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the type of representation in which representatives are held accountable to their constituency if they fail to represent that constituency properly. This is incentive for good representation when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those of his or her constituency. |
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Any bill dealing with revenue raising must start in which body of Congress? |
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The House of Representatives |
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the amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend. Important oversight tool. |
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characterized as having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses; opposite of unicameral. |
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a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate. |
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Laws that decree a person guilty of crime without trial, forbidden to congress by Article 1 Section 9 |
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Voted across party lines over civil rights issues in the 1950s |
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A provision added to a bill in committee that limits the introduction of new amendments. |
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a rule allowing a majority of two-thirds or three-fifths of the members of a legislative body to set a time limit on debate over a given bill. In the U.S. Senate, 60 senators (three-fifths) must agree in order to impose such a limit. |
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a gathering of House Republicans every two years to elect their House leaders. Democrats call their gathering the caucus. |
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joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation. |
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the residents in the area from which an official is elected. |
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National, state, and local governments interact cooperatively and collectively to solve common problems. Practiced in America 1930s-1970s |
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Describe the First Article of the Constitution |
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o Establishes the legislative branch (House and Senate) o Enumerates powers assigned to Congress o Necessary & Proper (elastic) clause (see also 10th amendment) o Separation of Powers o Limitations of Powers (sec. 9) |
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Government where power is shared between Federal and state/local bodies. Practiced in America until the 1930s |
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Trustee model of representation - constituents should trust their reps to make decisions unilaterally without reprisal |
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Retroactive laws. Forbiddent by Article 1 Section 9 |
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Allows the President to circumvent Senate approval of treaties by acting like a treaty without technically being one |
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Factors leading to high incumbency rates |
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o Name Recognition o Franking o Greater ease of raising PAC funds o Take Credit, Place Blame o Electoral Darwinism - Strong incumbent = weak challenger(s) - Weak incumbent = strong challenger(s) o Pork Barrel Politics o Servicing District |
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a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down. Once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster. |
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the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party. |
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House and Senate versions of a bill must be _______ before it can become law. |
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Identical. If the wording is not the same, the bill goes to a conference committee. |
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How are House Representatives chosen? |
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Elected by voters of the congressional district |
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Originally selected by state legislators until 1913. |
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How can a presidential veto be overturned? |
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2/3 vote in both the House and Senate. Very difficult. |
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How many members in the House of Representatives? |
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435, based on population divided by districts |
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How many members in the Senate? |
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the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed 'Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.' |
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The President and other high ranking officials may be removed from office by being impeached in the House and convicted in the Senate. Grounds include treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors. |
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holding a political office for which one is running. |
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legislative committees formed of members of both the House and Senate. |
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Lineberry's Iceberg Theory |
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Congressmen vote as delegates for the 20% most salient issues, as trustees for the remaining 80% of issues. |
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a legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading. |
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the elected leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. In the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker of the House. |
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1995 - Outlawed racial gerrymandering |
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the elected leader of the minority party in the House or Senate. |
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Legislature in a divided government has the same output as a unity government. |
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A bill in committee can be given a provision that permits floor debate and the addition of new amendments to the bill |
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the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies. |
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a roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 per-cent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party. |
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the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters. |
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a veto that occurs when the president does not sign a passed bill within 10 days of receiving it, and Congress has adjourned. |
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Amendment added to a bill in order to kill it. |
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Pork barrel legislation (or pork) |
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appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created to help local representatives win re-election in their home districts. |
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aka President Pro Tem, second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. |
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Presidential Appointments |
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Senate approves with a simple majority |
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a proposal in Congress to provide a specific person with some kind of relief, such as a special exemption from immigration quotas. |
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Redistribution of representation in a legislative body. |
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the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives. This happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges to existing districts. |
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"The strongest power the president has is the power to persuade" |
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a vote in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically. |
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Decides whether amendments can be added to a bill. Amendments don't' have to be related to the bill. Determines length of debate and nature of amendments that may be offered to the legislation. |
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(usually) temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate particular issues or to address issues not within the jurisdiction of existing committees. |
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the ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service on a committee in Congress. |
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1993 - Districts must be contiguous |
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Sociological representation |
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a type of representation in which representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. It is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one could represent the other's views. |
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the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is the most important party and House leader and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' positions within the House. |
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o Majority Party o Third in line for the presidency |
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a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or agriculture. |
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legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official can serve. |
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Senate approves with a 2/3 majority |
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The opposite of Federalism. Power is held by one central authority. |
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the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress. A presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress. |
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o President of the Senate o Votes to break ties |
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1964 - Districts must be drawn by population |
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What is the length of term for Representatives in the house? |
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2 years, every seat is up for re-election every two years. |
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What is the length of term for Senators? |
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6 years, one third of seats are open for re-election every two years. |
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Which body of Congress has a Rules Committee? |
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The House of Representatives. |
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party members in the House or Senate who are responsible for coordinating the party's legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes. |
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A person must be brought to court and shown the reason for their detention. Protected by Article 1 Section 9 |
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