Day 15

advantages of incumbency
franking privilege
art 1 sec 6
reapportionment and redistricting
gerrymandering
membership in congress
underrepresented minorities in congress
bicameralism
articles of the federal constitution
leadership in congress
congressional bureaucracy,
amendments 16, 12, 17, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27
debate in the senate
how a bill is passed
attentive public
committee and subcommittees
logrolling
senatorial courtesy
functions of congress
duties and powers of the president
qualifications for congress and the presidency
advisors of the president
honeymoon
lame duck
state of the union address
veto
VP
budget making
organization of the bureaucracy
functions of the bureaucracy
presidential line of succession
structure of the federal judiciary
laws of the US, criminal law
state
adversarial system of the courts
justiciable case
class action suit
jury
standing and sue

pccpolisci.blogspot.com

finished congress

talking about the judiciary, we talk about u.s. law
we have case laws instead of common laws
the laws that congress makes are statutes
or "statutory law"

congress is bicameral (literally two houses)
divided into committees and subcomitties
the committees are organized for more efficient work

importn committees and permanent committees are referred to as "standing committees"
joint committtees are made up of members of both the senate and the house

conference committee is used for passing bills, because the house and senate bills are often different

special or selct comitteees - only set up when needed

rules committee - happens only in the house, "house rules committee"
only exists in the house
makes rules and arrangements for debate
time limits, context limits
decide what day the bill will be debated on, and the rules committee puts it in the calendar
logrolling is a term that refers to the cooperation of the members

congress relies on one another to know certain specific things about the country

congresisonal bureaucracy
aids and assistants
legislative, administrative, the people who do the work of the legislature
research, writing of the bill
advising congresspersons on how to view a bill
file papers, answer phones, takes care of the little details

committee aids

agencies - set up to help both houses

functions of congress - first to pass laws

1. trustees; given leeway to use their discretion
2. instructed delegates
3. politico

service to constituents
role of ombudsperson
helping with problems the constituents have with bureaucracy
oversight function - congress is responsible to follow up and hold bureaucracy responsible
political education - an unfulfilled responsibility of congress
resolve conflicts
the core of all these things is the legislature; laws that help the people

apportionment and redistricting
the great compromise set up the two houses, HR set up based on population
the question was how to count people (slaves were originally 3/5s of a person)
knowing that the population would change, they put in a census clause;
every 10 years the house would be re-apportioned - article 1 section 2 clause 3
no state would be without 1 member in the house and 2 in the senate

originally, it was 30000 citizens to every house member

gerrymandering page 349 figure 10-1
dividing of the districts is referred to gerrymandering

gerrymandering:
the redrawing of the districts to ensure that the political party remains in power

safe district is the district that a party is likely to win, based on majority of supporters in the party

membership: qualifications and terms of membership; length of term, perks, etc

powers of congress
enumerated powers - article 1 section 8
implied powers

congress derives it's powers from article 1 section 8, where most of the powers are explicitly stated
implied powers, wording in the constitution that implies a power
- necessary and proper claus article 1 section 8 clause 18
things mention about the economy: power of congress to collect taxes for the welfare of the people

privelages given to members of congress
-congresspersons are paid to do their work
-they are given much power
-subsidized meals
-travel paid for
-special research and travel grants
-franking privilege (free mail)

honeymoon is the period when a person first starts in their positions, the good part before bitterness sets in

the core of what congress does, how congress makes laws (congressional process)
passing of a bill into law - page 362

the president of the united states can send a bill to be passed
(for example the budget)
sends a proposal
any other bill can be proposed by members of congress
the more people that sign onto the bill, the more chance of success it hass

