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Differences Between the Houses of Congress  

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Differences Between the Houses of Congress  

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-Senators are elected every 6 years, and there are elections for senators every other year, while members of the House of Representatives serve for 2 years and are elected every other year (midterms)
-The Senate has 100 members and the House has 435 members
-The House is based on population while every state has the same number of senators, attempting to balance power between states with different populations, this being the result of differential New Jersey and Virginia Plans, coming together in the Great Compromise.
-The Senate has unlimited debate, so this causes the potential for the filibuster while The House of Representatives debate is regulated by committees
-Both Houses are involved in the Amendment and impeachment processes (House impeaches, Senate does the trial), but the decision to go to war is made by a Senate vote
-The Senate was intended to be a model of elite democracy while the House was meant to represent the people
-The House of Representatives has the unique powers of setting tax bills and choosing the president (if the Electoral College fails)
-The Senate has the unique powers of Advice and Consent towards the executive branch, ratifying treaties, and choosing the VP if the Electoral College fails.

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Implementing and enforcing laws passed by the legislative branch.

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Implementing and enforcing laws passed by the legislative branch.

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influencing or attempting to influence legislative action through written communication or an attempt to gain the goodwill of an employee of the legislator

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Interest Groups act as a linkage institution between the people and the federal government.

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Interpret and determine the meaning of the law.

Hears court cases and applies the law to situations.

Determine if laws/other actions are Constitutional.

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Powers explicitly given to the President in the Constitution

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Creates “one supreme court, and such inferior courts” that Congress creates

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power to refuse approval of bills passed by congress

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Not explicitly listed in the Constitution but are essential for carrying out the duties of the President

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Educate potential voters on issues concerning the group and have experts provide information to Congress regarding what they stand for

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President has the ability to conduct foreign policy and relations with other nations

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influence, measure and represent public opinion

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- judges should serve life terms
- judicial is least dangerous

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Professional: Organizations that seek to influence laws that will benefit the professional interests of their members.
- Ex. National Education Association
- Businesses also lobby the government, often through contact with lobbying firms.

Single Issue: Interest groups that focus on single issues in society.
- Ex. NAACP

Public Interest Groups: Groups that work for the good of the society in general.
- Ex. League of Women Voters

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Nine Judges; (one is the Chief Justice).

Appointed by the President, approved by a simple majority of the Senate.

- All federal judges are appointed by the President.

Serve life terms as long as under “good behavior." to ensure no President or Congress can influence them.

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1. Interest groups encourage their members to vote for certain candidates, and/or support certain causes.
2. They use social media, phone, media, town hall meetings, etc to apply pressure and advertise their cause.
3. Interest groups inform the public and write bills that are then introduced by a member of congress.
4. LOBBYING- pressure legislatures and political leaders to support their causes. (lobbyists are policy specialists)
5. CREATE PACS- (POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES) organization that raises and spends money to elect and defeat certain candidates.

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Made up various government agencies and departments, each have their own specific responsibilities. EX: (DEA)

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Made up various government agencies and departments, each have their own specific responsibilities. EX: (DEA)

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A formal power of the President. A formal agreement between 2 countries on a topic. Has to be ratified by the US Senate.

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Judicial review is the supreme courts ability to have checks and balances against other branches.

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The executive branch takes responsibility in managing government programs. The Bureacracy os responsible for managing a wide range of government programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, & Medicaid. This involves everything from determining eligibility to processing claims and payments

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The executive branch takes responsibility in managing government programs. The Bureacracy os responsible for managing a wide range of government programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, & Medicaid. This involves everything from determining eligibility to processing claims and payments

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political figures are elected to advocate and represent public opinion

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Consistently voting for candidates of the same political party at all levels of voting.

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They assist in drafting legislation by supporting and suggesting various aspects. They can also write bills that can be introduced into Congress by one of its members. Interest Groups also assist in drafting executive branch regulations. Most of this is accomplished via lobbying.

