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1. Bill begins in the Senate (no revenue bills)
2. Bills is introduced and assigned to committees and sometimes subcommittees
3. Bill is approved or rejected by committee and is debated by the House
4. Vote is taken whether to pass it to House
5. Conference committee resolves differences
6. Returned back to Senate for vote on revised version
7. President determines whether it becomes a law or not, and Congress may or may not overturn the veto

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1. Bill begins in the house
2. Bills is introduced and assigned to committees and sometimes subcommittees
3. Bill is approved or rejected by committee and terms of debate are set by rules committee where it is debated by the House
4. Vote is taken whether to pass it to Senate
5. Conference committee resolves differences
6. Returned back to House for vote on revised version
7. President determines whether it becomes a law or not, and Congress may or may not overturn the veto

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Legislative Powers

expressed powers

implied powers

limitations on powers

Non-legislative Powers

electoral powers

amendment powers

impeachment

executive power of Senate

investigate/oversight power

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Policymaker - make public policy through passage of legislation
Representative - represents constituents

Delegates vote based solely on constituents

Trustees vote based on constituents and their own opinions

Constituent Servant - help constituents with problems
Committee Member - serve on committees
Politician/Party Member - work to support their political party platform and get reelected

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Leadership

Committee chairpersons are majority party members chosen by party caucus

Membership

percentage of membership reflects overall percentage of Democrats and Republicans

Types of Committees

standing committees are permanent and deal with specific policy matters

select committees are temporary and deal with a specific purpose

joint committees formed with members from both houses that may be select committees or committees that deal with routine duties

conference committees are temporary with members from both houses to resolve differences in bills

Caucus

informal groups formed by members of congress who share a common goal

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U.S. Vice President - presiding officer that cannot vote and only votes to break a tie

President pro tempore - senior member in majority party and presides in absence of Senate president

Majority Leader is most influential member is often the majority party spokesperson

Minority Leader is the major spokesperson for the minority party that organizes opposition to the majority party

Whips help floor leaders direct party members in voting, inform member of impeding votes, keep track of vote counts, and pressure members to vote with party

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Speaker of the House - presiding officer and most powerful member; assigns bills to committees, controls floor debate, and appoints part members to committees

Majority Leader - major assistant to speaker that plants party's legislative program, and directs floor debates

Minority Leader - major spokesperson for the minority party that organizes opposition to the majority party

Whips help floor leaders direct party members in voting, inform member of impeding votes, keep track of vote counts, and pressure members to vote with party

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435 members (apportioned by population)

2 years per term

Qualifications:

1. at least 25 years of age

2. citizen for 7 years

3. must live in state

constituencies by districts

less prestige

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100 members (two per state)

6 years per term , staggered terms (1/3 of senate is elected every 2 years)

Qualifications:

1. at least 30 years of age

2. citizen for 9 years

3. must live in state

constituencies by state

more prestige

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Chosen from districts within states
Practices:

Reapportionment - redistribution of seats after census determines population changes

Redistricting - drawing by state legislatures of congressional districts with more than one representative

Gerrymandering - drawing congressional districts in favor of one political party or group

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Direct election of senators by the people (17th Amendment)

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Meets for a term of two years beginning on January 3

President may call special sessions

Each house of Congress chooses its own leader and makes its own rules

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Tendency of those already holding office to win reelection due to various reasons, such as:

name of recognition

franking privilege

credit claiming

casework for constituents

more visible to constituents

media exposure

fundraising abilities

experience in campaigning

voting record

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(Minor Role)

1. Tie Breaker in Senate

2. Takes over president's job if he is unfit

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Powers come in multiple forms-

Executive - enforces laws, appoints officials and assumes emergency powers
Diplomatic - negotiates treaties, meets with foreign leaders and appoints diplomats
Military - serves as commander-in-chief
Judicial
Party - party leader

Powers are limited from-

Congressional Checks - Power of the purse and Impeachment (holds the most power over the President)
Judicial Checks - judicial review
Political Checks - public opinion and popularity levels

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Win the Presidency through the ELECTORAL COLLEGE

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Win the Presidency through the ELECTORAL COLLEGE

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Electoral College elects the president. The system is made up of House and Senate members. A candidate must win a majority of 270 electoral votes.

Below is an example of how the results of a vote would look. It's all or nothing.

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US politicians studied British monarchs and American colonies to develop democracy.

