants |
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| spending/legislation added to a bill whose tangible benefits are targeted at a particular legislator's constituency (whose vote you want) |
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| use of personal staff by members of Congress to perform services for constituents in order to gain their support in future elections |
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| a procedural tactic in the US Senate whereby a minority of legislators prevent a bill form coming to a vote by holding the floor and talking until the majority gives in and the bill is withdrawn from consideration |
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Definition
| a parliamentary maneuver that, if a 3/5 majority votes for it, limits Senate debate to 30 hours and has the effect of defeating a filibuster |
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