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- Impeach the president
- approve federal judges
- Bills can be vetoed by the president
- Laws made can be deemed unconstitutional by the Judicial Branch

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The majority party in the House of Representatives elects the Speaker of the House, who presides over the House and administers oaths of office to members of the House. They choose 9/13 members of the rules committee and decide what bills actually make it to the house floor. The Vice President presides over the Senate and breaks ties and gives oaths of office to Senate members. The President Pro-Tempore presides over the Senate when the Vice President isn't there. Both Houses elect a majority and minority leader who are spokespeople for their party and shape legislation. Both Houses have a majority and minority whip who ensure members vote with the party on important bills.

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Occurs when the President doesn't sign a bill into law within 10 days and if Congress has officially adjourned. This is used for when the President doesn't want the veto on record but also doesn't want it to be law.

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Idea: Ideas/drafts for bills can come from anyone, however they have to be sponsored by a Congress member for the bill to be introduced

House Floor/Senate Floor:
- Spending bills are only introduced in the house

Committee: Bills are then assigned to committee based on subject. Here the bills are subjected to "hearings" in which after the bill is amended before floor action
- Bills can die in committee

Floor action:
- House: Debate is limited
- Senate: Debate is not limited-> Filibusters
- Filibusters are is when Senators talk for hours on end in hopes of a bill not being passed. Can be stopped with a cloture vote
- Cloture Vote: 3/5 to end a filibuster

Passage:
- House: Simple Majority
- Senate: Simple Majority, however 60 votes is required for a cloture vote

BILL THEN GOES TO OTHER CHAMBER

Conference Committee: Because two different texts are voting on by either chamber, compromise is reached on the text in conference committee before it goes to the President

President:
Has ten days to sign the bill into law
- If the bill is not signed in ten days it goes straight into law
- President can veto the bill it is then sent back to Congress in which changes can be made to be voted on again OR Congress can override the veto with a 2/3 vote
- Pocket veto: If Congress goes out of session before the ten days are up and the President does not sign, the bill is immediatly vetoed and it cannot return to Congress

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- criminal trials held and lawsuits begin
-94 total district courts
- judges and jury

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Providing Public Services: The Bureacracy is responsible for providing a wide range of public services, such as maintaining highways, managing national parks, and providing disaster releif.

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Providing Public Services: The Bureacracy is responsible for providing a wide range of public services, such as maintaining highways, managing national parks, and providing disaster releif.

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Marbury v. Madison (1803) established Judicial Review, a power not originally in Constitution!!

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Marbury v. Madison (1803) established Judicial Review, a power not originally in Constitution!!

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The president can use his status and authority from being in office to influence opinions and make statements that can sway policy

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Requirements to be in the House of Representatives 

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Requirements to be in the House of Representatives 

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- must be 25 years old
- must have been a U.S citizen for 7 years
- Must be an Inhabitant of the state they are running for

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Supreme Court’s calendar of cases it will hear.

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Political Parties that a specific person supports can depend on personal background, Mass Media, Public officials and Parties & interest groups.

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Latin for "friend of the court", a person or organization that is not a party to a lawsuit but that has a strong intrest in the case and wants to participate, usually by filing a brief in support of one parties position.

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A formal request for the Supreme Court to order a lower court to send up the record of the case for review.

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-13 total appeal courts
-split into "circuits"/ districts
- no jury
- panel of 3 judges
- no "redo" of cases
- Remand, Reverse, Affirm

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1. Younger
2. Minorities
3. LGBTQ
4. Women
5. Urban

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Living symbol of the nation

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Role of the President to serve as the Head of the Armed Forces. This is a role of the President but also a formal power.  Expands military policy.

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- Majority Opinion- Views of more than 5.

- Concurring Opinion- Agrees with the decision made by the majority of the court, but states different reasons as the basis of the decision

- Dissenting Opinion- Views of less than 5, or the one that is not passed.

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The Iron Triangle, which is the idea that committees in the federal government, the federal bureaucracy, and interest groups all work together to develop and expand their political influence. 

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The Iron Triangle, which is the idea that committees in the federal government, the federal bureaucracy, and interest groups all work together to develop and expand their political influence. 

