1. Cabinet Depts (Defense, Agri, Education)

2. Independent Agencies (CIA, FBI, NASA)

-like the cabinet but less responsibilities

3. Government Corps. (Amtrak, postal service)

-like private corps (charge money) but differ (get federal money)

4. Regulatory commissions (Fed. Reserve Board)

-have legislative, executive, and judicial authority

1. Constitutional law (most fundamental)

2. Law based on U.S. constitution and state constitutions

3. Statutory Law: law enacted by legislatures

4. Administrative Law: executive orders, agency regulations (bureaucracy)

Says:

the U.S. constitution, federal laws, and regulations take precedence over state constitutions, laws, and regulations

90% of all Federal cases begin and end in District Court

10% of appealed cases are heard

-has both appellate and original jurisdiction

-you can petition the S.C. for a writ of certiorari (less that 5% are accepted) Rule of 4

-number of S.C. justices is determined by congress

-explains the legal reasoning behind the court's decision

-Chief justice, if in the majority, selects which justice will write the m.o. (if not in the majority, senior most justice decides)

Dealt with: judiciary act of 1789 and the writ of mandamas

Ended: power of any federal court to declare any federal or state law (or executive action) unconstitutional

idea that judges and courts should avoid policymaking when possible and limit themselves to interpreting legislative/executive intent

(Original Intent)

judges and courts should engage in policymaking via thier court decisions (esp. in sensitive cases)

(Modernism)

appointed by the President for the federal judges

-senatorial courtesy

1. make laws

2. oversight-are the laws passed being properly implemented

3. Representation

-delegate (mirror views of constituents)

-trustee (national perspective)

-partisan (party leadership)

-politico (combo of 3/most common)

4. Constituency service: casework (individual)

:resource allocations (PORK) group, district, state

1. Standing committees: permanent; deal with legislation based on content (agri, ed.)

2. Select committees: temporary committees that investigate short term problems

3. Joint committees: consist of an equal number of senators and representatives-conference committee:reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a bill

-selected by majority party at beginning of each congressional term (every 2 yrs)

-is the presiding officer

-is the leader of the majority party

-has control over:committee assignments, bill committee assignment

Congressional leaders in the House:

Majority Leader

Congressional leaders in the House:

Minority Leader

-leader of the minority party

-primary responsibility is to maintain party dicipline

congressional leadership of the House:

Whips

-majority and minority party

-communicators

-enforcers

congressional leaders in the Senate:

President Pro Tempore

-senator with most seniority

-presiding officer when VP is not there

congressional leadership in the Senate:

Majority leader

congressional leadership in the Senate:

Minority Leader

-leader of the minority party

-primary responsibilty is to maintain party discipline

congressional leadership in the senate:

Whips

-enforcers

-communicators

-minority and majority combo

congressional leaders in the Senate:

President of the Senate

-VP of the U.S.

-presiding officer

-casts tie-breaking vote

1. Introduction of legislation

2. Assigned to an appropriete standing committee (bill content)

3. Rules committee (house only)

4. Floor Debate

5. Bill must pass the House and Senate

6. (if they differ): have conference committee

7. House and senate chamber vote

8. presidential action

9. presidential veto

How a bill becomes law:

1. introduction of legislation

-member of congress only

-most bills are proposed by the executive branch/white house

How bill becomes a law:

2. assigned to an appropriete standing committee

-kill the bill (95%)

-approve the bill as is

-amend the bill, then approve

How bill becomes a law:

3. Rules committee (house only)

How bill becomes law:

4. Floor Debate

1. House: limited debate and ammendments must be germane/related

2. Senate: unlimited debate (filibuster and cloture-limits debate/at least 60 votes) and ammendments dont need to be germane/related

Then:house and senate vote on bill. a final vote on the senate floor needs at least 60 votes if it was filibustered

how a bill becomes law:

5. Bill must pass house and senate, it not then:

6. conference committee

how bill becomes law:

house and senate chamber vote

-no amendments allowed

-passage requires majority in both chambers

how bill becomes law:

presidential action

-sign into law

or

-veto the bill

how bill becomes law:

9. presidential veto

-congress can override a presidential veto if:

2/3 of both house and senate vote to override

Impeachment

&

Conviction

Impeachment:

-house brings charges against a government official

-2 presidents that were impeached: Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson

Conviction:

-senate "tries" the accussed individual and votes to convict/not convict

1. sec of state

2. sec of defense

3. attorney general

4. sec of treasury

5. sec of human health and resources

6. sec of homeland security

1. chief executive

2. commander in chief

3. chief diplomat

4. chief legislature

President's role:

chief executive

-head of the executive branch of the fed. gov.

-can appoint and remove high-ranking officers of the fed. gov. (with senate approval)

-appoints all fed. judges (with senate approval)

President's roles:

commander in chief

-supreme commander of the U.S. military and intelligence network (CIA and FBI)

NOTE: constitution assigns the power to declare war to congress, not the president.

President's roles:

chief diplomat

-directs U.S. foreign policy

-has the sole power to negotiate and sign treaties with other nations (requires senate approval)

-can sign "executive agreements" with other nations (withOUT senate approval) and is not binding to the future president

-power to recognize/refuse to recognize foreign govs. (Jimmy Carter and the Communist China)

President's roles:

chief legislature

-shapes legislative agenda of congress

-state of the union address

-submits budgetary requests to congress

-executive orders:rules and regulations issued by the president (like laws) -affirmative action

1. Power to grant reprieves and pardons (limited by public reaction)

2. veto power (once congress passes a bill the president has 4 options: sign bill into law, veto bill, do nothing because after 10 days its a law, or pocket veto (refuse to sign it) which is only in the last 9 days of session.

3. executive privilage (implied power)-President can withhold info from congress (national security)

-White House Staff: key political advisors (chief of staff controls access to the president)

-Office of Management and Budget (OMB): gives budgetry expertise and managment assistance

-National Security Council (NCS): gives military and foreign policy advice on national security

If President and VP die at same time, whos the President and VP?

President: Speaker of the House

VP: Speaker picks and both houses of congress vote

-34 members

-4 yr terms

-can serve up to 8 yrs (2 terms)

-163 members

-2 yr terms

-can serve 8 yrs total (4 terms)

1. Governor

2. Lt. Governor

3. Attorney General

4. Auditor

5. Sec. of State

6. State Treasurer

(glaass)

-4 yr terms

-can serve 8 yrs total (2 terms)

-line item veto:can veto certain things about a bill. The GA can try to overturn it.

-can call GA into special session

-state's chief law enforcement officer

-represents the state in all legal action

-state's chief election officer

-certifies signatures on iniatives and referendum petitions

-oversees the elections

-maintains official state records (blue book)

-custodian of state funds

-responsible for depositing state money into Mo banks

3 tiered court system:

-trial courts (entry level)

-court of appeals

-Mo supreme court

1. election-partisan

2. Mo Plan

Whenever a vacancy covered by the plan occurs:

1. the gov. appoints a judge/justice from a list of 3 names chosen by the nominating committee

2. the nominee assumes office imediately and after 1 year runs unopposed (nonpartisan)

3. judge/justice can serve term and repeat process until they are 70 years old.

1. appointed by the governor

2. made up of laymen, lawyers, and judges

-heirarchial structure

-job specialization (division of labor)

-formalized rules (SOP)

-hiring is based on merit, not patronage