Legislative

• Enumerated Congress Powers:

  • Explicitly listed in Article I Section 8 of the Consititution
  • Federal Funding
  • Foreign Policy
  • Military Legislation
• Implied Congress Powers:

  • Congress can pass any law that is required by the enumerated powers
  • Elastic Clause
• Committees:

  Standing

  • Endure for a long time
  • On the budget
  • House Judiciary Committee

  Joint

  • Members from Senate & The House
  • Library of Congress

  Select

  • Temporary and created for a specific purpose

  Conference

  • Formed to reconcile differences in legislation
• HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW:

  1. Member of either House or Senate can introduce a bill
  2. Bill is assigned to a committee
  3. It it's accpeted, it heads to the President
• Budget Allocations:

  Mandatory Spending:

  • Payment required by law
  • Entitlement spending
  • Medicare
  • Medicaid

  Discretionary Spending:

  • All funds remaining after mandatory spending
  • Paying federal employees

  Defecit Spending:

  • Gap between projected budget and actual funds available
• Models of Representation:

  Trustee:

  • They have been entrusted with the people's faith to vote according to the rep.'s best judgement

  Delegate:

  • They must vote with the will of the people even if it goes against their better judgement

  Politico:

  • How they vote depends on the situation
• Divided Gov.

  • The President's political party is different from House or Senate