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Promotes ideas and thoughts of party
Helps other party members win election by endorsing and campaigning for them

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Has government-sponsored companies under some programs to keep things running. For example, amtrack is the nation wide train transportation company and this is a federally ran company

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Has government-sponsored companies under some programs to keep things running. For example, amtrack is the nation wide train transportation company and this is a federally ran company

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-Highest Court
- Chooses the cases it wants to hear
- constant constitutional issues
- 9 justices and no jury

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The executive branch is responsible for conducting foreign policy, inluding negotiating treaties, managing diplomatic relations, and providing foreign aid.

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The executive branch is responsible for conducting foreign policy, inluding negotiating treaties, managing diplomatic relations, and providing foreign aid.

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The president can induct an executive order that directs a federal agency/office to do something. Sort of a way to bypass congress. Purpose is to ensure laws are "faithfully executed".

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Gives a “State of the Union” address to Congress each year - gives an update on how the nation is doing and setting legislative goals for the year
- Stated in the Constitution - Article II

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The bureacracy is responsible for regulating varios industries like banking and energy. This involves everything from setting standards to enforcing regulations

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The bureacracy is responsible for regulating varios industries like banking and energy. This involves everything from setting standards to enforcing regulations

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1. Middle Age/older
2. Men
3. White
4. Rural

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Precedent- Court cases establish “rules” that become law and are then used in future cases with similar facts.

Stare Decisis- “Let the decision stand.” Judges must use precedent when deciding on new cases.

Binding Precedent- When district courts must follow the decision of the appeals court in the circuit.

Persuasive Precedent- Judges can consider past decisions in other district courts & appeals courts.

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They participate in political campaigns with the goal of influencing decision/policy making. These also influence voters.

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Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint

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Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint

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Judicial Activism:
- Courts have active role in policy making
-Solving problems
-Rule actions by other branches unconstitutional
-Overlaps with living constitution.

Judicial Restraint:
-Courts should defer to democratically elected branches
-Judicial review only used when obviously unconstitutional
-Not judiciary's job to solve problems
-Respect precedent
Overlaps with originalism.

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A political party is formally defined as a group of political activists who organize to win elections, operate the government and to determine public policy.

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to propose constitutional amendments
EX: 14th amendment overruled Scott v. Standford

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Green Party,Democratic Party, Republican party,Libertarian, Socialist , and etc are all different types of political parties.

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1. The DNC and the RNC are the organizations that represent the democratic and republican parties. They have many employees they help fundraising, advertising, recruiting, polling, research, etc.
2. These groups run the national convention every 4 years.
3. National Chairperson - The chief strategist and spokesperson of the party.
4. Non law making committees in each house of congress:
- NRSC
- NRCC
- DSCC
- DCCC

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-Must be 30 years old
- U.S citizenship for at least 9 years
-Must be an inhabitant of the state they are running for

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Creates plans to help the economy prosper and proposes a budget each year (although Congress has final say)

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The President has to be elected and serves for 4 years with a Vice President. Article 2 explains the Electoral College as well. The President must be at least 35, lived in the US for 14 years, and has to be a Natural Born Citizen. The President can be removed and impeached and if this happens the roles of the President falls on the Vice President. The President is the Commander in Chief and has the role of appointing department heads, judges, and ambassadors. The President can make treaties but they have to be approved by 2/3 of the Senate. The President has to deliver the State of the Union.

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- party in the electorate: refers to all individuals who claim they are a part of the political party, feel loyalty to the group ( ex: identifying as a republican instead of an independent voter.
-party organization: Provides structure for the parties by picking potential candidates to support/ endorse that best line with their interests.
-party in government: those who are elected and appointed officials who identify with a specific political party (ex: Joe Biden identifies as a Democrat)

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political parties consist of different ideologies (think of a spectrum).

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political parties consist of different ideologies (think of a spectrum).

