UNIT 2 Power and Politics PDF

Overview: Primary Responsibilities of Congress - - Secondary responsibilities - - Primary Responsibilities - - - - - - - Divided between legislative and executive branches Legislative oversight of administration (btw this is how congress extended its lawmaking powers...

Overview: Primary Responsibilities of Congress - - Secondary responsibilities - - Primary Responsibilities - - - - - - - Divided between legislative and executive branches Legislative oversight of administration (btw this is how congress extended its lawmaking powers) - - - - Representation: responding to people\'s needs and demands and also informing the public What is a representative? -people chosen to act and speak on behalf of a wider group. *Trustee*: use their own judgment that initially considers the nation THEN constituents *Delegate*: listen to public opinion (vote for the things WE want, represent US rather than nations best interest) *Politico*: mix of the 2 Four Types of Responses: - - - - Secondary Responsibilities of Congress - - - - Seating and discipling members - - - - - - Selecting Leaders for executive and judicial branches - - - - - Other Responsibilities - - - - - - CONGRESS (pt 2) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Legislative Process: how a bill becomes a law INTRO: - COMMITTEE ACTION - - - - - - - FROM COMMITTEE TO FLOOR - - - - - - - - THE PRESIDENCY Power of the president: - - - Essential features of the american presidency: - - - Defining the American President: - - - - - The presidents powers: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Power of the president--too strong or too weak? - - - - - - - THE PRESIDENCY pt 2 Presidential leadership: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The president\'s Team - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bureaucracy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Who are the bureaucrats? The merit system - - - - - - - - - - - - Powers of Bureaucracy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Monitoring Bureoaucracy: - - - - - Influencing Burecracy: - - - - - - - - - - - - Reforming Bureaucracy: - - - - - - - Public Perceptions of the Court: \*\*public opinion doesn\'t matter as much bc supreme court isn\'t directly elected \*\*approval rating is higher than congress - - - - - - - - - Which cases reach the supreme court? \*\*main most important limitation on their power is they cant strike down constitutional laws in congress, they have to wait for ppl to come to them - - - - - - Qualifications to be a justice: *none* Some expectations: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Judicial DECISION MAKING 1. a. 2. b. 3. c. 4. d. \*\*judges are people and have biases. But they are less partisan than congress. Tehy are influenced by ideology not just legal criteria **Originalism:** - - **Living constitution:** - - Can also judge justices on their ideologies (how conservative or liberal they are)