Term
| Give dates for Jeffersonian period and name dominant and opposing parties. |
|
Definition
1796-1824
Dominant: Democratic-Republicans
Opposition: Federalists |
|
|
Term
| Give dates for Jacksonian period and name dominant and opposing parties. |
|
Definition
1828-1856
Dominant: Democrats
Opposition: Whigs (basically ppl who just hated Jackson) |
|
|
Term
| Give dates for Civil War and Reconstruction period and name dominant and opposing parties. |
|
Definition
1860-1892
Dominant: Republican (anti-slavery)
Opposition: Democratic (divided on slavery; nominated two candidates) |
|
|
Term
| Give dates for National Republican period and name dominant and opposing parties. |
|
Definition
1896-1928
Dominant: Republicans (economic-based)
Opposition: Democrats (Populists; anti-corruption/big business) |
|
|
Term
| Give dates for New Deal period and name dominant and opposing parties. |
|
Definition
1932-1964 *1932 was critical election party platform switch
Dominant: Democratic (working&middle class)
Opposition: Republican (wealthy&upper middle class) |
|
|
Term
| Give dates for Divided Government period and name dominant and opposing parties. |
|
Definition
1968-???
Dominant: Republicans (conservative)
Opposition: Democrats (liberal) |
|
|
Term
| When were political parties at their strongest point? |
|
Definition
| When the Progressive movement began. |
|
|
Term
| What has contributed to the decline of political parties? |
|
Definition
*Deliberate public policies like direct primaries, recall elections, and civil service laws.
*Elimination of patronage and of party-controlled nominations. |
|
|
Term
| What is a national committee? |
|
Definition
| The weakest form of party organization that is active only during presidential elections, but is well-financed. |
|
|
Term
| What is the inverse theory about parties and interest groups? |
|
Definition
| The power of interest groups is indirectly proportional to the power of parties: If parties are weak, interest groups are strong and vice versa. Therefore, the alternative to party politics is not popular control, but control by special interests. |
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Term
|
Definition
| means of communication that are capable of reaching the most people technologically; dominant mode of information movement today |
|
|
Term
| Traditionally, newspapers and magazines were closely related to or affiliated with ________ ? When did this change? |
|
Definition
| Parties; after the Civil War at the advent of the independent press for business rather than expression |
|
|
Term
| What is the important trend in print media that can be identified today and what is its cause? |
|
Definition
| Decline in diversity due to mergers and conglomerates, and decline in frequency due to more accessible media like TV & Radio causing a decrease in readership. |
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Term
| Radio was the first means by which the President could address the nation. Who was the first to utilize it and what did he call his programs? |
|
Definition
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt; "fireside chats" |
|
|
Term
| What is the most politically important recent development of radio broadcasting? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the largest single source of media today, and what is its downside? |
|
Definition
| Television; Lots of variety makes news programming less popular than in the past |
|
|
Term
| What was the Federal Radio Commission of 1927? |
|
Definition
| Law stating that because radio has limited bandwidth, it can be regulated as a public good. |
|
|
Term
| Can print media be pre-censored? |
|
Definition
| No; it can only be post-censored (forced to print a retraction) |
|
|
Term
| What is the Equal Time Rule? |
|
Definition
| States that stations must sell commercial time to candidates equally rather than favoring one and not allowing another. |
|
|
Term
| What is the Fairness Doctrine? |
|
Definition
| Required stations to present both sides or give public figures who were being criticized rebuttal time. |
|
|
Term
| Define "selective perceptions". |
|
Definition
| tendency to discount information that is inconsistent with one's prior predispostion in favor of information consistent with what one already believes |
|
|
Term
| What is "agenda setting"? |
|
Definition
| occurs when media affects what issues and problems people think about, even if it doesn't determine their opinions about those issues or problems |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by the term "CNN Effect"? |
|
Definition
| if it is reported on CNN, then it must be important; purported ability of TV to raise the importance of foreign affairs in the minds of viewers |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| occurs when media affects the standards people use to evaluate political figures or the severity of a problem |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the bias of opinion that occurs because of the way an issue is presented or looked at from only one standpoint |
