Reading...
Play button
Play button
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;
83 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Speaker of the house
|
leader of the house of representatives
|
|
|
Majority leader
|
2nd most important person in the house
|
|
|
majority whip
|
maintain contacts and rally support on the floor in the house
|
|
|
Minority leader
|
most important for democrats in house
|
|
|
Minority whip
|
second most important person for democrats in house
|
|
|
Presiding Officer
|
Senate
The VP -not a member, can only vote when there is a tie |
|
|
Official Chair
|
President pro. Temp
|
|
|
Majority Leader
|
True power
|
|
|
Minority leader
|
most important for republicans in senate
|
|
|
Committee System
|
- fewer than 10% of bills get past committees
-large budgets, highly specialized -energy, health care, agriculture, judiciary -House: discharge petition 218 members to sign forces bill out of committee |
|
|
Standing Committees
|
-permanent
-proved bills referred to |
|
|
Joint Committee
|
members from both senate and house
|
|
|
Conference Committee
|
-reconcile two versions of the bill: house and senate
-members from both house and senate |
|
|
ad ho, special committee
|
-temporary
-for special purposes -special investigations |
|
|
Why members seek a certain committee
|
-if subject will help them get re-elected
-Pork barrel -put on by party selection committee |
|
|
Pork Barrel
|
-bring home bacon
-helps projects in your area -gives you power in congress |
|
|
Ethics Committee
|
Disciplines people in congree
|
|
|
Rules Committee
|
specifically house of reps
-closed bill- cannot be amended |
|
|
Committee Chair
|
-most important, majority party
-controls staff budgets -can kill a bill or introduce a bill |
|
|
Ranking Minority member
|
-highest minority officer on a committee
|
|
|
member of congress
|
-Constituencies (the people they represent)
1. Washington DC - party leaders-colleugues lobbyists 2.Home state or district- elect them member |
|
|
Running for Congress
|
-incumbent- already in office
(franking privilege- free mail (govt.)) |
|
|
Theories of Representation
|
1. Trustee- use own judgement
2. delegate theory- votes the way the constituencies want them to 3. political type - trustee or a delegate |
|
|
How they make a deicision
|
1. look to the party
2. constituents 3. colleagues and caucuses 4. log rolling - vote trading 5. interest groups and lobbyists 6. staff |
|
|
Bill to a law
|
- anyone can write it
-only congress can introduce it 1. Committee to sub committee and then potentially back again 2. Floor of first chamber -House: has to go to rules committee -Senate: could be fillibustered 3. Other chambers to a committee then subcommittee and then potentially back again - then votes on the floor 4. conference comittee -reconciles two versions of the bill 5. goes back to both house for an up or down vote 6. President- 10 days to consider bill -signs it goes to a law -veto-reject- congress override it with 2/3 vote -10 days passed- congress isn't in session- president doesnt sign-pcoket veto -10 days pass- congress in session- president doesnt sign- automatically a law |
|
|
Congress
|
until the 1930's congress was the most powerful body of govt
|
|
|
Foreign affairs
|
president can send troops abroad
|
|
|
War powers act of 1973
|
Congress tried to re-assert itself over foreign policy
-president notify congress before sending troops abroad -president must withdraw troops in 60 days unless congress declares war |
|
|
President requirements
|
article II
- 35 years old -14 years US Resident -Natural Born citizen 4 year term- re elected |
|
|
youngest president
|
Theodore Roosevelt
|
|
|
youngest elected president
|
JFK
|
|
|
George Washington
|
Served two terms and stepped down
|
|
|
FDR
|
served 4 terms
|
|
|
22nd amendment
|
max of two terms total 10 years
|
|
|
Impeachment
|
House impeaches- investigates
|
|
|
Removal
|
Senate removes- 2/3 to remove
|
|
|
Reasons to be impeached or removed
|
Treason, Bribery, high crimes
- Chief Justice presides over the case |
|
|
Succession
|
- 8 presidents have died
-Raegen was shot and lived - press secretary was in surgery -VP was abroad -VP takes over |
|
|
Presidential Sucession act of 1947
|
in order:
-VP -Speaker of the house -President Pro temp of senate (usually really old) -secretary of state -secretary of defense -secretary of treasury -next in order of creation -last would be department of homeland security |
|
|
25th amendment 1967
|
-president can appoint a VP if its vacant
-congress needs a majority vote |
|
|
Powers of president
|
1. Appointmnet
- ambassador -cabinet members (advisors) -senate has to approve w/ majority vote 2. can convene congress 3. state of the union 4. power to make/negotiate treaties - senate has to approve (ratification) - can sign executive agreements 5. Can accept ambassador -pres. can recognize another country 6. Veto power - reject a bill -can be overriden by congress 2/3 votes 7. Commander in chief of the military 8. pardon - release an individual from punishment -restore all rights and privileges of citizenship (Ford pardons Nixon) |
|
|
Executive Agreements
|
- sensitive agreements with another country
- don't need senate approval -only valid for that presidents term |
|
|
Louisiana Purchase
|
Jefferson- increased inherent powers
|
|
|
Congress is most influential
|
1804-1933
|
|
|
Modern Presidency
|
FDR
- Great Depression/ WWII - New Deal- helped economy -emergency relief -public works job -improved workers conditions -increased amount of workers for govt. -executive sending legislation to congress RESULT: -president leads a large govt. -leading role in foreign and domestic policy -uses technology to get close to people |
|
|
Choosing a VP
|
1. Geography
2. Political balance 3. social and cultural balance |
|
|
Cabinet Members
|
- unwritten constitution: not mentioned in the constitution
- consists of the heads of the major departments -policy advisors |
|
|
First Ladies
|
-informal advisors
-support something |
|
|
Executive office of President
|
-FDR created it
-inner circle of advisors to president -NSC -council of economic advisors -OMB (office of management and budget --budget-priorities and policies |
|
|
When president is one party and congress is another
|
President has a hard time getting legislation passed during times of divided govt.
