Test 1

Question 1

Reapportionment v. Redistrcting

Answer 1

Reapportionment = the division of congressional districts among the states

Redistrcting = actual division (or drawing) of distrcts within a state

Question 2

Baker v. Carr

Answer 2

• Appellants challenged the state apportionment of legislatures under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment
• Is it possible to bring a malapportionment claimwithout raising a nonjusticiable political issue?
• First of the cases developing the SC’s “one person, one vote” legislation. This line of cases helped equalize representation between country and city dwellers in an increasingly urbanized nation.

Question 3

Concept of Representation

Answer 3

The way the lawmaker views his or her policy obligation to the constituency

Question 4

Why redistricting is different in the western U.S.

Answer 4

The use of committees to draw lines instad of legislatures

Question 5

Criteria for Meeting “one person, one vote”

Answer 5

Equal population

Section 2 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act

Question 6

Techniques of Gerrymandering

Answer 6

Packing

• concentrate as many voters of one type into a single electoral district to reduce their influence in other districts

Cracking

• involves spreading out voters of a particular type among many districts in order to deny them a sufficiently large voting bloc in any particular district

Question 7

Policy Responsiveness

Answer 7

policies enacted by governments are in accord with the expressed preferences of citizens

Question 8

Service Responsiveness

Answer 8

• “casework” or “consitituent serivce”
• helping individual constituents with a problem
• representative acts as an intermediary and advocate for individual constituents in their dealigs with state bureaucracies

Question 9

Allocational Responsiveness

Answer 9

• securing government funds for the constituency

Question 10

Symbolic/Communication Responsiveness

Answer 10

• communication between the constituency and the representative

Question 11

Section 2 and 5 of Voting Rights Act

Answer 11

Section 2

• Blocks district lines that deny minority voters an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice

Section 5

• Only used in states with previous instances of racial voting discrimination
• “covered jurisdiction”
• The government may not implement any change to a voting procedure–including a modification of the district lines–without first subitting the change to the Department of Justice or the federal court in D.C.
• procedure known as preclearance

Question 12

Trustees

Answer 12

• usually better informed than an single constituent so can make the better judgment call

Question 13

Concentric Cirlces of Constituency

Answer 13

• State
• District
• Electoral
• Primary
• Personal

Question 14

Unicameralism

Answer 14

one legislative chamber

Question 15

Asymmetric Bicameralism

Answer 15

• Two chambers have different levels of power

Question 16

Symmetric Bicameralism

Answer 16

• Equal or roughly equal powers in both houses

Question 17

Majority-Minority Districts

Answer 17

• Congressional district in which the majorityof the population making up a district is is comprised of racial minorities

Question 18

Legislative Process

Answer 18

• Formation
• Introduction & Referral
• In Committee
• Debated and Voted on (or other) House Floor
• Sent to Senate or other house
• Debated and Voted on Senate Floor
• Different versions made one
• Unified bill debted and voted in both houses
• Signed or vetoed

Question 19

Role of Committee System

Answer 19

• Only stage in the entire process during which nonlegislators can speak publicilyin the legislature on proposed legislation
• Lobbyista are especially integral at the committee stage

Question 20

Speaker of the House

Answer 20

• Leader of the house
• Next in line behind VP to succeed president
• rule on points of order, announce results of votes, refer legislation to committees, name lawmaker to serve on committees
• set the agenda

Question 21

Consultant Lobbyist

Answer 21

• individual paid to lobby on behalf of a client
• lawyer, accountant, etc.

Question 22

In-House Lobbyist

Answer 22

• An In-house Lobbyist (company) is an employee of a person, partnership or company whose lobbying activity is a significant part of their duties

Question 23

In-house Lobbyist (organization)

Answer 23

• An In-house Lobbyist (organization) is an employee of an organization such as a professional association, society or chamber of commerce whose lobbying activity is a significant part of their duties

Question 24

Changing job of a legislator

Answer 24

• Turn from part-time to a congressional career
• Professionalization
• More complex government leads to more constituency damands

Question 25

Why budgets are crucial in the process

Answer 25

• B/c all other bills have a price tag

Question 26

Term Limits

Answer 26

• B/c incumbents are eventually forced out, there is likely to be higher turnover in legislatures with tmer limits
• There will be more open-seat elections, with no incimbent, which tend to be more competitive than races involving incumbents

Question 27

How candidates come to run for office

Answer 27

• Various organizational offices
• local party
• self-starters
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