Unit 3B: The Legislative Branch and the Bureaucracy
Readings:
Textbook / Wilson: Read pages 307 - 323
Read pages 329 - 332
Read pages 340 - 345
Read pages 429 - 434
Green Study Guide: Read pages 81 - 91
Read pages 103 - 112
Answer questions 1 - 60 on pages 124 - 137
Objectives:
The information on this site was created with a great deal of help from Rebecca Small who conducts a summer AP Government workshop at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. Much of the information was adapted from that workshop.
Textbook / Wilson: Read pages 307 - 323
Read pages 329 - 332
Read pages 340 - 345
Read pages 429 - 434
Green Study Guide: Read pages 81 - 91
Read pages 103 - 112
Answer questions 1 - 60 on pages 124 - 137
Objectives:
- What is the demographic make up of Congress? Does it reflect the country? Why or why not? Is this a problem?
- What is the impact of repportionment and redistricting in the make up of Congress?
- What is the role of the State legislature in the redistricting process?
- What is the role of the Courts in the redistricting process?
- What cases have affected the process?
- What are the Constitutional powers of Congress?
- How does incumbency affect House and Senate races? Why?
- Identify various factors which can and do influence the legislative process?
- How does political party affiliation affect the operation of Congress?
- Why do Americans love their Congressman, yet dislike Congress as a whole?
- Identify and describe the major leadership positions in Congress.
- Describe the roles each of these leaders play.
- Describe the different types of committees and what each do.
- Describe how political parties affect the makeup of each committee.
- Describe the difference in the committee structure between the House and Senate.
- Discuss how Congress oversees the bureaucracy.
- How and why do members of Congress participate in logrolling, consensus building and pork barreling?
- What are some differences between the House and Senate?
- What is the significance of a committee assignment for a member of Congress?
- How did Congress act to curb Presidential influence through the War Powers Act and Budget Impoundment Control Act?
- Were these successful, why or why not?
- What is the federal bureaucracy? How is it organized and what role does it play in making and implementing public policy?
- What impact do the executive and legislative branches have on the federal bureaucracy?
- In what ways does the bureaucracy have powers that are quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial?
- What are iron triangles and how do they influence policy making in the bureaucracy?
- What is the Hatch act? Why was it necessary?
- What are some of the criticisms of the bureaucracy and are they justified?
- Differentiate between cabinet agencies, EOP, Independent agencies, and Government corporations.
The information on this site was created with a great deal of help from Rebecca Small who conducts a summer AP Government workshop at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. Much of the information was adapted from that workshop.