POLSCI 111 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Gerrymandering, Proportional Representation, Plurality Voting System
22 Mar 2017
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Pork barrel: government spending that benefits a narrow constituency in return for electoral or some other kind of political support. Congressional duties: article 1, section 8: the authority to tax, borrow and coin money, operate a postal service, promote science and arts, declare war, raise and support armies and a navy and build a capital city. Senate: represents states 6 year terms only third of seats expire every two years. Lawmaking chambers approve of bill, president signs into law. Checks: president can veto, but congress can override with a two thirds vote in each chamber. Constition: states responsible for deciding how to choose congressional representation. More individualism among us congress than in other democracies. Other countries use proportional representation: # of seats a party receives in a district or nationwide is proportional to the votes it recieves in the elections. Primary elections: try to show voters that they are not completely like their political parties.
