Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
65 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Explain Social contract Theory
|
View that consent given solely by the people who will be governed
|
|
|
What were the purposes of the Declaration of Independence?
|
to explain why the colonies were leaving the English government?
|
|
|
How was government power distributed in the Articles of Confideration?
|
the most important powers were left to the states; the central government had very little power
|
|
|
Popular Sovereignty
|
authority of the government is given to the people by the people
|
|
|
Federalism:
|
sovereignty is divided and shared between a central government and states
|
|
|
Define separation of power:
|
Each branch has certain powers that the other branches do not have
|
|
|
Benefits of Federalists
|
more powerful central government
|
|
|
Benefits of anti-Federalists
|
the states have more power
|
|
|
What did the Federalist Papers try to accomplish?
|
To allow the constitution to be ratified
|
|
|
Judicial Review
|
court's authority to examine an executive or legislative act
|
|
|
Habeas Corpus
|
court order that required a person to appear before a judge
|
|
|
Sovereignty
|
ability to rule
|
|
|
Presidential system of government
|
executive branch is led by a president who is head of the government
|
|
|
Marbury vs. Madison
|
led to the separation of the executive and judicial branches
|
|
|
McCulloucgh vs. Maryland
|
Federal government has supreme power
|
|
|
13th, 14th and 15th Amendments
|
Reconstruction Amendments
|
|
|
13th Amendment
|
Abolished slavery
|
|
|
14th Amendment
|
granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to former slaves
|
|
|
15th Amendment
|
gave voting rights to former slaves
|
|
|
What is the role of the legislative branch?
|
To write laws
|
|
|
How many members are in the House of Representatives?
|
435
|
|
|
How manymembers are in the Senate?
|
100-2 from each state
|
|
|
Describe Ex Post Facto Laws
|
Provides punishment per a person for a prior act
|
|
|
Bill of Attainer
|
legislative act pronouncing a person guilty of an act without trial (treason)
|
|
|
What are expressed powers
|
explicity written down
|
|
|
What are implied powers
|
not written down (court doctrine)
|
|
|
What do implied powers and the Necessary and Proper Clause ahve in common?
|
both are powers not specifically granted by the Constitution, both give law making powers to the government
|
|
|
How do our Constitutional Amendments get passed?
|
1) it can be proposed by 2/3 vote of each house in Congress OR constitutional convention requested by 2/3 of state legislatures
2) It has to be ratified by at least 3/4 of the state legislatures |
|
|
Name the person in charge of the House
|
Speaker of the House
|
|
|
Name the person in charge of the Senate
|
Vice President of the United States
|
|
|
Explain the Full Faith and Credit Clause.
|
The clause in the Constitution stating that acts or documents considered legal in one state must be accepted as valid by all other states
|
|
|
How are Senators chosen today?
|
They are elected by popular vote.
|
|
|
How were the Senators previoulsy chosen?
|
previously they were chosen by the state legislators and appointed
|
|
|
How does the Senate members differ from the House members?
|
The senaotrs are elected for 6 years and represent the whole state. The house member are elected for 2 years and represent their district
|
|
|
Explain the 3/5 Compromise
|
When the cencus was taken every 10 years to determine house members and electors per state, slaves counted as 3/5 a person.
|
|
|
What is reapportionment?
|
Process of dividing the state for electors and house of representative elections
it is done every 10 years after the cencus. |
|
|
What is a filibuster?
|
Extended debate used to delay a bill from being passed
|
|
|
Who approves presidential treaties and appointments.
|
The Senate
|
|
|
How many votes are needed to override a presidential veto
|
two-thirds (2/3) vote in the House and Senate
|
|
|
Other than the job title, the Vice President also presides over what part of the government?
|
Senate
|
|
|
What role do committees play in the process of becoming a law?
|
develop specialized knowledge and matters under jurisdiction
|
|
|
What do conference committees do?
|
appointed by House and Senate to resolve disagreements
|
|
|
What is a bill?
|
draft of a proposed law
|
|
|
what are some powers that the Constitution has reserved to the states?
|
Establish local government, issue licence, conduct elections, etc
|
|
|
Describe the difference between a bicameral and unicameral legislature.
|
Bicameral (bi=2): two bodies of elected officials to make decisions
Unicameral (uni=1): one body of elected officials to make decisions |
|
|
Limited Government
|
a system in which government's powers are restricted and individuals' rights are protected
|
|
|
Popular Sovereignty
|
the fundimental principle that the power to govern belongs to the eople and that government belongs to the people and that government must be based on the consent of the governed
|
|
|
Checks and Balances
|
a system in which political power is divided among the three branches of government, with each having some control over the others
|
|
|
Separation of Powers
|
The division of a government's executive, legislative, and judicial powers into three separate branches
|
|
|
Federalism
|
the division of governmental power, as expressed int he United States Constitution, between the national government and fifty states
|
|
|
Connecticut "Great" Compromise
|
The compromise between the large and small states during the constitutional convention that established a bi-cameral legislature with a Senate of 2 representatives per state and a House with representation based on population
|
|
|
Amendment
|
a formal statement of change to a law or constitution
|
|
|
What has been the biggest contributing factor to the Constitutions ability to survive for more than 225 years?
|
flexibility, and it established the people sovereign
|
|
|
Who serves as the head of the Senate when the Vice President is absent?
|
The President pro Tempore
|
|
|
Executive Powers
|
Powers within the exectuive branch (president in the USA)
|
|
|
Concurrent Powers
|
the powers that both state and national powers have
|
|
|
Reserved Powers
|
the powers that the constitution sets aside for the state governments
|
|
|
What is the purpose of the cencus?
|
Determine growth and change in the government
|
|
|
How often does the Census take place?
|
Every 10 years
|
|
|
Bill of Rights
|
First ten amendments to the constitution
|
|
|
Expressed Powers of Congress
|
Borrowing power, power to tax, commerce power, currency power, bankruptcies, war powers, post office, copyrights and patients, etc
|
|
|
Powers Reserved to the States
|
education, police and law enforcement,
|
|
|
Checks and Balances: Executive Branch
|
To Judicial: nominates federal judges; grants pardons or reprieves for federal offences
To Legislative: Implements laws; vetoes laws passed by congress; calls special sessions of congress; suggests legislation; sends messages to congress |
|
|
Checks and Balances: Judicial Brach
|
To Executive: Declares executive actions unconstitutional
To legislative: Interprets laws and treaties; declares laws passed by Congress unconstitutional |
|
|
Checks and Balances: Legislative
|
To Executive: Passes laws and sends them to the president; Impeaches and remvoes the president; overrides presidential veto with 2/3 vote; controls appropriation of money; confirms presidential appointments; ratifies treaties
To judicial: impeaches and removes federal judges; confirms judicial appointments; establishes lower federal court |
