final exam free response answers

Electoral College

1. Electoral math= # of representatives in the HOR + both senators to equal the number of electors for each state. California has 53 HOR members + 2 senators= 55 electors.

2. Census taken every 10 years on the 0 year to count all of the people to reallocate the seats in the HOR based on population.

3. Selection of Electors is done by the state political parties (Democrat, Republican, Green, etc.) and usually are people who have helped their party for a long time and this is a payoff for that work.

4. Election Day! popular vote [you and me vote] we really are voting for the elector from the political party of the candidate selected.

5. Count the popular vote:

a. winner take all-simple majority of the popular vote gets all electors in the state

b. at large-split the vote by Congressional district with one vote for each. Candidate who wins the most districts also gets the 2 senatorial electors. Nebraska and Maine are the only two that use this system.

6. Slate of Electors: Each party has their own electors equal to the # of HOR members and senators. Following the election, the electors from the candidates party who won get the "call" to go to Washington DC for the official Electoral vote.

7. Monday after the second Wednesday in December the electors meet in the respective state capitals for a roll call vote. The POTUS is officially selected and is designated President Elect.

Gerrymandering

1. Gerrymanding is the redrawing of Congressional district lines that favor one party over the other.

2. Census every 10 years on the 0 year to chart the population movement.

-reapportion the HOR after the census.

3. State Legislatures are in charge of redrawing the lines.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

1. Introduce the bill in the HOR or Senate

-appropriation bills must start in the HOR!

2. goes to committee then subcommittee

3. discharge petition to the full HOR

4. Rules Committee

5. HOR debates then votes on bill; passes bill.....

6. bill go to the Senate to follow the same steps

(NO Rules Committee)

7. bill passes Senate

8. bill goes to the Conference Committee...passes to...

9. Presidential action - sign - veto - pocket veto

Presidential Succession

The 25th Amendment changed succession to:

The Vice President Joseph Biden
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
President pro tempore of the Senate1 Robert Byrd
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Attorney General Eric Holder

(extra credit for any that follow below)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano