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POLS 206: EXAM 3
(1) What is the center of policymaking? |
TEST ANSWER
Congress |
(2) What are the attractions to the job of being a member of Congress? |
-First and foremost: Power
-$174,000 salary
-retirement and health care benefits |
(3) What is substantive representation? |
Representing the interests of groups of which they themselves are not members.
|
(4) What is meant by pork barrel projects? |
The Pork Barrel is composed of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to different districts, companies, colleges, etc. A Pork Barrel Project is a project won by a Representative that brings money back to his/her district.
|
(5a) What are the advantages of incumbency? |
1. Advertising
2. Credit Claiming
3. Position Taking
4. Weak Opponents
5. Campaign Spending |
Advertising |
The goal is visibility-> make themselves known within the constituency.
-Get a detailed list of of specific desires of potential voters |
Credit Claiming |
-Emphasizing the vote and policies makes friends and enemies, BUT servicing the constituency only makes friends.
-Done through casework, or activities of Congress that help constituents as individuals, and Pork Barrel Projects.
|
Position Taking |
They can show you how they vote and how they represent the district and what the district wants. |
Weak Opponents |
Effective Opponents are scared off by the incumbent advantage.
-lack of adequate campaign funds; don't get 'free' advertising like incumbents do
|
Campaign Spending |
-Money buys name recognition, which incumbents already have
-Incumbents generally outspend challengers
-PAC's donate to incumbents
|
(5b) Why do incumbents lose? |
-Sometimes an incumbent is tarnished by a scandal or corruption, giving the challenger an advantage.
-If districts change, incumbents can lose some of their supporters, or two can be moved into the same district and have to battle it out.
-Public mood shifts |
(6) What do PACs buy with their money? |
Name-recognition, generally for the incumbent
|
(7) What is bicameralism? |
Legislature divided into two houses. |
(9) What are the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate? |
House of Representatives: Initiates revenue bills, passes articles of impeachments, Larger, shorter terms, smaller constituencies, centralized, strong leadership, less prestige, budget-focused, more specialized, small turnover, seniority is important, limited debate.
Senate: Gives advice and consent to presidential nominees, tries impeached officials, Smaller, longer terms, larger constituencies, less centralized, weak leadership, more prestige, foreign-affairs focused, less specialized, moderate turnover, seniority is less important, unlimited debate (filibustering)
|
(11) What is a filibuster? |
A strategy of the Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation use their right to unlimited debate to prevent the Senate from voting on the bill. "Talking the bill to death" |
(10) What do congressional whips do? |
Work with the majority (or minority) leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party. |
(12) Why are committees and subcommittees important to Congress? |
Committees control the congressional agenda and guide legislation.
-where most of the work gets done |
(13) Know the different types of committees |
1. Standing Committees
2. Joint Committees
3. Conference Committees
4. Select Committees |
Standing Committees |
-Permanent subject matter committees
-Most important-make recommendations on whether or not a bill should
-Every policy has a committee
|
Joint Committees |
-Have members from the House and Senate
-Study and research committees; studies what can benefit both houses of Congress.
-Few policies have joint committees, ie economy and taxation |
Conference Committees |
-Established when House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill.
-5 members from either House, usually from standing committee. |
Select Committees |
-Focused responsibility
-Usually when there's a scandal, ie Watergate, Benghazi, IRS, etc. |
Legislative Oversight |
-Monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings. |
How a Bill becomes a law |
SEE FIGURE 11.2 PAGE 382
|
(14) What is presidential power according to Neustadt? |
-President's have weak position to command, so they rely on the power of PERSUASION
|
(15) Know the 22nd Amendment |
Limits the presidents to two terms or 10 years in office |
How do most president's get to office
|
-Election |
(8) Know what is meant by the act of impeachment and the process of impeachment |
1. Act of Impeachment: A grand jury issues and indictment, and in this case, the House of Representatives is the Grand Jury and impeachment is the indictment.