|
|
Term
| What types of people are most susceptible to agenda setting, priming, and framing? |
|
Definition
| those who are uninterested or uninformed about politics |
|
|
Term
| What is the response of partisans or the educated to news media? |
|
Definition
| mostly re-affirm their own opinions |
|
|
Term
| What are the reasons for and results of ideological bias in the media? |
|
Definition
Reasons: journalists tend to be more Democratic or liberal; news is a business and depends on ratings/readership
Results: political spin; tendency to focus negatively on incumbents, losers, and scandal |
|
|
Term
| What is the selection principle/selection bias in terms of the media? |
|
Definition
| Stories are chosen based on certain characteristics; often negativity, failure, loss, or scandal. |
|
|
Term
| What is the problem of professional bias in the media? |
|
Definition
| arises from the demands of the journalism profession: most journalists lack substantial expertise in the field they are reporting on, and there is a greater focus on entertainment than on quality information. |
|
|
Term
| In most democracies other than the United States, how are presidential nominees chosen? |
|
Definition
| Chosen by party activist after having constantly moved up the political ladder for many years |
|
|
Term
| How is the U.S. process of nomination unique? |
|
Definition
| the process is lengthy and public, and voters participate in either a caucus or primary |
|
|
Term
| Describe and define a caucus. |
|
Definition
| Participants meet in each voter precinct; voting is very public because group discussions are held to try to draw the uncommitted to a particular side; has a various # of stages: precinct> county> district> state; proportional representation in next level delegation based on a minimum number of votes; relatively low turnout and unrepresentative of general population because of time demands |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| selection of nominee by a preliminary party-based election |
|
|
Term
| What is the difference between a closed, semi-closed, and an open primary? |
|
Definition
*Closed: only registered party members can participate
*Semi-Closed: registered independents can choose on of the party primaries to vote in
*Open: party registration doesn't matter |
|
|
Term
| What is a blanket primary and what state initiated one? |
|
Definition
| primary in which you can vote either democratic or republican office-by-office on a combined ballot, rather than voting straight one way; ruled unconstitutional and abolished because parties have the right to nominate privately; California |
|
|
Term
| How are the constituencies that are represented in Congress determined at the Senate level? |
|
Definition
| Every state has two senators; this never changes, because it is set out in the Constitution |
|
|
Term
| How are the constituencies that are represented in Congress determined at the House level? |
|
Definition
| A census is taken every ten years, after which the 435 seats are reapportioned according to state population |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| drawing new boundaries of congressional districts, usually after the decennial census |
|
|
Term
| Identify the Westberry v. Sanders case of 1964. |
|
Definition
| Congressional districts once varied in population, but this case decided that districts must be of nearly equal population. This is also known as the "One person. One vote." Principle. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| drawing lines of congressional districts in order to confer an advantage on some partisan or political interest |
|
|
Term
At the time of the Constitution, how many seats were in the House?
By 1910 this number had grown to ___? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| In what year was there no reapportionment? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| In what year was 435 seats finalized? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What year has been the only exception to the 435 seat finalization and why? |
|
Definition
| In 1960 Alaska and Hawaii had recently been added to the Union, and instead of reapportioning without census results for the two new states, they were each given one representative for a total in that year of 437. |
|
|
Term
| In the first Congress, how many states voted by districts, how many at large, and which two had districts, but voted at large? |
|
Definition
| 5 voted by districts, 6 voted at large, and GA and MD had districts, but still voted at large |
|
|
Term
| How many of the states voted at large in 1842? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When were single-member districts specified and by what legislation? |
|
Definition
| in 1842 by the Apportionment Act |
|
|
Term
An exception to the Apportionment Act allowed voting at large until what year?