the action of a bill through the house of representatives
1. when the bill is ready, it is introduced (the announcement in the house of what the bill is about)
the house will take the bill and give it a number (hr ***)
one kind of bill must begin in the house first: all revenue bills and money bills must 2. go to the house first
the speaker of the house will pick the appropriate committee to send the bill to
3. then it is sent to the sub-committe ( sub-committees are the workhorse of congress)
analysis, checking of amendments, then they vote to see if the bill should be advanced
4. sent back to the parent committee, that then develops the strategy and defense of the bill
5. rules committee then decides on the terms of debate, time, context etc. and put on the calendar so everyone knows when the debate will happen
on the appropriate day and time, it will receive floor action (debate on the floor)
6. the debate will happen, amendments will be cited if allowed by the rules committee, then voted on
if not enough votes for the bill are acquired, the bill dies at this point
if it passes, it goes to the senate

in the senate, the first four steps are mirrored, but the fifth is absent
there is a tradition of unlimited debate in the senate
in the debate, the senate can hold a bill hostage by filibustering (talking without pause, unless they are stopped by cloture, which requires a 3/5s vote)
the senate also has something called "riders," additions to the bill that might get passed even though they might not be directly related to the bill
then they vote, if they have enough votes, it will pass
it is very rare that bills passed in both houses will agree, both in wording and in intent

at this point, after the bill has passed in both houses, they send both verisons to the conference committee to make the two into one
then the conference committee sends the final version to both houses to be approved
after both houses approve, it can go forward (if both or either refuse to pass the bill, then it dies)
during the approval, no more amendments are allowed

after both are approved, it is sent to the president for approval. at this point it is called a congressional bill
the president has communication with the congress when the bill is being passed, letting them know that he will not allow it to pass if certain conditions are not passed
if he vetoes it, he has to actively write a message to accompany his veto; he must do this within 10 working days
after ten working days if he doesn't act, the bill becomes law automatically

after congress sends the bill to the president, if congress adjourns before the 10 days pass, then the president can not sign the bill and not veto, and the bill dies
the pocket veto only works if congress reaches the end of a congressional session at the same time they send the president the bill

if the veto comes, congress must have 2/3 vote to override it
S 67 votes
HR 290 votes

line item veto (no longer valid) was a way for the president to pick and choose which parts of the bill he liked

singing statements are statements made instead of a veto
in this situation the president realizes he would lose if he vetoed
instead he signs the bill into law, and says that even though it will be a law, he will not enforce it the congress wants to enforce it

any law that congress passes is called a statute

presidential vetoes - page 385

president of the united states
he is hte head of state
(qualification listed in the constitution)

functions of the president
head of state - p 375
-plays a ceremonial role
-the role of head of state is the embodiment of the whole of the united states
-receives ambassadors, does ceremonial role

he is also the chief executive, the head of government
the one who enforces the laws

as an executive, the president appoints the head of agencies (secretaries of state)
except for the head of the judicial branch
appoints justices of the supreme court
president is also given the power in article 2 section 2 to pardon people
can also grant reprieve from sentence
can also commute a sentence (reduce)

pg 378

the president is not the one who declares war; that power resides in congress (except when congress voted for the president to be able to choose)
the commander in chief directs the military
1973 saw a bill passed that allowed the president to deploy troops and then report to congress within 48 hours

chief diplomat
conducts relations with other countries

the president is also in charge of signing treaties
treaties also require senate's ratification

executive agreements are a separate issue

pres is responsible for the state of the union address
pres recommends bills to be passed in congress
vetoes laws

powers of president - 386
constitutional power
statutory power
expressed power
inherent (implied) power

p 389 the approval of the president and responsibility
the president is responsible to the whole of the united states

391 special powers of the president
emergency powers
executive orders
- the commands of the president on carrying out laws
executive privilege - the right not to disclose whatever conversations he has with his advisors; nixon claimed this power; clinton claimed this power
-the privilege is not upheld if the president is accused of committing a crime

if the president abuses his power, he can be impeached

how the presidency is organized pg 411

eop
cabinet of 15 departments
agencies

1. independent executive agencies - p 411/414
- for example CIA and NASA
2. regulatory agencies - p 411/415
3. government corporations - p411/416

in 1789 there were only 4 departments

page 410 - pie chart

vice president - president of the president
does whatever the president wants him to do

succession of the presidency - pg 400