free response study guide

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