How many seats in the 88th Congress (1963-1964) were elected at large? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How were Congressional elections conducted in the 19th century? (hint:what kind of ballot?) |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What movement induced a change in the way Congressional elections were conducted between the 19th century and now? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are some features of the modern system of Congressional elections? |
|
Definition
*more democracy within parties
*careers in Congress, rather than in the party
*Congressmen rely on themselves for reelection more than on their party |
|
|
Term
| Describe the Congressional nomination process. |
|
Definition
*much simpler than the presidential process
*most states choose their candidates in one primary prior to the general election
*hardest fought primaries occur when there's an open seat rather than an incumbent |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by an "open seat"? |
|
Definition
| a House or Senate race with no incumbent running because of death or retirement |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a congressional district certain to vote for the candidate of one party or a certain incumbent |
|
|
Term
| Why are party loyalties and organizations still important? |
|
Definition
| constituents know little about candidates: only 1/3 know the name of their representative, and only 10% know how their representatives voted on any given bill |
|
|
Term
| Why is the incumbency important? |
|
Definition
| the electoral advantage a candidate enjoys by virtue of being an incumbent, over and above his personal and political characteristics |
|
|
Term
| Prior to the Michigan School Study, political scientists were originally led to see congressional election results as a product of people voting based on what? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How is socio-economic status supposed to affect voting? |
|
Definition
| lower ses is associated with voting Democratic because the voters are from working or blue collar backgrounds and have a lower education; demographics also correlated to ethnicity |
|
|
Term
| In the 1950s the Michigan School Study concluded that ______ was the main reason for voting decisions. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| According to the Michigan School Study, what three variables explain voting behavior? |
|
Definition
| party identification, campaign issues, and candidate likeability |
|
|
Term
| Why is party identification the most long-term factor in voting, according to MSS? |
|
Definition
| people are socialized by their parents into a party early in life |
|
|
Term
| How does the MSS explain close elections? |
|
Definition
| Issues may pull voters out of party preference. Personality can affect this too. |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by "normal vote"? |
|
Definition
| a party/candidate's baseline support |
|
|
Term
| According to the MSS, the low profile of congressional elections means? |
|
Definition
*voters know little about candidates & issues; consequently, party identification dominates
*Republicans can easily win presidency and still lose the Congress |
|
|
Term
| How does the MSS explain midterm Democratic losses? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are some problems with the MSS, and what is the answer to these problems? |
|
Definition
*Why does divided gov't prevail?
*Why are Republicans often unable to capture the House when they have the rest?
*Is party ID permanent or constantly updated with changes in socialization?
**Incumbency advantage answers questions. |
|
|
Term
| What fraction of all party identifiers vote for the candidate of their party all the time? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When did party loyalty begin to drop, and what have been the results of this? |
|
Definition
| Loyalty began to drop in the 1960s and 70s; party affiliations weakened and voters became more available and susceptible to other appeals |
|
|
Term
| After party loyalties dropped among voters, incumbents began to adjust their behavior to fe reelected. What do representatives do to ensure reelection? |
|
Definition
| They often use government programs to provide voters with more personal reasons for voting for them |
|
|
Term
| What is constituency service? |
|
Definition
| efforts by members of Congress to secure federal funding for their districts (aka district service), and to help constituents when they have difficulties with federal agencies (casework) |
|
|
Term
| How many personal staff assistants does the typical House member today employ? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What percentage of a typical representative's staff is assigned to the district office? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How big is the staff of a typical Senator? |
|
Definition
| Larger than that of a House rep, but varies by population of state |
|
|
Term
| In 1950 how many staff members did the average representative have? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| In 1960, what fraction of representatives lacked permanent district offices, and how many trips home could they take and be reinbursed for? What is the case today? |
|
Definition
* 1/3; 3 trips home
*All reps have district offices and most spend Fri-Mon in their district and Tue-Thur in Washington (known as the Tues/Thurs Club) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Free use of the US Postal Service for Congress' official business, including campaign mail with some limitations close to election time |
|
|
Term
| What was the average total spent by winning House candidates in 2002 on campaigns? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How much did the average winning Senator in 2002 spend on campaigns? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Is the campaign spending gap between incumbents and challengers widening or closing? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| If income disparities between the campaigns of challengers and incumbents were elliminated, who would be most likely to win Congressional elections? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is one reason for incumbent reelection in Congress? |
|
Definition
| memebers are extremely sensitive to the wishes of the constituents and work hard to help them in any way they can |
|
|
Term
| Why are congressional incumbents still responsive, in spite of the fact that the odds of winning an election any way are in their favor? |
|
Definition
| They are responsive because behavior in Washington is monitored more closely by the media today than in the past, Congressmen have more info about constituents because of survey data and their ability to spend more time in their district, there are fewer constraints on acting to serve constituents because parties are not as strong, and there are fewer competitive districts |
|
|
Term
| If there are fewer competitive districts, does this imply incumbents become less responsive? |
|
Definition
| no; congressmen "Run scared", or run for reelection as if the odds were not in their favor because there is increased variability in the marginals |
|
|
Term
| How do Senate elections differ from House elections? Do Senators lose more frequently than Hous reps? |
|
Definition
*party competition, the info that voters receive, the quality of challengers, the ultimate ambitions of Senators
*Yes, Senators win more often than not, but they lose more frequently than House reps. |
|
|
Term
