Congress, President, and Bureaucracy - Test Review

1. Identify and define the types of congressional committees.
   standing - permanent committees dealing w/ a specific subject matter
   select - created for a specific purpose
   joint - runs policy areas; Library of Congress
   conference - resolves different versions of House and Senate bills
   
2. What does most of the work of Congress take place?
   in committees and subcommittees
   
3. Why do incumbents usually win re-election?
   advantages like name recognition, franking privilege, casework
   
4. What is legislative oversight? What are tools Congress can use for legislative oversight?
   when Congress investigates how portions of the bureaucracy are doing their job; they can use hearings, budget issues
   
5. What is pork barrel legislation? How does it help a representative or senator in reelection?
   Congressional spending usually for projects that aren’t necessary; helps a representative or senator because they’re thought to help their constituents
   
6. Why are congressional districts redrawn? Who is responsible for redrawing district lines?
   To reflect the changes in apportion of House seats; state legislatures
   
7. What are the legislative powers of Congress?
   make laws: tax and spend
   
8. What is the process of making a law? What happens to most bills?
   introduced, sent to sub committees (most details are worked out here), committees, full House; most bills die in committees
   
9. What is the budget process?
   president and OMB proposed suggested budget; congress has final say
   
10. Compare and contrast the House of Representative and the Senate. Include special powers of each house, party leadership, and rules
    powers of house: write articles of impeachment; start revenue bills; elect the President in an Electoral College tie
    powers of senate: acts as jury in impeachment trial; approves Cabinet appointments, federal judges, treaties; elect the VP in an Electoral College tie
    leadership: House is more in control over members and debates; less structured in Senate
    rules: different rules on debate - unlimited in Senate; limited by Rules Committee in House; House - very structured rules
    
11. Who makes up the executive branch?
    president, vice-president, cabinet, white house staff
    
12. What are the formal powers of the president?
    serve as commander in chief of the armed forces, make treaties, grant pardons and reprieves, appoint Cabinet heads, federal judges, veto bills passed by Congress
    
13. How does one become a member of the White House staff?
    be a longtime associate of the president, probably work on his campaign. White House staff is the president’s closest advisors
    
14. What is the role of the vice president?
    the importance of the vice president depends on his or her relationship with the president and the duties the president asks him or her to assume. He also presides over the Senate.
    
15. How is the vice president chosen?
    usually to appease a certain portion of the electorate (example - Sarah Palin was a Conservative Republican and a woman)
    
16. How are Cabinet members chosen?
    by the President and approved by the Senate
    
17. Who controls foreign affairs?
    President with advice from the Secretary of State
    
18. What can the president do when presented with a bill for signature?
    sign the bill, veto a bill, hold onto the bill for 10 days w/o signing it (if Congress in session, it becomes a law; if Congress not in session it is a pocket veto)
    
19. What causes drops in American’s trust of the government?
    the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal, other scandals involving high ranking government officials
    
20. How can Congress check the president?
    impeachment, not approving appointments, not giving declaration of war, overriding veto

21. What is impeachment? What presidents were impeached?
    process where an official is accused of unlawful activities. Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson were impeached but not convicted or removed from office.

22. What are executive orders? How do they differ from legislation and treaties?
    executive orders have the force of law but don’t have to be approved by congress

23. What makes up the federal bureaucracy?
    Cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, independent regulatory commissions, government corporations

24. Who oversees the bureaucracy? How do they oversee the bureaucracy?
    president and congress.
    president by appointing agency heads and suggesting a budget
    Congress by confirming appointments, submitting legislation that cuts an agency’s budget, holding oversight hearings or creating legislation to clarify agency regulations and procedures

25. What is the biggest portion of the federal budget?
    entitlement programs (social security and medicare)

26. What is the purpose fo the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
    planning out the national budget for the president

27. What’s the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?
    medicare is available to all Americans over age 65 while medicaid is needs based

28. Why is it hard to change entitlement programs?
    they’re popular among their numerous beneficiaries

29. What is impeachment? What presidents were impeached?
    veto: president and congress have to interact and bargain, negotiate, and compromise. also congress may not act if the president is clearly opposed or threatens a veto.
    executive orders: congress will not act on controversial issues; congress responds to executive orders with new laws.
    commander in chief: congress angages in oversight activities; congress uses war powers act; congress controls military spending