2. Process of Impeachment: The equivalent of a trial. The President is tried in the Senate; a 2/3 majority decides whether or not he is to be removed. NOT CRIMINAL! No punishment. |
(16) Know the responsibilities of the vice-president |
-Little responsibility, mainly a ceremonial role.
-Can be chosen to placate some region in society or compliment deficiencies in the president.
-President of the Senate |
(17) How does the President control the bureaucracy? |
-Through his power to appoint top-level administrators.
-Through the power to recommend agency budgets to Congress
-Executive orders |
(18a) What is the OMB? |
Office of Management and Budget
-Prepares the president's budget and also advises presidents on proposals from departments and agencies and helps review their proposed regulations.
|
(18b) What is the NSC? |
National Security Council
-Links the president's foreign and military policy advisers.
-President, vice president, secretary of state, and secretary of defense
-Managed by President's National security assistant |
(18c) What is the CEA? |
Council of Economic Advisors
-Three member body appointed by the president to advise the president on economic policy
|
(19) Know the different types of vetoes |
Pocket Veto
Line-Item Veto
|
Pocket Veto |
A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it. |
Line-Item Veto |
-The power of an executive to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others.
-The president does not have this veto, but many governors do.
|
(20) What is a midterm election? |
An election held between presidential elections. |
(21) What are electoral mandates? |
The PERCEPTION that the voters strongly support the president and his policies.
-Every winner CLAIMS a mandate, but only a few actually have one. |
(22) Know the War Powers Resolution (1973) |
-Requires presidents to consult with Congress whenever possible prior to using military force and requires the withdrawal of forces after 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants an extension |
(23) How does the president use the press? |
The press is the principle intermediary between the president and the citizens.
-Every president uses the press, even though they are biased, there is always one that will support you and one that will be against you |
(24) How do presidents use public opinion and public approval? |
Public opinion is the single biggest factor in a president's ability to persuade. Congress listens when the president mobilizes the public, but also listens when they're unresponsive. |
(25) What are class action lawsuits? |
Lawsuits in which a small number of people sue on behalf of all people in similar circumstances |
26) Know what is meant by original jurisdiction |
The jurisdiction of courts that hear a case first, usually in a trial. These are the courts that determine the facts about a case. |
Appellate Jurisdiction |
The jurisdiction of courts that hear cases brought to them on appeal from lower courts. These courts do not review the factual record, only the legal issues involved. |
(27) Know what the Judiciary Act (1789) did |
Congress established the lower federal courts, or constitutional courts. |
(28a) What are amicus curiae briefs? |
-Legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" for the purpose of influencing a court decision by raisin additional points of view |
(28b) What are writs of certiorari? |
formal requests by the U.S. Supreme Court to call up the lower court case it decides to hear on appeal |
(29) What influences the selection of judges? |
-Geography was once prominent, but no longer so.
-Partisanship is a major determining factor for a president.
-Ideology, presidents want to pack the court with people who will support their agenda in court (don't just care about justice)
|
(30) What is judicial implementation? |
How and whether court decisions are translated into actual policy, thereby affecting the behavior of other. The courts rely on other units of government to enforce their decision. |
(31) What is judicial restraint? |
An approach to decision making in which judges play minimal policy-making roles and defer to legislatures whenever possible. |
At what level are the vast majority level of criminal cases heard? |
State and local court systems |
Who is the Chief Counsel for the United States government? Who represents the US in Supreme Court? |
U. S. Attorney |
What are written opinions of the court so important? |
It states the reasoning behind the decision the Court makes. It can have far-reaching implications for future cases. |
What is meant by stare decisis? |
Latin meaning "let the decision stand"
-Most cases reaching appellate courts are settled on this principle.
-An earlier decision made should hold for the current court. |
Before the Civil War, what type of cases did the Supreme Court deal with? What topic/theme did they revolve around? |
-Slavery and the strength and legitimacy of the federal government. |
judicial activism |
An approach to decision making in which judges sometimes make bold policy decisions, even charting new constitutional ground. |
How many courts are mentioned in the Constitution? |
1-The supreme court |
Who is the current Supreme Court Justice? |
John Roberts |