| Since when have incumbents consistently been more likely to win than challengers? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Was the basis of incumbency advantage in the 1800s partisan or personal? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What makes members of Congress less subject to national forces than to forces within their districts/constituencies? |
|
Definition
| The tendency of members of Congress to distance themselves from party and presidential positions |
|
|
Term
| What national force was a common influence on Congressmen until the mid-20th century? |
|
Definition
| presidential coattails, because favoring the president produced a positive electoral effect at that time |
|
|
Term
| Is the Democratic advantage in Congress only due to incumbency advantage? |
|
Definition
| No, the Democrats often due better in open seat races as well. |
|
|
Term
| What are some possible reasons why the Democrats keep the House? |
|
Definition
| better candidates, opportunity costs, different duties of Congress and President as seen by the voters, and incumbency advantages |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Meeting of candidate supporters that chooses delegates to a state or national convention. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Primaries in which only party members can vote - and only in the party in which they are registered |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| cast by electors, with each state receiving one vote for each of its House reps and one vote for each of its senators |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Public moneys (from $3 check-offs on income tax returns) that the Federal Election Commission distributes to primary candidates according to a prespecified formula |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Primaries in which any refistered voter can vote in any party's primary |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A person's subjective feeling of affiliation with a party |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A set of widely held associations between a party and particular issues and values |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| People who voluntarily participate in politics; they are more interested in and commited to particular issues and candidates than are ordinary citizens |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The total vote cast for a candidate across the nation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Preliminary election that narrows the number of candidates by determining who will be the nominees in the general election |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Voting on the basis of the candidates' policy promises |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Voting on the basis of the past performance of the incumbent administration |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Primaries in which independents can vote in one of the party primaries |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Any voting procedure in which the side with the most votes gets all of the seats or delegates at stake |
|
|
Term
| affirmative action redistricting |
|
Definition
| the process of drawing district lines to maximize the number of majority-minority districts |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| voting in which nearly all members of one group (such as African Americans) vote for a candidate of their race, whereas nearly all members of another group (such as whites) vote against that candidate |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| effort of members of Congress to help individuals and groups when they have difficulties with federal agencies |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| positive electoral effect of a popular presidential candidate on congressional candidates of the party |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the totality of Congress members' district service and constituent assistance work |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the latest date on which a candidate for office may file official papers or pay required fees to state election officials |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| name given to representative' and senators' free use of the US mail for sending communications to constituents |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| drawing boundary lines of congressional districts in order to confer an advantage on some partisan or political interest |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the electoral advantage a candidate enjoys by virtue of being an incumbent, over and above his or her other personal and political characteristics |
|
|
Term
| majority-minority districts |
|
Definition
| district in which a minority group is the numerical majority |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a house or senate race with no incumbent (because of death or retirement) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| legislature whose members serve full-time and for long periods |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| redrawing of district lines to reflect population changes; the allocation of House seats to the states after each decennial census |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| drawing new boundaries of congressional districts usually after the decennial census |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a congressional district certain to vote for the candidate of one party |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| containing two chambers, as does a legilature such as the US Congress |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the presiding officer of the House of Representatives; normally, the Speaker is the leader of the najority party |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| title used for trhe Speaker's chief lieutenant in the House and for the most important officer in the Senate. Each is responsible for managing the floor of his or her chamber |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| leader of the minority party who speaks for the party in dealing with the majority |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| members of Congress who serve as informational channels between the leadership and the rank and file, conveying the leadership's views and intentions to the members and vice versa |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| all Democratic members of the House or Senate. Members in caucus elect the party leaders, ratify the choice of committee leaders, and debate party positions on issues |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a Republican party caucus |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| President of the Senate, who presides in the absence of the vice president |
|
|
Term
| unanimous-consent agreement |
|
Definition
| agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions according to which the Senate will consider a bill; these are individually negotiated by the leadership for each bill |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| delaying tactic by which one or more senators refuse to allow a bill or resolution to be considered, either by speaking indefinately or by offering dilatory motions and amendments |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| motion to end debate; requires 60 votes to pass |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| committee with fixed membership and jurisdiction, continuing from Congress to Congress |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| temporary committee appointed to deal with a specific issue or problem |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| practice by which the majority-party member with the longest continuous service on a committee becomes the chair |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| colloquial term given to politicians' trading of favors, votes, or generalized support for each other's proposals |
