American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

THE STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS| 271 platform for raising campaign cash. Finally, most incumbents represent states or districts whose ...

The seniority norm also serves individual and institutional purposes. This norm holds that the member with the longest service o ...

THE STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS| 273 THE POLITICS OF PORK The infamous “bridge to nowhere,” a $435 million project to con- nect Ketch ...

274 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS The majority whip oversees the extensive whip system, which has three functions: information gathering, ...

THE STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS| 275 sibility is to get their party’s legislative agenda through Congress; their positive powers in t ...

276 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS Leaders also must have the ability to bargain and compromise. One observer noted,  “To Senator Johnson, ...

THE STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS| 277 THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM The committee system in the House and Senate is another crucial part of the ...

278 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS or defense contractors in their districts will want to be on the Armed Services Committee. However, the ...

THE STRUCTURE OF CONGRESS| 279 and number of amendments to a bill that will be allowed. These decisions must be approved by a m ...

280 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS which to challenge the president. The other primary motivation was electoral: by increasing the size of ...

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW| 281 bill is matched with the committee that best fi ts its subject matter. In the House, major legisl ...

282 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS Unless restricted by a unanimous consent agreement, senators can speak as long as they want and offer a ...

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW| 283 the previous year’s levels in order to keep the government open. Congress passed four continuing ...

284 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS Key Diff erences between House and Senate Processes There are three central diff erences between the le ...

SENATE FLOOR*† SENATE AMENDS HOUSE BILL*† PASSING LEGISLATION: THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD HOUSE FLOOR*† WHITE HOUSE† VETO HOUSE FLO ...

DEVIATIONS FROM THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD: AN EXAMPLE Answers: 1.d; 2.b CONVENTIONAL STEPS after a bill is introduced. (See the pr ...

OVERSIGHT| 287 dent if he is of the opposite pa r ty. For exa mple, in President Bush’s last two years, Democrats investigated ...

288 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS the impeached offi cials. Two presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson in the controversy over Re ...

STUDY GUIDE|^289 CONGRESS’S PLACE IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM E Describe how the Founders envisioned Congress’s role. Pages 25 ...

290 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS Members of Congress generally hold multiple goals. Which goal comes fi rst? a) getting re-elected b) p ...