AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, STUDY GUIDE Unit 7 - CONGRESS
Study Guide - Congress AP US Government and Politics Reading / Resources: Presentation Reviews Herzog Ch.10 Quizzes: Targets 1-3 Targets 4-6 Target 7 Target 8 TERMS Bicameral Legislature millionaires club th 17 amendment congressional term reapportionment census congressional districts redistricting gerrymandering Incumbent protection districts malapportionment majority-minority districts Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) Miller v. Johnson (1995) congressional oversight powers of the purse federal budget budget surplus / deficit national debt discretionary spending mandatory spending elastic clause Incumbents marginal districts / safe districts freshman constituents franking privilege
term limits party line votes gridlock committees standing subcommittees joint conference select rules committee appropriations committee ways & means committee judiciary committee special interest caucuses intraparty committees steering committee Democratic Caucus Republican Conference Speaker of the House majority leader minority leader whips 94 Republican Revolution Contract with America congressional staffers staff agencies CBO GAO CRS filibuster cloture / Rule 22
unanimous consent joint resolution simple resolution concurrent resolution markup session calendars riders omnibus bills pork-barrel legislation / earmarks privileged speech
TARGETS / ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 7.1 The role of Congress in government 1a How did the Framers view congress? What role did they expect congress to take in government? 1b Over time, how has the power & influence of congress changed relative to that of the executive branch? 7.2 Constitutional structure of Congress 2a 2b Article of the constitution provides the basic structure of congress Define the principle of bicameralism. How does this principle keep congress s power in check? i. Identify other limitations on the power of congress 2c Review the scheme of representation in the House & Senate. 2d Direct election of Senators: (1). How were Senators originally elected? (2). Describe the millionaire s club (3). The th amendment to the constitution required the direct election of Senators 2e Define each of the following as they relate to Congress: (1) Congressional term (2) Reapportionment (3) Congressional district
(4) Gerrymandering (5) Malapportionment i. Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) (6) Majority-minority districts i. Miller v. Johnson (1995) 7.3 Powers and Function of Congress 3a Identify the three essential powers of Congress: 3b Describe each of these essential powers: (1) Lawmaking - Constitutional Powers (Formal process covered latter) (2) Oversight (be sure to know some examples of oversight) (3) Define Powers of the Purse
7.3 IN DEPTH - POWERS OF THE PURSE Where your $ goes: Chronic deficits: Congressional committees: Politics of the Budget
7.4 Demographics of Congress 4a 4b Traditionally dominated by, congress has become more diverse in recent decades. Who is Congress? (1) Race (2) Gender (3) Religion (4) Occupation 4c Define the incumbency principle: 4d What is the difference between safe and marginal districts? 4e Explain the main reasons behind the success of incumbents: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) 7.5 Representing the People 5a Should Congress be or? (1) In your view, should Congress be a body that acts decisively, or is there virtue in the slow deliberative process that congress sometimes adopts? Write a one sentence response: 5b Describe the two opposing philosophies of representation: (1) What is the difference between a Delegate and a Trustee?
(2) Identify the difference between a CITIZEN legislator and a CAREER legislator? (3) In your view, should congress simply be the arm of the people to do its will, or should they do what s best for the people even though it may be against the will of the people? One sentence response: 5c List the factors that influence how a member of Congress votes. Which do think is most important? 7.5 CASE STUDY - TERM LIMITS (Should we have term limits? Would term limits make congress more effective?) 7.6 Conflict & Public Perception of Congress 5a Today, Congress is more. i. What evidence is there to substantiate this claim? 6b How is political conflict an inherent part of Congress? 6c In recent years, how has public perception of congress changed?
7.7 The Organization of Congress 7a Identify one constitutional & one political factor that influence the way congress is organized? 7b List the main power centers in Congress? 7c For each element of congress below, explain how it acts as center of political power: (1) Committees... (2) Caucuses...
(3) Political Parties... (4) Leadership... i. List the formal powers of the Speaker: ii. How important is personal skill for leaders in congress? Identify some examples of leadership in congress 7d How does the House and Senate Compare? (Use the T Chart Below)
7e Describe the role of both staffers and staff agencies in congress: (1) Congressional Staff... (2) Congressional Staff Agencies... 7.8 Process and Politics of Lawmaking. 8a Identify the four basic steps in the lawmaking process: 8a Types of Proposed Laws: (1) Public / Private bills (2) Resolutions...
8b In the space below, create a graphic organizer to illustrate the steps in the law making process: HOUSE SENATE
8c Identify the rules and strategies in the law-making process 8d How are politics woven into the process of lawmaking? 7.8 CASE STUDY - THE POLITICS OF WEAPONS There is a saying in politics: all politics local politics How does the case study illustrate this point? Answer this question by outlining the facts of the case study in space below:
PROJECTS / IN DEPTH TBA OUTSIDE READINGS Required: Bush signs Unborn Victims of Violence Act... Handout Great example of the politics of the lawmaking process.
GENERAL NOTES... CONGRESS -16-