POLI 2051 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Gerrymandering, Balance Theory, Signing Statement
Document Summary
Practical: to balance the concerns of small states and big states. Representatives serve two-year terms: they are constantly running for re-election. Seats are reapportioned every ten years: if states" population changes, the number of seats they get changes. Gerrymandering: redrawing district lines because the population has moved and they need to be roughly equal. It"s decentralized, which means that power is spread out in the congress. The speaker is second in line for the presidency after the vice president, assigning bills to committees. Mitch mcconel: majority leader (more important in the senate) Minority leader: the spokesperson for the minority party. Majority/minority whips: count votes, keeps the party together and makes sure everyone votes the way the leader wants them to. The vice president is the president of the. Standing committees: the permanent ones that are always there (structure mirrors the executive branch) Select committees: designed for a specific purpose, usually investigation. Staff: advise the congressmen on how to vote.