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LEFT
radical - favors immediate / fundamental social change (potential violence)
liberal - generally favors change through peaceful means

moderate - want some change, some things to remain the same (mix of beliefs)

conservative - favors tradition, less change, emphasizes individual liberty
reactionary - seek to undo any change, wants the "good ole days" (potential violence)
RIGHT

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Legislation that prevents federal courts from hearing certain types of cases.
- the Senate's "Advice and Consent" powers
approving nominations of all federal judges
- advising the president on nominees

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Directs U.S. foreign policy and negotiates with, as well as forms healthy relationships with, foreign countries.

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The president's ability to enter the US into agreements with other countries that doesn't require a formal treaty and can be done without the advice and consent of the senate.

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department of agriculture: responsible for developing laws on farming, rural economic development, forestry, and food.

department of transportation: makes laws and make sure safety is enforced on all public transportation like trains roads and flight.

department of treasury: oversees the engraving and printing of the us mint and controls inflation.

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The Third Party and political parties are political parties that are not as powerful as the  Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
Socialist-Focuses on Feminism, Living within your own , homophobia, etc.
Libertarian- The Libertarian Party supports laissez-faire policies, small government, and is characterized by being socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
Splinter Parties usually occur when members form larger political parties break off from them.
Ex. Breaking off from a far left democratic party going to the republican leaning far right.
Single issue parties usually only focus on one specific issue in politics or America.

Green Party- Focuses on the Planet and how to keep it healthy and safe this is an example of a Single issue Party.

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Power of the purse (the power to tax) -
- government can borrow money

necessary and proper clause- congress can make bills that are necessary and proper to carry out implied powers

ex: Military can enact a draft to carry

interstate commerce - Congress has the power to create bills regulating interstate commerce

expressed powers- powers explicitly stated in the constitution

congress gives delegated discretionary authority to bureaucratic agencies

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the two major political parties are the Democratic party and the Republican party.

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the two major political parties are the Democratic party and the Republican party.

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Democrats (liberal):
left, favors enacting policies that promote change, equality, and justice; progressive viewpoints; government should intervene in the economy to fix disparities caused by capitalism.
Republicans (conservative):
right, favors tradition / less change; limited government involvement in the economy; regulation o moral issues; strong military complex.

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Inequality of Political and Economic Resources 

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Inequality of Political and Economic Resources 

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- Some groups have larger memberships or are very well-funding, increasing the influence they have.
- This creates unequal access to policymakers because they can hire more lobbyists with their funds.

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- the president has an opportunity to speak out and be listened to on any matter
- usually through modern technology, social media, or the state of the union address

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"Free Riders" are people who benefit from an interest group's efforts without joining/supporting the group (which usually means paying dues). These people believe there is no point in assisting these groups trying to make a change when they can benefit for free.

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judicial appointments are confirmed if there is no objection to them by the senators from the appointee's state.
- impeachment
- Congressional legislation to modify the impact of prior Supreme Court decisions

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An addition from the president that goes along with their signing off on a law. Can be controversial because of uncertain legal status.

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Monetary: tends to encourage individuals to go out and spend money on cars, loans, houses, etc.
conservatives tend to prefer this policy which they tend to regard as wasteful government spending and unnecessary government influence. It also allows for more private investment and less gov control.
Fiscal: More spending on things like infrastructure, education, and unemployment benefits. In short, the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy.
- Liberals tend to prefer this and consider monetary policy weak to address sudden and drastic declines in demand in the economy.

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If an interest group is considered a "non profit", then they are allowed to receive unlimited amounts of money. As long as you spend 50.1% of your money on your nonprofit, then you can spend the rest on political activity, and they are not required to disclose donors.

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-A political group tries to change a voting district to create a result that helps them or hurts the group that is against them.

Miller vs Johnson- 1995-"affirmative gerrymandering/racial gerrymandering", where racial minority-majority electoral districts are created during redistricting to increase minority Congressional representation.

What ended gerrymandering - Shaw vs Reno- that using race as redistricting is unconstitutional.

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One of the most impactful ways a President can influence the country past their term is by electing judges. When selecting a judge, they can pick someone who best suits their political ideals and someone who would fight for the same causes as them.

