Power of Congress: Essay 14

  A number of factors enable presidents to exert influence over Congress in the area of domestic policy. However, presidents are also limited in their influence over domestic policymaking in Congress.  The constitution grants the president certain enumerated powers- two of these formal powers enabling the president to exert influence over domestic policy are legislative powers such as vetoing, signing legislation, and pocket vetoes, and by being able to call Congress into session whenever he wants.  Mandatory spending is where spending is not controlled by an annual budget decision, and limits the president's ability to influence domestic policy making in Congress because of the budgetary constraints making it harder to accomplish policy goals and makes it difficult to cut budgets to accomplish policy goals.  Party polarization is another roadblock for the President because it increases interparty differences causing opposing parties to block policy goals and result in a lack of moderates with whom to build coalitions. 

2008-2)A number of factors enable presidents to exert influence over Congress in the area of domestic policy. However, presidents are also limited in their influence over domestic policymaking in Congress.

-The Constitution grants the president certain enumerated powers. Describe two of these formal powers that enable the president to exert influence over domestic policy.

-Choose two of the following. Define each term and explain how each limits the president’s ability to influence domestic policy making in Congress.

*Mandatory spending

*Party polarization

*Lame-duck period

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap08_us_gopo_q2.pdf

Congressional Reapportionment: Essay 13

  Congressional reapportionment and redistricting are conducted every ten years, and when redistricting is conducted, politicians often engage in gerrymandering.  Congressional reapportionment is the relocation of the number of representatives each state has in the House of Representatives.  One reason it is important to states is because reapportionment can increase or decrease the number of seats a state has in the House or Congress.  Congressional redistricting is the drawing/redrawing of House/congressional district lines (not Senate).  Two goals of politicians when they gerrymander during redistricting are to punish their "enemies" and reward their "friends" and to protect incumbents and discourage challengers.  Two limits that the United States Supreme Court has placed on congressional redistricting are that districts must be equally populated (no advantage to one party when cracking and packing districts), and communities of interest must be protected.  



2008-1) Congressional reapportionment and redistricting are conducted every ten years. When redistricting is conducted, politicians often engage in gerrymandering.
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap08_us_gopo_q1.pdf

(a) Define congressional reapportionment and explain one reason why it is important to states.
(b) Define congressional redistricting.
(c) Explain two goals of politicians when they gerrymander during redistricting.
(d) Describe two limits that the United State Supreme Court has placed on congressional redistricting.

Trust in Government: Essay 12

  Trust and confidence in the government has declined in recent decades.  Divided government is a situation in which one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of the United States Congress, thus leading to Congressional gridlock.  The divided government has contributed to the decline in trust and confidence in the government because of gridlock, laws/legislation being passed extremely slow, and heightened partisanship (following the majority of their party).  The increase cost of election campaigns has contributed to the decline in trust and confidence in the government because candidates spend more time campaigning for money than they do campaigning for their positions, the fact that small contributions don't matter, and how PACs are so prominent and are overtaking the campaign process- basically determining the winner of the campaign by the amount of money they raised.  Two specific consequences of the decline in trust and confidence in the government for individual political behavior are protesting and the decline in the number of people registering to vote and actually voting.  Citizens are tired of all the controversy going on between everyone in parliament and just want to be able to simply vote for someone who can be trusted to lead them faithfully.  


2004_43) Trust and confidence in government have declined in recent decades.(a) Explain how divided government has contributed to the decline in trust and confidence in government. Be sure to include a definition of divided government in your response(b) Explain how the increased cost of election campaigns has contributed to the decline in trust and confidence in government.(c) Explain two specific consequences of the decline in trust and confidence in government for individual political behavior. 
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/repository/ap04_sg_gopo_us_37090.pdf

House & Senate Incumbents: Essay 11

  The graph above shows reelection rates for incumbents in the House and Senate.  Two patterns displayed in this graph are that the House reelects more and the Senate has larger reelection gaps throughout the years/less stable in the Senate. Two factors that contribute to the incumbency advantage are more campaign contributions/finance (money) and franking where the government pays for a government official's mail to be sent out at the governments cost (noted as personal mail) but it in fact is being sent to houses as a way of promoting their campaign.  One consequence of incumbency advantage for the US political process is continuity over time.  This means the incumbents rarely take the time to step back and look at what they have done for their people, and to see f what they have done is actually good for everyone, and not just for their name's sake.  This is unfortunate for the citizens who voted for them, as they often have no idea that the person they elected to office is not focusing on their needs, but rather on his own. 

tasks. (Fig 12.1)
a) identify two patterns displayed in the graph
b) identify 2 factors that contribute to incumbency advantage. Explain how each factor contributes to incumbency advantage.
c) Discuss one consequence of incumbency advantage for the US political process


(2001_2) the graph above shows reelection rates for incumbents in the House and Senate. From this information and your knowledge of of the US politics, perform the following 

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/repository/sg_govpol_us_01_7046.pdf