Unit 3 Gov 020 Flashcards
Describe the Progressivism Era and the elements that LED to expansion of political rights and institutions.
Well after the civil war around the 1900s, the United States underwent a period of political and social reform, in which there was an increase in commercialism and globalization, involvement in foregin affairs, desire for greater degree of equal rights, and decrease in confidence of state power to address the problems and insecurities facing the United States in its modern industrialism. There was a large insecurity of securing equality of opportunity and leveling conditions of competition amid large scale immigration and technological advancement. The United States also sought to far more protection as WW2 tensions brewed.
Describe the expansion of POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS the U.S experienced in the Progressivism Era
There was a growth in central government, specifically in the executive and legislative branches, meeting the growing belief that America’s federal government could address the problems and insecurities associated with equal rights and improve livelihoods through increased public action and social services.
Congress passed vast and concrete legislation that established public control of gas, water, and schools, as well as massive tax bills and healthcare bills (prominently known as Medicare and Medicaid).
The executive branch was expanded to manage these vast pieces of legislation by congress, by way of the federal bureaucracy. They managed it through codes and rulemaking, seen prominently with civil rights codes, agricultural codes, and expansive income tax codes.
Explain what the Bureaucracy is and how/what it manages.
Executive body organized in layers of political appointees and other layers on more state and local levels, such as public administrators, police officers, teachers. The Bureaucracy manages legislation by way of bureaucratic discretion– in that they have discretion on how to carry out certain legislation passed by congress, but no discretion on whether or not to act on what congress tells to do them.
Explain the limitations on Bureaucratic Power
Agencies are limited by the congressional and judicial branches. Congress and congressional committees control the structure, creation, and budget of agencies. The courts oversee and overturn administrative actions as well as open pathways for the public to leverage control over administrative decisions through lawsuits
Agencies are also limited by a law called the Anti-deficiency act, which prohibits administrators from spending money not specifically authorized by law.
Describe the expansion of POLITICAL RIGHTS the U.S. faced during the Progressivism Era.
There was an expansion in suffrage rights and the increased democratization of elections. Specially, with the ratification of the 17th. 19th, 21st and reconstruction amendments, citizens obtained the right to vote for senators every two years, and individuals 18+, women, and African Americans obtained the right to vote. This increase in suffrage contributed to the increased democratization of elections, in which presidential primaries emerged.
Outline concerns facing the Bureaucracy about issue networks
One concern is that since there exists public services for which there lacks a broad political constituency, collections of issue networks have infiltrated public services which remain outside the scope of public concern, creating an iron triangle– where interest groups lobby for their cause in Congress and look for the execution of their cause in the Bureaucracy. This creates an implication of a large reservoir of political power and allyship between agencies and interest groups. Examples of this can be seen with the sustaining influence the NRA has over firearm protection policy.
Explain Characteristics of the modern presidency
- Dominant body that seeks to control the bureaucracy
- The President is the main focus as an official among the public eye because the formal powers of the President are relevant to the people. There formal powers are veto power, commander in chief, and appointment power of judicial candidates and members of the cabinet.
Describe one important informal power of the president
- They have access to the method of the bully pulpit– using their platform to promote policy agendas, form public feeling and sentiment, and get the public to pressure other branches to make decisions. An example of this is Ronald Reagan’s usage of Saturday morning radio broadcasts to inform the public of specific policies.
Identify Presidential managements
- President is directly in line to foreign affairs, and must attend briefings to become well-versed in international affairs.
- Well-versed in domestic policy and promoting safety
- Manages election and re-election strategies.
Describe the debunking of professionalism in congressional committees
Committees are not evenly bipartisan or contain professionals that are well-versed in the issues of that committee. Half of the time, there’s a larger number of committee staff work for the majority party while the rest of the staff are representing the minority party.
Describe the leadership organization of Congress
Congress has leadership positions that work closely and organize elected officials in order to create a system of coordination and intended progress. In both houses of congress, there is a majority and minority leader, and a majority and minority whip.
In the Senate, the majority party leader is the highest role of leadership– is in charge of organizing party members to vote for legislation and deciding the order that bills are debated.
In the House, the highest role of leadership is the Speaker– in charge of assigning bills and organizing representatives into committees.
Describe the political organization of Congress
Both houses of congress organizes itself committees and subcommittees. Committees consider bills and issues, have oversight abilities over Bureaucratic agencies. Subcommittee extends the leadership of Committees, as they share certain tasks within the jurisdiction of their parent committee. All committees operate with an intent to vote on bills before they arrive on the floor of their respective congress.
List the major criticisms of Congress
- Legislation is too vague
- Congress engages in Pork Barrel politics, by filling the bill with extraneous earmarks that have nothing to do with the bill itself
- There’s no regular order in spending– in that there’s a proportionate number of money bills covering the number of agencies that require funding. Instead, all money bills are wrapped together at the end of each year.
- Broader sense, with the transformation of american politics in the 1960s that came with increase of political causes and concerns, Congress [wrongly] responded to increased pressure to respond to causes by creating a program to deal with each issue. turning from collective legislating to individual activism.
Describe one point on how congress has fallen victim to contemporary era
Congress, under contemporary pressures of various political causes, has faltered in its constitutional standards.
1. The legislative branch was created for representation of constituent’s geographical interests, deliberation and compromise, yet, with the increase of globalization of commerce and culture as well as personal mobility, constituents are no longer concerned with locality. People today care more about being represented for their personal identities, values, and vocation. Legislatures who represent these said interests of the people are now negotiating with other representatives of similar or conflicting interests of other people. The effect is legislation of tactical compromise where no one is left happy.
2. (if you can get this one) PACS and interest groups are able to monitor, reward, and sanction legislatures, reducing their commitment to the people and their latitude for deliberation and compromise. This outside influence also deconstructs the disciplines of the committee system.
How have modern parties remained central?
- Organize electorate
- Recruit and assist political candidates with the connections to political action campaigns and hosting conventions where […].
