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UT Arlington POLS 2311 - Exam 2 Study Guide

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POLS 2311 1st EditionExam # 2 Study Guide Lectures: 10 - 15Lecture 10(February 26)Concepts Covered in This Lecture: Congress.Congress is the leading branch of national government. It is the first institution listed in the Constitution, and was given law making powers and was also granted authority to design the form and function of the executive branch and the lower courts.The House of Representatives represents peoples’ interests, which are characterized by “passions.”The Senate represents states’ interests, which characterized by “wise deliberations.”Originally, Congress was supposed to be made of “citizen legislators,” but over time it has become full of “career legislators,” meaning that people can make a career out of being in Congress.Before 1900, one-third of legislators left office every election.1994 Republican Revolution sought to pass the Citizen Legislature Act. People in Congress keep their seats by keeping their supporters happy. They do this by listening to them, bringing home “pork,” and voting for legislature that their supporters approve of.Redistricting happens every ten years.Important People Covered in this Lecture:James Madison- wrote that legislators should be “called for the most part from pursuits of a private nature and continued in appointment for a short period of office.”The Speaker of the House is elected by House membership, typically a member of the majority party, and said to be the second powerful in Washington, after the President. Nancy Pelosi was the first woman to serve as the Speaker.There is a House Majority Leader and a House Minority Leader. Likewise, there is a House Majority Whip and a House Minority Whip.The Majority party leader is the most powerful senator.The Vice President presides over the Senate; however, the VP has power only for the tiebreaking vote.Senate president pro tempore presides over the Senate, a largely honorary position held by majority party’s senior member.Lecture 11(March 3) Concepts Covered in This Lecture: Leadership, Bills, and Policy.Parties are the strongest forces in Congress because their unity helps with votes. There are 20 Standing Committees in the House, and 16 in the Senate.Select Committees have a limited time and purpose.Joint Committees have members from both chambers.Most work on legislation is done in committees. Rules for debate are defined. Debate, changes, and vote by full membership. Reconcile differences between similar legislation.Congress make laws authorizing federal programs. DefinitionsCommittee Jurisdiction- Bill introduced must be referred to the proper committee for deliberation.Committee Membership- Typically mirrors the party ratio of the body.Committee Chairs- Typically senior members of the majority party.Lecture 12 (March 17)Concepts Covered in This Lecture: The President.The American presidency has focus on national attention above Congress and the Judiciary Branch. It is not a powerful office; presidents don’t routinely get what they want, and power is conditional and based on abilities and circumstances.The Framers of the Constitution wanted a national leader who was a statesmen in foreign affairs, a commander in war, and an enforcer of laws.The three requirements to choosing a president are: The nominating campaign, the national party conventions, and the general election campaign.Lecture 13 (March 19)Concepts Covered in This Lecture: Bureaucracy and the budgetary process.The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce were the result of dramatic economic growth in the latter part of the 19th Century.SEC, SSA, FDIC, and TVA came from the Great Deal.DOT, DHVD, Medicare and Medicaid, and Heard Start came from LBJ’s Great Society.Types of Federal Agencies include: Cabinet departments (State, Defense, Justice, and twelve others), Independent Agencies (CIA, NASA), Regulatory Agencies (SEC, EPA), Gov Corps (USPS, FDIC, Amtrak), Presidential commissions.There are 250000 civilian employees in the government. Most are hired based on merit. There is a patronage system put in place to improve the link between the administration and people. However, there are abuses of this system, known as the spoils system.The budgetary process takes a year and a half long and begins with guidelines set by the president; agencies develop a detailed budget that the president finalizes, Congress alters the budget, there is a full house and senate vote, and then the president either signs or vetoes the budget.Lecture 14 (March 24)Concepts Covered in This Lecture: The Federal Judicial System.Judges are nominated and confirmed from a majority Senate vote; there are no age, residency, citizenship, or legal training requirements. Judges are appointed for life and can remain there solong as they have good behavior. Only one SC Justice has been impeached, but none have been removed.When the Supreme Court accepts a case, it sets a date for an oral argument from both sides, it gives each side thirty minutes to make their case; both must bring lengthy briefs for the judges to read, and then the judges then hold a private conference, discuss both sides, vote, and maybe change each other’s minds.The judges then issue their decision and then give the reasons for why.Definitions:Original jurisdiction- the authority to be the first court to hear a case. Appellate jurisdiction- the authority to review cases that have been heard in lower courts.Precedent- a judicial decision that serves as a rule for setting subsequent cases of a similar nature.A writ of certiorari- an order commanding a lower court to submit its transcript of a case so thatthe high court may deliver justice quickly to the appealing party.Majority opinion- when most of judges—the majority—agree on the decision.Plurality opinion- when the majority agrees on the decision, but the judges can’t agree on the legal basis.Concurring opinion- where one judge votes with the majority, but disagrees with the reasoning.Dissenting opinion- when the judges on the losing side explain why they disagree with the majority on the decision.Lecture 15 (March 26)Concepts Covered in This Lecture: Courts.The many federal courts: US district courts, US courts of appeals, Special US courts, US Claims Court, US Court of International Trade, US Court of Military Appeals.Presidentially Supreme Court nominees are expected to carry out the president’s legacy and political ideals. Nominees must be accepted by ¾ Senate


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