American Politics Final

Front 1

constitutional powers of congress

Back 1

Levy & collect taxes
Borrow money
Regulate commerce
Establish federal courts
Declare war
Spend & tax for the “general welfare”
Enact such laws as “necessary and proper”

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election qualification for congress

Back 2

House of Representatives: 25 years of age, citizen of US for 7 years, inhabitant of the state from which they are elected
Senate: 30 years of age, citizen of US for 9 years, inhabitant of the state

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speaker of the house

Back 3

Presides over meetings
Appoints members to joint & conference committees
Schedules legislation for floor action
Decides points of order & interprets rules
Refers bills and resolutions to committees

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factors that determine how legislators vote

Back 4

Party affiliation
Interest groups
Colleagues
Staff
President
Constituents

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vice president

Back 5

Second in command

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functions of congress

Back 6

lawmaking
representing the people
agency

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majority and minority leaders

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majority party spokesperson
minority spokesperson
no actual authority
carry communications to party & press

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president

Back 8

head of executive branch

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cabinet

Back 9

President → Vice President → Cabinet

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constitutional powers of the president

Back 10

Commander in chief
Require opinion in writing from executive officials
Grant reprieves & pardons
Make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate
Informs Congress on the state of the union
May convene congress (on extraordinary occasions
Commissions all officers of the US
Receives representatives of foreign governments
Faithfully execute the laws

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election qualifications for the president

Back 11

must be natural born citizen
at least 35 years of age
must have resided in the US for at 14 years

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electoral college

Back 12

All the electors who vote for president and vice president
538 electors- need 270 to win

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emergency power of the president

Back 13

Power to do what he needs to do in a time of great need

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executive orders

Back 14

Relates to departments, what the president does administratively

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limits on presidential powers

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Judicial actions
Congressional limitations
The media
The bureaucracy
Public opinion

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bureaucracy

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An administrative system which carries out policy – uses standardized procedures, based on specialization of duties

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functions of the bureaucracy

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Administers the policies of government
Introduce specialized knowledge
Decision making on the basis of rules and objective standards

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the executive departments

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• The state department
• The treasury department
• The defense department
• The justice department
• The interior department
• The agriculture department
• The commerce department
• The transportation department
• The department of housing and urban development
• The department of health and human services
• Education department
• The energy department
• Veterans affairs department
• Homeland security

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federal agencies

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administrative units of government appointed by the president

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governmental corporations

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Government run corps. like Amtrak and the post office

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independent regulatory commissions

Back 21

deal with specific areas

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independent central services and control

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do general workings of government

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the white house staff

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immediate advisors
communications specialists
promoters of political supports
lesser staff roles

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the executive office of the president

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have a policy function
office of management and budget
council of economic advisors
national security council

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factors associated with the increase in bureaucratic powers

Back 25

size
expertise
delegation of power by congress & president
the agency , congressional committee, and interest group triangle

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judicial functions

Back 26

• To settle disputes and conflict
• To administer justice
• Umpire federalism
• Special protection of minority rights
• To communicate
• To make policy

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jurisdiction of the federal court system

Back 27

• Cases arising under the constitution, federal laws and treaties
• Cases involving foreign officials and Maritimes and admiralty laws
• Cases in which the U.S. government is a party
• Cases between two or more states cases between a state and a citizen of another state
• Cases between citizens of different states
• Cases between a state or citizen of a state and a foreign government

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constitutional courts

Back 28

a court that deals primarily with constitutional law

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legislative courts

Back 29

District of Columbia courts
Territorial courts
Tax courts
Court of military appeals

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primary sources of american law

Back 30

• Constitutional law
• Statutory law
• Administrative law
• Case law
• Criminal law
• Civil law

Front 31

Courts Similarities with Other Branches

Back 31

Courts decide policy
Judges decide issues by a vote
Interest groups are involved in judicial decision making (amicus curiae)

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Courts Dissimilarities with Other Branches

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Courts consider only conflict that adversaries bring before them
Judges are appointed for life
Judges are supposed to be impartial
The courts use a jury system (grand jury & trial jury)
Override lower courts
Constitution does not list powers
No constitutional qualifications
Decisions made in secret

Front 33

Types of Resolutions

Back 33

Simple
Concurrent
Joint

Front 34

veto

Back 34

the power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions, enactments, etc., of another branch, especially the right of a president, governor, or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature.

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incumbent

Back 35

The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office.

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caucus

Back 36

A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party

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earmarks

Back 37

a legislative provision that directs funds to be spent on specific projects

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pork barreling

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Pork barrel is the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district.

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franking privilege

Back 39

The franking privilege refers to the right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense.

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marginal district

Back 40

Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically with less than 55 percent of the vote.

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safe district

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A safe district is a legislative district in which the likely voters support one political party or the other by an overwhelmingly large margin.

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pocket veto

Back 42

A pocket veto is a legislative maneuver in lawmaking that allows a president or other official with veto power effectively to exercise that power over a bill by taking no action.

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line-item veto

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The line-item veto, or partial veto, is a special form of veto that authorizes a chief executive to reject particular provisions of a bill enacted by a legislature without vetoing the entire bill.

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legislative veto

Back 44

A legislative veto exists in governments that separate executive and legislative functions if actions by the executive can be rejected by the legislature.

Front 45

prime minister

Back 45

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system.

Front 46

bully pulpit

Back 46

A bully pulpit is a position sufficiently conspicuous to provide an opportunity to speak out and be listened to.

