What are the tasks of joint committees in Congress?
The joint committee seeks to find a compromise between the different versions of the bill, a procedure that often involves substantial redrafting. Joint committees are also convened to carry out congressional investigations, or to discuss business the two
What are advantages incumbents have over their challengers?
The incumbents have a higher possibility of winning the election over the challenge for a different number of reason but some of these reasons can be because they can raised more money than the challengers. They also had been successful getting elected be
How does Congress conduct legislative committees?
The main purpose of Congress having the oversight function is to see how well the executive branch is carrying out the laws passed by Congress. How they check the bureaucracy. Investigations and hearings
Legislative Committees
Legislative committees are units of organization within a legislative chamber that allow groups of legislatures to review policy matters or proposed bills more closely than would be possible by the entire chamber. Roles might include initiating and amendi
How can a senator effectively prevent the Senate from voting?
Filibuster
How is membership in the House determined?
By the population of each state
For example on a major piece of health care legislation, how would members of Congress most likely vote?
Their constitutes NOT PARTY LINE
After a House committee reviews a bill and writes a report, where does the bill go?
House Rules Committee
Why are senators often unwilling to vote for cloture on a debate?
They don't want to be filibustered themselves
What can happen to a bill that is vetoed by the President?
The president marks "veto" on the bill, states his objections to it and sends it back. At this point Congress has three options. The first is to make the changes the president wants, revote the bill and send it back to the White House for signature. This
What are the steps in the process of removing a president from office?
There is a two-step process involved:
Step One
� The House of Representatives holds hearings, and then votes to impeach the President.
� If the House of Representatives votes in favor, by a simple majority, the House sends Articles of Impeachment to the S
How can Presidents attempt to influence policymaking
Meeting with party members, building bridges between party, state of the union address, media, and appealing to the public
A presidential candidate is most likely to choose a vice presidential running mate that possesses these important traits?
Many presidential candidates to choose vice-presidential candidates from populous states with large numbers of electoral votes. It was hoped that voters in this state could be swayed by having a favorite son on the ticket. Or someone from a different regi
What factors have the greatest influence on a citizen's approval of the President?
Party line
Why has the presidency become a more powerful institution?
However, the president is designated the commander in chief of the armed services, a grant of power that has allowed the presidency to evolve into a much more powerful institution than may have been originally intended. While the framers made no provision
What usually happens after a presidential veto?
After a presidential veto, nothing happens because the bill is killed. It will go back to Congress but it is almost impossible to get a 2/3 vote in Congress, because if the bill was that popular among Congress then the President wouldn't have vetoed it
What are powers of the president?
1)commander in chief of the armed forces and the state militia
2) appoints-with the senate's consent- head of executive departments
3) may pardon people of convicted federal crimes
4) make treaties with the advise and consent of the Senate
5) appoint amba
As set forth in the Constitution, what is the order of presidential succession after the vice president?
Speaker of the House
What institution is responsible for compiling the president's budget proposal
The Office of Management and Budget
How does the federal government borrow money from citizens
Governments usually borrow by issuing securities, government bonds and bills. FROM CITIZENS
Where does the government receive most of its revenues from?
For government, revenue includes gross proceeds from income taxes on companies and individuals, excise duties, customs duties, other taxes, sales of goods and services, dividends and interest. TAXES
What is an accurate description of the size of the federal bureaucracy
It has grown steadily since WWII and Larger
How are most federal bureaucrats hired
Most federal bureaucrats are hired through the civil service, which is a merit-based (as opposed to patronage) employment system with a competitive exams. Contrary to popular perceptions, the vast majority of federal workers are located outside of Washing
What is the main function of the federal bureaucracy
Deliver mail, maintains parks and forests, social security, utility power, defense systems, and finances
What accurately describes the relationships in an iron triangle
the iron triangle is a term used by political scientists to describe the policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups.
How do federal agencies perform their regulatory task of enforcing industry standards?
Federal agencies perform their regulatory task of enforcing industry standards by sending agency officials to inspect facilities
How does the president exercise his influence over the federal bureaucracy?
By appointing administrators sympathetic to his policy agenda
How do federal agencies differ from legislative committees?
Agencies develop and implement policies; committees formulate policies
When are federal departments most likely to receive help from interest groups?
When the budget proposal is under congressional review
Where would a citizen best express his or her concern about airport safety?
Filing a complaint with the National Transportation Safety Board
What is a requirement a plaintiff must fulfill before bring a suit to sue
After the complaint is filed, the plaintiff must file a motion to have the class certified. In some cases class certification may require discovery in order to determine its size and if the proposed class meets the standard for class certification. REASON
What are facts about the cases on the Supreme Court docket
Civil Liberties
Where do courts of appeal focus their attention on a case
The procedures and interpretation of the law in the original case. They look to see if there were any errors in the application of the law by the lower court.
How can Congress influence the ideology of the Supreme Court
1) Congress can impeach Supreme Court Justices. If a justice takes too much liberty in judicial policymaking or more blatantly abuses his or her power, the House can impeach said justice, and the Senate will hear the trial and can remove the justice with
How can you describe the federal court system
District courts
What is the final step in the Supreme Court's decision-making process?
Writing the opinion
What is the most frequent outcome of a Supreme Court case
They agree with the lower courts
How is the decision of a federal court most likely determined
The precedents
How can interest groups become involved in the judicial process
They lobby to Senators and Judges about current cases and issues. Amices curie brief, file lawsuit, ask question and comments to nominees in the judicial system
The Warren Court had the greatest impact on which area of policy
Civil Rights
What are examples of the system of checks and balances
First, the legislative branch can pass a law. The way the executive branch checks that is by either agreeing with it or vetoing it. Second, the judicial branch apprehends the laws. The executive branch checks that by choosing all the justices in the court
How do most of the cases reach the Supreme Court
There are three separate routes that cases follow to reach the Supreme Court. The first, and least common, is a case under the Court's "original jurisdiction". "Original jurisdiction" means that the Supreme Court hears the case directly, without the case
How can a president advance his proposal in Congress
Speaks with Congress, build coalition
How do Presidents exercise their influence over the ideology of federal courts
They appoint people with similar ideology to leave their stamp on the court
What principle did the Supreme Court assert in Marbury v. Madison
Further, Marshall asserted, Section 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional because Congress had vested in the Supreme Court original jurisdiction over issues not specifically ordained by the Constitution
How does Congress perform legislative oversight over executive departments
Money, budget
How do members of Congress most often vote
Party line
What are the two main responsibilities of congressional committees
Revenue bills and oversight
What usually happen when a president vetoes a bill
Nothing, impossible to pass afterwards
How can a president be removed from office
Impeachment , charge(House) then trial and vote (Senate)