A.P. Government—Politics & Policies: Cornell Notes (3 Chapters)
Name: Brooke Blakelock Date:2/15/23
Unit: 5 Chapter: 9 Pages: 171-195
Learning Objective: Write Answers / Notes / Definitions / Examples
in Question Form
9.1 Congress Versus ● Partisan polarization: A vote in which a majority of Democratic
Parliament legislators opposes a majority of republican legislators.
● To become a member of Congress, you have to run in a primary
election> parties may try to influence the outcome of primary
elections but they can’t determine them
● Once in the legislature they can determine whether or not to support
the government
● Members of the US Congress do not selet the head of the executive
branch of government (done by the voters when they choose
president)
● Congress has independent powers, that it can exercise without regard
to presidential preferences
● A member of the US House of Rep has power and is rewarded
● Americans want government to take action and follow a clear course
of action, they respond to strong leaders.
9.2 The Evolution of ● Bicameral legislature (two chamber): A lawmaking body made up of
Congress two chambers or parts
● Though “all legislative powers” were vested in Congress, those
powers would be shared with the president
● Powers of Congress
○ Lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises
○ Borrow money
○ Regulate commerce
○ Establish Rules
○ Declare war
○ Issue patents
● Most of the 20th century Congress has focused on the power of the
individual member at the expense of congressional leadership
● House vs Senate
○ House: at least 25 yrs old, US citizen, 2 year terms
○ Senate: at least 30 yrs old, US citizen, 6 year terms
, ● Issue in the Senate> filibuster: An attempt to defeat a bill in the
Senate by talking indefinitely preventing Senate from taking action
9.3 Who is Congress? ● Gender & Race
○ Congress has gradually become less male and less white>
from 1950-2015 the number of women in Congress increased
from 9 to 84.
○ Majority minority districts: Congressional district where a
majority of voters are racial/ethnic minorities.
○ Descriptive representation: When citizens are represented by
elected officials from their same racial and ethnic
background
○ Substantive representation: Ability of citizens to have
policies that they favor enacted into law
● Incumbency
○ By the 1950s, serving in Congress had become a career
○ Marginal districts: Political districts in which candidates
elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections
typically by 55 percent of the vote
○ Safe districts: Districts in which incumbents win by margins
of 55 percent or more
● Party
○ Conservative coalition: An alliance between Republicans and
conservative democrats
○ Theory of why the democratic party was in house for so
long> gerrymandering
9.4 The Organization of ● The Senate
Congress: Parties and ○ Majority leader: The legislative leader elected by party
Interests members holding the majority of seats in the House or the
Senate
○ Minority leader: The legislative leader elected by party
members holding a minority of seats in the House or Senate
○ Whip: A senator or representative who helps the party leader
stay informed about what party leader stay informed about
what party members are thinking.
● House of Representatives
○ Speaker: The presiding officer of the House of Red and the
leader of his or her party in the house
Name: Brooke Blakelock Date:2/15/23
Unit: 5 Chapter: 9 Pages: 171-195
Learning Objective: Write Answers / Notes / Definitions / Examples
in Question Form
9.1 Congress Versus ● Partisan polarization: A vote in which a majority of Democratic
Parliament legislators opposes a majority of republican legislators.
● To become a member of Congress, you have to run in a primary
election> parties may try to influence the outcome of primary
elections but they can’t determine them
● Once in the legislature they can determine whether or not to support
the government
● Members of the US Congress do not selet the head of the executive
branch of government (done by the voters when they choose
president)
● Congress has independent powers, that it can exercise without regard
to presidential preferences
● A member of the US House of Rep has power and is rewarded
● Americans want government to take action and follow a clear course
of action, they respond to strong leaders.
9.2 The Evolution of ● Bicameral legislature (two chamber): A lawmaking body made up of
Congress two chambers or parts
● Though “all legislative powers” were vested in Congress, those
powers would be shared with the president
● Powers of Congress
○ Lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises
○ Borrow money
○ Regulate commerce
○ Establish Rules
○ Declare war
○ Issue patents
● Most of the 20th century Congress has focused on the power of the
individual member at the expense of congressional leadership
● House vs Senate
○ House: at least 25 yrs old, US citizen, 2 year terms
○ Senate: at least 30 yrs old, US citizen, 6 year terms
, ● Issue in the Senate> filibuster: An attempt to defeat a bill in the
Senate by talking indefinitely preventing Senate from taking action
9.3 Who is Congress? ● Gender & Race
○ Congress has gradually become less male and less white>
from 1950-2015 the number of women in Congress increased
from 9 to 84.
○ Majority minority districts: Congressional district where a
majority of voters are racial/ethnic minorities.
○ Descriptive representation: When citizens are represented by
elected officials from their same racial and ethnic
background
○ Substantive representation: Ability of citizens to have
policies that they favor enacted into law
● Incumbency
○ By the 1950s, serving in Congress had become a career
○ Marginal districts: Political districts in which candidates
elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections
typically by 55 percent of the vote
○ Safe districts: Districts in which incumbents win by margins
of 55 percent or more
● Party
○ Conservative coalition: An alliance between Republicans and
conservative democrats
○ Theory of why the democratic party was in house for so
long> gerrymandering
9.4 The Organization of ● The Senate
Congress: Parties and ○ Majority leader: The legislative leader elected by party
Interests members holding the majority of seats in the House or the
Senate
○ Minority leader: The legislative leader elected by party
members holding a minority of seats in the House or Senate
○ Whip: A senator or representative who helps the party leader
stay informed about what party leader stay informed about
what party members are thinking.
● House of Representatives
○ Speaker: The presiding officer of the House of Red and the
leader of his or her party in the house