|
|
|
Executive orders
|
- does not need congressional approval
-policy change -only that current administration |
|
|
President Court Congress
|
1. patronage-jobs
2. party 3. personality 4. leadership skills (increased attention to issues) 5. power to persuade |
|
|
Honeymoon Period
|
- when president first gets elected
- start with high approval ratings |
|
|
Bureacracies
|
-developed in ancient china
-rationalize govt. -nepotism- choosing family members -hierarchy -chain of command -division of labor -specialization -lines of authority |
|
|
George Washington
|
3 departments
state, war, treasury |
|
|
Civil War
|
-growth of govt.
-department of agriculture -justice department- legal issues 1830-1880's spoils system- jobs |
|
|
Civil Service reform act 1883 (pendelton act)
|
-merit based system
-civil service commission -competitive exam |
|
|
Interstate commerce commission
|
shifts govt. service to regulation
|
|
|
dept. of commerce and labor
|
Roosevelt
-oversee employer-employee relations Now there are two depts of labor and commerce (wilson) |
|
|
16th amendment
|
increased money which increased services
|
|
|
WWII GI Bill
|
-will pay for housing and school
-VA -helps with housing, family, medical |
|
|
Civil rights movement
|
-EOEC
--monitors discrimination in hiring -HUD --Discrimination in housing |
|
|
Bureaucrats
|
-15 cabinet level department
-60 govt. agencies -2 million civilian employees -Department of defense-largest employer -Postal service-second largest employer -90% are part of civil service -president appoints the rest -11% works in the capitol |
|
|
1. Cabinet members
|
- major administrative units
-broad area of govt. operation -headed area of govr. operation -headed by secretary -except for attorney general |
|
|
2. govt. corporations
|
-not profitable
-amtrak -TVA |
|
|
3. Independent executive agencies
|
-service function
-CIA -NASA -EPA |
|
|
4. Independent regulatory commissions
|
-regulate specific economic activity or interest
-NLRB -SEC |
|
|
Congress creates bureacracy
|
-delegates powers to it
-implementation-how agencies execute congressional wishes |
|
|
Iron Triangle
|
Agency
Congress Interest Group |
|
|
administrative discretion
|
-wiggle room in a law
|
|
|
administrative adjudication
|
- quasi judicial
-function-through a trial |
|
|
Executive Control
|
-president can appoint and remove agency heads
-can make changes to budget proposal -issue executive orders to clarify policy |
|
|
Congressional Control
|
-alters agency function
-investigative buearcratic activities -limit funds |
|
|
judicial control
|
-can rule un constitutionality
-agency has acted with in the law |
|
|
Judicial Branch
|
-supreme court in which the judicial power of US is vested
-life tenure or "good behavior" for judges -Judges recieve compensation that cannot be diminished during their service -such inferior courts as Congress may choose to establish -original jurisdiction of the supreme court |
|
|
Judiciary act of 1789
|
-congress established "inferior courts"
-Main courts of fact in the federal system are district courts, then come the circuit courts of appeals, and finally the supreme court - set the number of justices for the supreme court at six (currently 9, has varied over the years) |
|
|
Marshal Court (john adams)
|
- delivery of a single court opinion emphasizing unity whenever possible
-deciding cases that would assure the court to be the final arbiter of constitutionality -Enforcing the authority of the supreme court to declare laws invalid -broad interpretation of the "necessary and proper clause" -supremacy of the national government |
|
|
marbury v madison (1803)
|
judicial review is the power to decide if a law or other legal issue contravenes the constitution, and overturn it
|
|
|
American Legal system
|
- state courts- 50 systems
-federal court |
|
|
Both court systems have three tiers
|
1. trial courts- litigation begins and courts hear the facts of the case at hand (original jurisdiction)
2. appellate courts - decide questions of law, not fact (appellate jurisdiction) 3. high or supreme courts |
|
|
Jurisdiction
|
- before a court can hear a case, it must have the right to hear the particular case
- 2 types- original and appellate Supreme court has both types |
|
|
Original jurisdiction
|
court's authority to hear disputes and determine facts of a case
|
|
|
appellate
|
power to review or review a lower court decision
|
