Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
76 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
House members run for elections in districts or statewide? |
Districts |
|
|
How often does redistricting happen |
every 10 years
|
|
|
Are more seats added or are members reapportioned after the census |
reapportioned |
|
|
How many members are in the house |
435 |
|
|
How many house members does each state have to have |
one |
|
|
Who has the power of redistricting |
The legislature |
|
|
What is gerrymandering |
Drawing oddly shaped district line that give an advantage to either party |
|
|
Descriptive represenative def |
better to have a leader that comes from the same background as the people representing |
|
|
What is the only congressional officer mentioned in the constitution |
The speaker of the house |
|
|
What is a majority leader |
The partisan leader of the majority leader in the house |
|
|
Who is the majority leader |
Mccarthy CA Republican |
|
|
What is the House minority leader adn what is their role |
The person who would become speaker if the minority party took over congress |
|
|
What do the whips do |
count the votes, decide how much party unity they have, and they try and maximize party unity to pass their agenda |
|
|
Who is the head of the Senate |
The VP |
|
|
What is the President Pro Tempore |
The longest serving member of the majority party in the senate |
|
|
What is the President Pro Tempore's job |
Come into senate and lead when VP is absent |
|
|
What is the majority part in the senate |
Democrat |
|
|
In what house do majority leaders have the most power |
The house of reps because senators act more independently |
|
|
Do committees consist of the majority that is in relation to the party majority in both houses? |
Yes. except on ethics committees there is a majority in each commitee in relation to the majority congress |
|
|
What are three power committees |
Ways and means, Appropriations, Budget |
|
|
What does the ways and means committee do |
raise money and exists only in the house |
|
|
Appropriation committees |
Find out how to spend money |
|
|
Budget committees |
set the outlines for raising and spending money |
|
|
What are two senate committees |
Judiciary committee and Foreign relation committees |
|
|
When passing a bill and the house is open what does this mean? |
The bill has unlimited time for debate |
|
|
When passing a bill and the house is closed what is true? |
Certain time for debate, certain amount of people for and against the bill, and this can help impose an agenda |
|
|
What's the first step for a bill to become a law |
There has to be committee approval in a sub committee then there has to be approval in the large committee |
|
|
How does a bill get the house |
Needs a majority vote in the committee
|
|
|
What is markup |
When a committee or sub committee alters a bill |
|
|
What happens after a bill goes through a committee |
It is debated on the floor of the house and senate |
|
|
When a bill is on the floor of the house what happens? |
The bill can be amended |
|
|
In what house does there have to be a motion for Cloture |
In the Senate |
|
|
How many members have to vote for cloture |
60 members |
|
|
What happens if 41 members vote nay for cloture |
The bill will not pass |
|
|
What are three distinct things that happen in conference committees |
There cannot be a filibuster, cannot be amended, and there is a straight up vote |
|
|
What can the president do with a bill |
veto, sign, or leave it alone and it will become law in 10 days |
|
|
What is the delgate model for congress |
The delegate model os a model that says that a representatives job is to faithfully reflect their majority supporters view. They don't take their personal view into account and are dependent on the people and what they believe |
|
|
What is the trustee model in congress |
A congress member who is elected and the people trust his/her judgement. They will vote for what they think is best and do not neccessarily vote the way the people think |
|
|
What is the responsible party model |
The member of congress should vote according to how their party is voting |
|
|
How does congress behave when it comes to social issues |
The tend to behave as delegates |
|
|
how does congress behave when it comes to foreign policy |
They tend to behave as trustees |
|
|
How does congress usually act when it comes to welfare issues? |
They tend to act as responsible party members |
|
|
What is a knowledge differential |
how much depth of understanding does your average member of congress have opposed to the public |
|
|
What is Salience |
How much people care about an issue. In high salient issues congress has pressure to do what their constituents say (delegates) |
|
|
What is personal vote and what does this do |
It's the margin a congressman builds up during his time. They start with normal canidcy vote (party vote) then they build on this so people vote for them as opposed to voting strictly by party. |
|
|
Congress credit claiming |
Congressmen like to claim things they accomplished |
|
|
What happens when congressmen have a position taking event |
They hold an event to make their stance public (mainly for PR). Tend to have position taking ceremony for non-controversial issues. |
|
|
President Powers |
Power to veto, executive power (entrusted in him to implement and enforce laws that congress passes), Power to issue exec order |
|
|
George Washington contribution |
Only person to be unanimously chosen in electoral college, Set two term presidency (before FDR)
|
|
|
Jefferson contribution |
expanded pres powers in the area of decisive international affairs, Unillaterally committed US to buy land from foreign countries |
|
|
jackson contribution |
developed the practice of 'going public' - if congress did not agree then he would bring the issue to the people to gain support |
|
|
Lincolns contribution to pres powers |
his presidency further submitted the pres as a war leader adn expanded powers during war time |
|
|
Woodrow Wilson contribution |
expanded the rhetorical presidency. First to do state of the union |
|
|
Roosevelt contributions |
made it so the president is the person who initiates policies to be implemented in congress - did fireside chats in order to bring gov closer to the people |
|
|
Johnson and Nixon |
headed vietnam war by themselves without congress - classified as imperial pres (height of pres power) |
|
|
What is the war power resolution |
Bill passed in 1973 in order to limit pres war power |
|
|
3 requirements of war power resolution |
-pres must give congress prior notification -Pres must report to congress within 48 hours about what he did, why he did it, and how long it will last -Pres shall terminate any use of military force within 60 days if congress does not authorize and approve |
|
|
What is it meant by two presidencies |
refers to the president to have considerable power when it comes to foreign affairs, but it is difficult to do domestic policy. |
|
|
What system is the american legal system rooted in |
Common law system |
|
|
What are two distinct features of the common law system |
powerful judges and how many decisions are based on precedent |
|
|
Main diff between criminal and civil law |
criminal involves the state vs the defendent. Civil is between two private parties. Criminal cases have to be proven beyond reasonable doubt and civil can just be reasonably guilty. The jury in criminal cases has to be unanimous and there can be a super majority in civil trial |
|
|
Structure of legal system (Federal) |
District courts Circuit court Supreme Court |
|
|
Structure of State legal system |
State courts appeals court State supreme court Supreme court
|
|
|
When is evidence heard |
In district and state courts |
|
|
Writ of certori |
this is granted when the court will hear a case |
|
|
Percentages of cases heard |
2% |
|
|
how many justices have to agree to hear a case |
4 |
|
|
Amicus Brief |
friend of the court. People who are not apart of the original case |
|
|
Judiciary review |
power to strike down laws adn actions that other branches of gov put in place if they are not constitutional |
|
|
Marbury v. Madison |
est judiciary review. Marbury urged the court to issue a writ mandamus and the court declined. |
|
|
5 conservative justices |
Robins, Thomas, Scalia, Kennedy, Alto |
|
|
4 liberal justices |
sotomayor, ginsberg, kagan, breyer |
|
|
Who is the chief justice |
John Robins |
|
|
Judges with a restraint philosophy |
the court should resist to exercise too much power and should refer to elected officials to change and make law. Emphasizes original intent of the constitution. Should be changed throughout the amendment process. |
|
|
Judges with an activist philosophy |
They take a living constitution approach. They believe that times are changing and that the court should act in order to change society for the better |
|
|
substantive representation |
being a represented by someone who shares your view regardless of race and background |
