Institutions of the National Government 35-45%
Students must become familiar with the organization and powers, both formal and informal, of
the major political institutions in the United States- Congress, presidency, bureaucracy, and the
federal courts. Students should understand that these are separate institutions sharing powers and
the implications of that arrangement. The functions these institutions perform and do not
perform, as well as the powers that they do and do not possess, are important. It is necessary for
students to understand that power balances and relationships between these institutions may
evolve gradually or change dramatically as a result of a crisis. Students are also expected to
understand ties between the various branches of national government and political parties, interest
groups, the media, and state governments. For example, a study of the conflicting interests and
powers of the president and Congress may help explain recent and repeated struggles to adopt a
national budget.
1. Congress
a. Reasons for a Bicameral legislature
b. Differences between the House and the Senate
i. Size, Term, Qualifications
ii. Election
iii. Special Powers
c. House of Representatives
i. Reapportionment
ii. Redistricting
1. Gerrymandering
2. Baker vs. Carr
d. How Congress is Organized
i. Majority Party
e. House of Reps.
i. Speaker of the House
ii. Other House leaders
f. Senate
i. Leaders in the Senate
1. –
2. –
3. –
g. The Committee System
i. Importance
ii. Standing
iii. Other Types
iv. House Committees
h. How a Bill becomes a law
i. Read the handout I gave you in class
i.
Congress and the Executive Branch
i. Oversight
1. Refers to the congressional review of the activities of an executive
agency, department, or office
2. Senate’s special oversight
3. Setting guidelines for new agencies(Power of the Pen), holding
hearings and conducting investigations, using budget control (Power of
the Purse), Reorganizing agencies
ii. Foreign Policy
1. Constitutional Division of Power
2. War Powers resolution
2. Executive Branch
a. Formal Powers of the President
i. Appointment
ii. State of the union
iii. Veto
1. Less than Ten percent of Vetoes have been overridden
2. Line Item Veto
3. Pocket Veto
iv. Commander in Chief (Deploy Troops)
v. Negotiates Treaties
vi. Pardon
b. Informal Powers
i. Executive Order
ii. Executive Agreement
iii. Executive Privilege
iv. Bully Pulpit
v. Threat of a Veto
c. Working with Congress
i. Strategies for Influencing Congress
1. Patronage
2. Media
3. Approval Ratings
d. President and the Media
i. Approval Levels
1. Honeymoon Period
2. Foreign Policy Success
3. Foreign Crisis
4. Strong Economic Growth
3. Bureaucracy
a. Groups
i. White House Staff
ii. Cabinet
iii. Independent Regulatory Agencies
iv. Government Corporations
v. Independent Executive Agencies
b. Implementation
i. Congress usually provides federal agencies with general mandates. As a
result, the agencies often have administrative discretion to set specific
guidelines.
c. Checks and Balances
i. President
1. Appointments
2. Executive Orders
3. Economic Powers
ii. Congress
1. Budget
2. Setting New Guidelines
3. Hold Hearings
4. Abolishing an Organization
4. Judicial Branch
a. Federal Court System
i. Constitution
ii. Federal Judiciary Act of 1789
b. Jurisdiction
i. Original
ii. Appellate
iii. Supreme Court
c. How the Supreme Court works
i. Selecting Cases
1. Original Jurisdiction
2. Writ of Cert
3. Rule of 4
4. Solicitor General
ii. Writing Opinions
1. Majority
2. Concurring
3. Dissenting
d. Factors that Influence the Supreme Court’s decisions
i. Stare Decisis- “Let the Decision Stand”
1. Exceptions
ii. Judicial Philosophy
1. Judicial Restraint
2. Judicial Activism
iii. Public Opinion
1. List 2 ways the Supreme Court is insulated from public opinion
a.
b.
2. List 2 ways the Supreme Court is held accountable or aware of
public opinion
a.
b.