|
|
Term
| caucus (NOT the primary kind) |
|
Definition
| group within Congress, formed by members to pursue common interests |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| representative or senator who introduces a bill or resolution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| said to occur when party leaders give more than one committee responsibililty for considering a bill |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| process in which a committee or subcommittee considers and revises a bill that has been introduced |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| fast-track procedure for considering bills and resolutions in the House; debate is limited to 40 minutes, no amendments are in order, and a two-thirds majority is required for passage |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| specifies the terms and conditions under which a bill or resolution will be considered on the floor of the House-in particular, how long debate will last, how time will be allocated, and the number and type of amendments that will be in order |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| group of representatives from both the House and the Senate who iron out the differences between the two chambers' versions of a bill or resolution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| term applied to the entire process of providing statutory authority for a government program or activity |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| process of providing funding for governmental activities and programs that have been authorized |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| role a representative plays when acting in accordance with his or her own best judgement |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| role a representative plays when following the wishes of those who have elected him or her |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the president in his constitutional role as head of the armed forces |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the control of the presidency by one party and the control of one or both houses of Congress by the other |
|
|
Term
| State of the Union Address |
|
Definition
| annual speech delivered by the president in fulfillment of the constitutional obligation of reporting to Congress on the state of the Union |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the nature of presidential status as an ideal vehicle for persuading the public to support the president's policies |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| presiential rejection of congressional legislation; may be overrident by a 2/3 vote in each congressional chamber; most state governors also have veto power over their legislatures |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Congressional passage of a bill by a 2/3 vote over the president's veto |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| presidential veto after congressional adjournment, executed merely by not signing a bill into law |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| presidential authority to negate particular provisions of a law, granted by Congress in 1996 but struck down by the Supreme court in 1998 |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the president and his political appointees responsible for directing the executive branch of government |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| top adminstration officials; mostly heads of departments in the executive branch |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| head of a department within the executive branch |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| political appointees who work directly for the president, many of whom occupy offices in the White House |
|
|
Term
| Executive Office of the President (EOP) |
|
Definition
| agency that houses both top coordinating offices and other operating agencies |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Head of White House staff; has continuous, direct contact with the president |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the period after a presidential candidate has won the Nov. election, but before the candidate assumes office as president on Jan 20 |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the first several months of a presidency, when reporters are more forgiving than ususal, Congress more inclined to be cooperative, and the public receptive to new approaches |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| according to Walter Bagehot, the aspect of government that involves making policy, administering the laws, and settling disputes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| according to Walter Bagehot, the aspect of government, including royalty and ceremony, that generates citizen respect and loyalty |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| traditional title of the president's wife |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| presidential authority inherent in the executive branch of government, though not specifically mentioned in the Constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a presidential directive that has the force of law, though it is not enacted by Congress |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the right of members of the executive branch to have private communications among themselves that need not be shared with Congress |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| recommendation by a majority of the House that a president, another official in the executive branch, or judge of the federal courts be removed from office; removal depends on a 2/3 vote of the Senate |
|
|
Term
| independent counsil/special prosecutor |
|
Definition
| legal officer appointed by a court to investigate allegations of criminal activity on the part of high-ranking members of the executive branch; law expired in 1999 |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| person living in the Washington metropolitan area who is engaged in, or well informed about, national politics and government |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| evaluation of president by voters, usually as measured by a survey question asking how well they think the president is doing the job |
|
|
Term
| Why is our Congress often thought of aa a body that does not mirror the diversity found in the country? |
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Definition
| Congress members are overwhelmingly white, male professionals who may not be responsive to the needs of women and minorities. |
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Term
| What are two distinct types of gerrymandering? |
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Definition
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Term
| Racial gerrymandering occurs in compliance with what legislation and court case? |
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Definition
| The Voting Rights Act amendments of 1982 and the case of Thornburg v. Gingles (1986) |
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Term
| What does racial gerrymandering entail? |
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Definition
| creation of a majority-minority district, which is a congressional district in which a national minority constitutes a majority within the district that is drawn |
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Term
| Who reviews state districting plans to ensure that they provide for majority-minority districts? |