Front 47

impeachment

Back 47

Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as criminal or civil punishment.

Front 48

authorization legislation

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A bill that creates a new federal program, extends the life of an existing program, or repeals existing law

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appropriation

Back 49

money designated for a specific purpose by a state or federal legislature.

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judicial restraint

Back 50

Judicial restraint is a theory of judicial interpretation that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power.

Front 51

activist approach

Back 51

An activist approach is when you take steps to make a change. For example, the Supreme Court has been accused of taking an activist approach to the law. They have actively created laws on their own.

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stare decisis

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“Let the decision stand” or allowing prior rulings to control the current case

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senatorial courtesy

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President wants to appoint district judge, asks senior senator’s opinion

Front 54

class action

Back 54

a legal action undertaken by one or more plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and all other persons having an identical interest in the alleged wrong

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power

Back 55

authority and influence over others

Front 56

politics

Back 56

seeking and effectively using power to make decisions on how our resources will be allocated

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government

Back 57

the administrative organization with authority to govern a political state

Front 58

amendements 1-10

Back 58

1- The people are allowed to practice any religion, press, speak freely, assembly, and petition.
2-You can bare arms.
3-Soldiers can not stay in people house's without their consent.
4-The government cannot just come into people's house and search and take their belongings without a search warrant.
5-Due process of law-going through the steps of legal proceedings. Prohibits double jeopardy- you cant be tried twice for the same crime until there is new evidence.
6-In all criminal trials, you have the right to a speedy and impartial trial.
7-Trial by jury in certain civil cases
8-Prohibits excessive fines or bans. Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
9-the rights not specifically granted to the people in the Bill of Rights, still belong to the people.
10-limits the powers of the federal government to those powers listed in the Constitution.

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amendement 11-27

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11-prohibits federal courts from hearing cases lodged against a state by a citizen of another state
12-requires that choices for president and vice president be designated as such
13-abolished slavery
14-defined citizenship
15-right to vote can't be denied because of race
16-federal income tax
17- senators can be elected directly by people
18-prohibition
19- women's right to vote
20-president and vice president begin jan 20, congress begin jan 3
21-repealed 18
22- 2 terms for presidents
23- dc is given right to vote
24-prohibits tax as requirement to vote
25- presidential succesion
26-voting age 18
27- congress can't increase salary

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sovereignty

Back 60

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area

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pluralism

Back 61

by being born, everyone belongs to groups citizens participate through their leaders.

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elitism

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society divided into the few with power and the masses without

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democracy

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individual participation in the decision making process with the majority ruling the minority and the minority has the right to try and become the majority

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representative democracy

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when people elect officials to make decisions for them in government

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pure democracy

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when everyone takes part in making decisions

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majority rule

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public policy set by the wishes of the majority

Front 67

political science

Back 67

the study of power and government
the study of who gets what,when,how, and why

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the articles of confederation

Back 68

nation's first, short lived constitution. it established a confederate model of government .

Front 69

declaration of independence

Back 69

first formal american state paper
- set forth ideas and reflects the standards of the american creed

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confederation

Back 70

an alliance among independent states

Front 71

separation of powers

Back 71

no one branch have total power, they do different tasks

Front 72

checks and balances

Back 72

every branch has power of other branches making sure one doesn't get too powerful

Front 73

judicial review

Back 73

supreme court making decisions on what is constitutional or not

Front 74

articles of constitution

Back 74

1- stated the powers of the three branches
2-executive branch
3-judicial branch
4-inter-state relations
5-amending the constitution
6- national debts, supremacy
7-ratifying the constitution

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civil rights

Back 75

those government rights that may not deny b/c of race,gender,ethnicity and other various characteristics
13th and 14th amendement

Front 76

mass media (functions)

Back 76

communication of information
gate keeper- emphasizes big issues/ downplay non-important
watchdog- our eyes and ears

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civil liberties

Back 77

the rights and protections a society guarantees to everyone.

( 1st,4th,5th,6th, and 7th amendments)

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brown vs board of education

Back 78

a landmark court case in the 1950s which put an end to segregation. Overturned plessy v ferguson

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plessy vs ferguson

Back 79

a landmark court case which set the precedent for legal segregation "separate but equal"

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public opinion

Back 80

the opinion of the mass public

Front 81

political socialization

Back 81

study of the developmental processes by which children and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes, and behaviors

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motor voter act of 1993

Back 82

let people register to vote in the dmv
amendment 26 of the constitution

Front 83

general election

Back 83

In a parliamentary system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen.

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primary election

Back 84

A primary election is an election that narrows the field of candidates before an election for office.

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referendum election

Back 85

A referendum is a process that allows citizens to approve or reject a law passed by a legislature.

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initiative election

Back 86

In political terminology, the initiative is a process that enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot.

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recall election

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Recall is a procedure that allows citizens to remove and replace a public official before the end of a term of office.

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political party

Back 88

Political Parties are the association of voters with broad, common interests who want to influence or control decision-making in government by electing the parties candidates to public office.

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independents

Back 89

In politics, an independent or nonpartisan politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party.

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faction

Back 90

a group of people connected by a shared belief or opinion within a larger group

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interest groups

Back 91

An interest group (also called an advocacy group, lobbying group, pressure group, or special interest) is a group, however loosely or tightly organized, that is determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected. The textbook used in class defines this as "An organization of people with shared ideas and attitudes who attempt to influence public policy."

Front 92

standing

Back 92

A legal rule stating who is authorized to start a lawsuit