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President “may recommend such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” (Recommending new laws/taxes)

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the process by which individuals gain their political attitudes / opinions.

generational effects:
different voting patterns and political beliefs for people in different generations. generations differ on key social issues, foreign policy, government involvement in the economy, etc. generally, younger generations are more liberal than their older counterparts.
effects of major events:
the impacts of macro-events in American History can affect individual beliefs and even cause political trends in entire generations.
life cycle effects:
the variety of physical, social, and psychological changes people go through as they age. people focus on different political issues at different points in their life. young people and old people care about different things naturally.

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Trustee: An elected official relying ultimately on their own judgement to make decisions.
Delegate: An elected official only makes decisions based on the opinions of their consitutuents.
Politico: An elected offical makes decisions based on a combination of the first two.
Partisan: An elected official voting based on party lines.

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Loose:
- constitution is broad
- broader interpretation tends to broaden the federal governments power
- Constitution is an evolving document

Strict:
- Constitution means what it says
- strict belief to what is written
- no in between
- limited interpretation
- constitution should be applied by "original intent"

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Jurisdiction is the courts authority to hear a case.
- Matters dealing with the constitution. (Including B.O.R.)
- Matters dealing with the federal law
- Civil cases between people of two different states. (Exceeding $75,000)
- U.S. Government v.s. private entites
- Most crimes and civil cases are handled in state courts, not federal.

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Single Member Districts - Candidate who wins the most votes or a plurality in a field of districts wins.
Proportional system (found in European countries) - Allows multiple parties to have control in a legislative body.  Votes are divided by the proportion of votes received by the various parties.
1. Hard for third parties to get funds.
2. Third parties have a hard time with ballot access. Too get on the ballot you have to pay a fee and have a certain amount of signatures.
3. Media tends to ignore third party candidates and not invite them to major debates.

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Communication and technology through the presidency

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Communication and technology through the presidency

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The president's relationship with the national constituency has been influenced through the increase in modern technology and social media that allows the president to communicate policy initiatives and reach a wide audience. Also, modern technology allows us to nationally broadcast the State of the Union address, making it more publicized and major.

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Criminal: the entity bringing the case is the government, the accused is trying to prove their innocence.

Civil: when a conflict between 2 ppl/ businesses or a person and a business must be solved. The plaintiff starts a lawsuit against a defendant.

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- recruiting candidates from public office: if parties did not search out and encourage political hopefuls, far more offices would be uncontested, and voters would have limited choices.
-organizing and running elections: organize voter registration drives, recruit volunteers to work at the polls, provide most of the campaign activity to stimulate interest in the election, and work to increase participation.
-Presenting alternative policies for operating the government: parties are focused on a set of political positions.
-Accepting responsibility for operating the government: staffing the executive branch with loyal party supporters and developing linkages among the elected officials to gain support for policies and their implementation.
-Acting as the organized opposition to the party in power: by organizing the opposition to the “in” party, the opposition party forces debate on the policy alternatives.

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Member of Congress that meet to pursure common legislative goals
- Easier to form long-lasting coalitions in the Senate

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When one political party controls the executive branch and an opposing political party controls the legislative branch, results in less legislation being passed due to checks between branches.

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 different things that the executive branch bureaucracy does:

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 different things that the executive branch bureaucracy does:

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Confucts diplomacy and foreign leaders

Manages national emergencies & disasters

Administers federal agencies and departments

Conducts Intellegence gathering and analysis

Develops and implements national security policies

Regulates commerce and trade

Protects the environment and natural recources

Promotes public health and safety

Implements and enforces immigration laws

Conducts census and immigration research

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congress creates legislation for the bureaucracy to enforce. they can question the cabinet and make sure that the departments are doing what they are supposed to.

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Direct Primary

a primary where voters directly select the candidates who will run for office

National Convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.

National Committee

One of the institutions that keep the party operating between conventions. The national committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories.

Congressional Campaign Committee

an organization maintained by a political party to raise funds to support its own candidates in congressional elections

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Soft Money

political contributions made in such a way as to avoid the United States regulations for federal election campaigns (as by contributions to a political action committee)

Hard Money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.