AP Government Test Review Sheet
Unit 2: Congress, the President and the Budget Process
Policymaking +representation of the people
The Representatives and Senators
Generalists
Power, salary, perks, office space, benefits, staff, travel
Member demographics
Congressional Elections
Advantages of incumbency
franking
Pork barrel /earmark
Role of Party Identification
Gerrymandering
Term limits
The House – 435 strong – age 25, residency req.
Institutionalized, centralized, hierarchical, less anarchic than Senate.
More party loyalty, less egalitarian.
Initiate all revenue bills and can come up with impeachment charges.
Power of House Rules Committee
Congressional Leadership: Speaker, Majority Leader, Whips
The Senate – 100 –age 30 – residency req.- more moderate ideologically
Ratify treaties and confirm officials and hold impeachment trials
Egalitarian
Party leaders do the scheduling
Filibuster
the “nuclear option”
The Senate -
Role of VP
Senate Majority Leader Senate Minority leader
Committees and Subcommittees
Standing committees
Congress – avg. 2 committees and 4 subs
Senate – 3 committees and 7 subs
Joint committees
Conference committees
Select committees
conference committee
legislative oversight
Chairs and Seniority System
1970s 1995 reforms reduce committees power, increase leadership’s
Caucuses
Congressional Staff- casework
Committee Staff
Staff agencies -
Congressional Research Service
Government Accountability Office -GAO
Congressional Budget Office – CBO
The Congressional Process
Decentralization after 1970 and polarization since the 1980s has led to “unorthodox” lawmaking.
House – 2 strategies:
- Put bill in lots of committees
- fast track
omnibus bills
Party Influence –
Most cohesive votes – on leadership
Least cohesive – issues related votes – social welfare and economic policies
Greater polarization due to gerrymandering
compliance by “whips”, committee assignments, pork, providing information.
Congressional campaign committees
Constituency v. Ideology – 3 ideas
Trustee idea
Instructed delegates idea
Politicos
Ways constituents can influence lawmaking –
single issue voters= high saliency
complex= less saliency, reps vote ideology.
Lobbyists and Interest Groups
How lobbyists influence reps:
campaign contributions, political intelligence, financial aid, grassroots lobbying, distribute scorecards
How reps affect lobbyists:
Can ignore, embarrass, expose tactics, spread rumors, regulate
1995 law requires reporting of issues, spending, clients, Restricted gifts, meals and travel.
Representativeness v. Effectiveness
Defense of Congress: decisive action – huge tax cuts of 1981 and 2001, tax reform of 1986, trade bills, prescription drug coverage, No Child Left Behind.
Chapter 13: The Presidency
Myth v. Reality
Strength of the presidency – too strong or not strong enough??
inevitably prone to expand the scope and power of the government?
political skills – influence, manage, negotiate.
Rich WASP legacy recently broken
Elections: 22nd Amendment (1951)
Succession and Impeachment:
Impeachment – House brings charges, Senate tries, SCOTUS chief presides.
Standards for impeachment: Does not have to break a law, grave, not based on policy disagreement
Two impeached: Johnson and Clinton. Nixon escaped by resigning.
25th amendment (1967)
presidential succession
Presidential Powers
Constitutional Powers: CHART ON PAGE 398
National security – commander in chief, treaties (2/3 vote of Senate), ambassadors (majority of Senate),
Legislative – state of the union, recommend legislation, convene both houses, adjourn Congress if they can’t agree, veto
Administrative – execute the law, nominate officials, request opinions, fill vacancies
Judicial - reprieves and pardons, nominate judges
Expansion of Power- Shifts in Pres. Power
50s and 60s v. 70s v. 80s
Recent: gridlock
Running the Government: The Chief Executive
The federal bureaucracy :responsive to the President’s policies v. “neutral competence”
The Vice President
The Cabinet – SEE PAGE 403 FOR TABLE OF POSITIONS
The Executive Office
Security Council, NSC – links foreign policy and military advisers
The Council of Economic Advisers - COE – three appointed leaders / advisers. Prepare annual report.
Office of Management and Budget - OMB – Prepare the president’s budget.
The White House Staff – SEE PAGE 406
2 types of organization:
hierarchical – like a pyramid
wheel and spokes – all have equal status and balance against each other
Roles: write options, negotiate agreements, write speeches, control paperwork, shape laws
The First Lady
Exceptionally powerful first ladies: Adams, Madison, Wilson, Roosevelt.
Lady Bird Johnson precedent
Hillary Clinton = groundbreaking
Presidential Leadership of Congress:
Chief Legislator
Veto, pocket veto, line item veto
Signing statements
Party Leadership
Bonds of Party – psychological bond
Slippage of Party Support
Leading the Party– coattails.
Electoral Mandates
Legislative Skills:Bargaining, appeals, consultation, prioritizing, structuring votes.
The President and National Security Policy
Negotiate, command armed forces, wage war, manage crises, garner support from Congress
Chief Diplomat – diplomatic recognitions & termination, treaty negotiations , executive agreements
Commander in Chief –
War Powers Resolution
Crisis Manager –
Working With Congress –“two presidencies” – foreign and domestic.
The Public Presidency, bully pulpit, ceremonial duties.
Presidential Approval ratings
The President and the Press: contrarian tone
Press secretary, Press conferences
Executive Orders
Chapter 14: Congress, the President and the Budget
Source of Federal Revenue
Taxes: Income Tax – 16thamendment - IRS
KEY GRAPHIC ON PAGE 437 ON FEDERAL REVENUES
Progressive tax, Flat taxes, sales taxes
Social Insurance Taxes –
Borrowing: Treasury bonds, intergovernmental borrowing
structural debt v. temporary debt
Tax Loopholes
Tax expenditures –Subsidies
Tax Policies under – Reagan, H. Bush, Clinton, W. Bush, Obama
Tax indexing, sequestration
Federal Expenditures
SEE GRAPHIC ON PAGE 445 OF HOW SPENDING HAS GROWN.
The Rise and Decline of the National Security State
military-industrial complex
Rise of the Social Service State
Social Security, disability, Medicare, Prescription drug benefit
Incrementalism, Uncontrollable Expenditures/ entitlements
The Budgetary Process
The OMB
House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees
Budget Committees and CBO – Congressional Budget Committee (Congress’s OMB)
Appropriations Committees
The GAO – Governmental Accounting Office
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
Budget resolution
Budget reconciliation
Authorization bill
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act – Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act.
1993 –Budget shutdown, divided government.