final exam study guide-free response

Free Response study guide


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 their state capitol 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 by the HOR.



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.

4. Named for Elbridge Gerry who redrew the district lines in Mass. after the 1810 census.



How a bill becomes law:

House of Reps:
Intro a bill/ first read

Hopper-give bill a number and send to correct committee

goes to committee for action

sent to subcommittee

sent back to full committee with mark-ups

discharge petition

sent to Rules Committee-set the limit for debate in the HOR.

sent to the whole HOUSE for debate

The whole HOUSE votes

Votes yes, then goes to the Senate



Senate:

Intro the bill/ first read

Senates version of the hopper to decide to what committee the bill should go

goes to committee for action

sent to subcommittee

sent back to full committee with mark-ups

discharge petition

sent to the whole Senate (no Rules Committee)

debate in the "well" of the Senate

filibuster/cloture motion

Whole Senate votes yes

sent to Conference Committee to "tiddy up" the bill for the POTUS to sign.How a Bill Becomes a Law


Presidential Succession

The 25th Amendment changed succession to:



The Vice President Joseph Biden

Speaker of the House John Boehner

President pro tempore of the Senate Daniel Inouye

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta

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