Requirements --

natural citizen

35 years old

resident of US for 14 years

After becoming president, the president can serve 4 year terms for 2 terms.

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(Or lose position to VP if president is "disabled")

IMPEACHMENT

Wrongdoing of a government official

House impeaches President

Senate judges the charges (2/3 vote needed)

Chief justice of Supreme Court judges

Below is Bill Clinton, an impeached president who was later acquitted by the Senate

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Lawmakers and staff

Party (Platform)

President

Lobbyists and 3rd party group

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Caucuses-voting blocs
Amendments-small additions to the legislation
Lobbying-Trying to influence the lawmaker's decisions
Legislative Veto- Rejection of a presidential action

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Although people seem to think Americans can make do without them, bureaucrats can be doing the most simplest tasks that help out the entire population. Tasks they do include delivering mail, testing milk, clean streets, issue Social Security and student loan checks, and make sure the government is running as smoothly as possible.
The permanent bureaucracy is more broadly representative of the American population than are legislators, judges, or presidential appointees in the executive branch.

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members of the bureaucracy; one that has issues and worries with procedural correctness at the expense of the people's needs

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Most policies are not self executing. Policy implementation is the stage of policy making between the establishment of a policy and the results of the policy for individuals.

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Regulation is the most controversial role of the bureaucracies. Congress gives bureaucracies mandates to regulate like interest rates, the location of nuclear power plants and food additives

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Implementation can be effective if goals are clear and there are adequate means to achieve them. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965, specifically towards the discrimination against African American voters in the South. The act singled out 6 states in the Deep South where the number of registered African American voters was small.

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Government regulation is the use of government authority to control or change same practice in the private sector

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They are created to advise the president and operate a specific policy of governmental activity.

The 15 Cabinet departments are: State, Treasury, Defense, Interior, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security

Each of the 15 departments is usually headed by a secretary, except the Justice Department which is run by the attorney general.

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Beginnings - qualifications and political acceptability.

Spoils system - practice for giving offers and government favors to supporters; patronage

Reform movement - competitive exams failed due to inadequate funding.

Pendleton Act of 1883 - eliminated spoils system; exam-based merit system used to fill government jobs.

Hatch Act of 1939 - limits political activities for bureaucrats.

Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 - created Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide guidance to the agencies of the executive branch; abolished the U.S. Civil Service Commission.

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They are similar to cabinet departments, but they are smaller and less complex.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Environmental Protection Agency

Social Security Administration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

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It is a complex and large administrative structure that is responsible for carrying out day-to-day tasks of the organization.
Bureaucracies follow three basic principles:

Hierarchical authority - those at the top having more authority than the ones below.

Job specialization - a division of labor among workers.

Formal rules - established rules and regulations must be followed.

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Executive Agencies within the Executive Office of the President (EOP):

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Executive Agencies within the Executive Office of the President (EOP):

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White House Office

National Security Council

Office of Management and Budget

Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Office of National Drug Control Policy

Office of Policy Development

Council of Economic Advisers

Office of U.S. Trade Representative

Office of Administration

Council on Environmental Quality

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Office of the Vice President

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Ways the president tries to control the bureaucracy:

Appoint the right people to head the agency

Issue executive orders

Tinker with an agency’s budget

Reorganize an agency

Ways the Congress tries to control the bureaucracy:

Influence the appointment of agency heads

Appropriations of agency budgets

Hold hearings and conduct investigations

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They are created to allow more freedom and flexibility than exists in the regular government agencies.

The U.S. Postal Service

National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK)

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting

The Tennessee Valley Authority

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Iron triangles - are alliances among bureaucrats, interest groups, and congressional subcommittee members; subgovernments.

Issue networks - are networks that consist of people in interest groups, on congressional staffs. In bureaucratic agencies, in universities, and mass media who regularly debate an issue.

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They regulate important parts of the economy and make rules for large industries and businesses.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC)

The Federal Reserve Board (The Fed)

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It is divided into 4 types:

Cabinet Departments

Independent Executive Agencies

Independent Regulatory Agencies

Government Corporations

Influences on the Federal Bureaucracy:

Executive influences

Congressional influences

Iron triangles (subgovernments)

Issue networks

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They take congressional, presidential, and sometimes judicial assertion and develop procedures and rules for implementing policy goals

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Key inducements used by political machines
Power to control appointments or to the right to privileges
Hiring and promotion system based off political reasons rather than on merit or competence