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Definition
| The U.S. Department of Justice |
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Term
| Identify North Carolina's 12th District. |
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Definition
| majority-minority districr along I-85 that was at its widest 10 mi across, drawn exclusively according to race to meet majority-minority requirements; ruled unconstitutional in Shaw v. Reno, which stated that bizarrely shaped districts are illegal |
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Term
| Identify Miller v. Johnson case of 1995. |
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Definition
| Justice Dept rejected 2 district proposals for the 11th District in GA (containing Athens) and finally approved the 3rd that established 3 majority-minority districts, following decision by the Supreme Court that the first 2 proposals, which included Atlanta, Augusta, Athens, and Savannah in a poodle-shaped district, violated the 14th amendment equal protection clause; Court said that not only could district not be shaped oddly, but also that race could not be the predominant reason for the shape of the district |
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Term
| Why is the Congress known as the "1st Branch"? |
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Definition
| because the Constitution lays out the powers and structure of Congress in Article 1 |
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Term
| What are the principle powers of Congress? |
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Definition
| levy taxes, borrow $, regulate commerce, decide requirements of citizenship, make monedtary policy, establish postal system, establish federal courts below the Supreme Court, declare war, raise army and navy, call up state militias, do whatever is "necessary and proper" for the execution of its powers |
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Term
| What is the structure of Congress? |
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Definition
| bicameral: upper is Senate, lower is House of Representatives; both houses have roughly equal power |
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Term
| Name three institutions that are under/provide support for the Congress. |
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Definition
| Library of Congress, General Accounting Office, Congressional Budget Office |
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Term
| How much time is each congress allowed to conduct their business? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the current Congress? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which Congress served during the Civil War? the New Deal? |
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Definition
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Term
| The committee system evolved from what? |
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Definition
| the division of labor along majority and minority party lines |
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Term
| What need led to the party leadership structure of the Congress today? |
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Definition
| need to organize large numbers of people to make decisions more efficiently |
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Term
| Which chamber of Congress needs the committee system and party leadership structure the most? Why? |
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Definition
| The House, because there are so many people, as opposed to the Senate, which is small enough to operate by informal coordination and negotiation |
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Term
| What is title for the presiding officer of the House, who is normally the leader of the majority party? |
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Definition
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Term
| Who is the Speaker's cheif lieutenant in the House and the most important officer in the Senate, where he is responsible for managing the floor? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the leader of the minority party who speaks for the party when dealing with the majority called? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do we call members of the House or Senate who serve as information channels between the leadership and the rank-and-file, conveying the leadership's views and intentions to members and vice versa? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the group of all Democratic members of House or Senate who elect party leaders, ratify choice of committee leaders, and debate party postitons on issues called? What do the Republicans call their version of this group? |
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Definition
*Party Caucus
*Party Conference |
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Term
| Name the current Speaker of the House and Majority Leader. |
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Definition
*Dennis Hastert
*John Boemer |
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Term
| What is the tie-breaking mechanism built into the structure of the Senate, and why is this necessary? |
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Definition
| The Constitution provides the Vice President with authority to preside over the Senate and vote only when a tie-breaker is needed. This is necessary because the Senate includes two members from every state, which yeilds an even number of Senators and thus the possibility of a tie that is not present in the finalized House. |
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Term
| Who is the Senate presiding officer in the Vice President's absence? How often must he serve in this position? |
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Definition
| the President pro-tempore; almost always |
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Term
| What is a feature that is unique to the Senate, and why is it utilized? |
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Definition
| Unanimous Consent Agreements that set forth the terms by which a bill will be considered; used to regulate how much time is spent on a bill and whether or not there can be amendments made. Needed because of the right of filibuster that is exclusive to the Senate. |
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Term
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Definition
| a delaying tactic implimented by either speaking indefinately or by offering dilatory motions and amendments |
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Term
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Definition
| a motion to end debate in the Senate; requires 60 votes to pass |
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Term
| When are parties most powerful? |
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Definition
| when unified under the leadership |
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Term
| How can leadership PACs influence their party members? |
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Definition
| Members have a sense of obligation if the PACs give them money |
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Term
| What has been the order of the trend in the historical development of Congress? |
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Definition
1. Powerful House
2. Divided House
3. Rise of Powerful Speaker
4. Revolt Against the Speaker
5. Empowerment of Individual Members
6. Return of Leadership? |
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