Political Science Test 3

Front 1

Who is speaker of the house?

Back 1

Nancy Pelosi

Front 2

Who is the House minority leader?

Back 2

John Boehner

Front 3

Who is the Senate majority leader?

Back 3

Harry Reid

Front 4

Who is the Senate minority leader?

Back 4

Mitch McConnell

Front 5

What does Congress do?

Back 5

1) lawmaking
2) oversight
3) federal budget-making

Front 6

What are the leading characteristics of Congress?

Back 6

1) their power is fragmented and decentralized in the hands of congressional committees & sub-committees
2) most of the actual work of Congress is done by standing committees

Front 7

What is redistricting?

Back 7

redrawing of boundaries of congressional districts within each state which takes place every 10 years after the census

Front 8

How does gerrymandering affect redistricting?

Back 8

a district's shape is manipulated by the dominant party in state legislature to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party

Front 9

What is pork barrel legislation? Give an example.

Back 9

legislation that benefits a specific district or state

ex.getting money added to the budget for a new post office

Front 10

What is casework? Give an example.

Back 10

personal work for constituents by members of Congress

ex. tracking down a social security check for somebody

Front 11

What are some things that can happen in a congressional committee?

Back 11

1) public hearings and public testimony
2) vote out favorably for a bill or vote down a bill
3) amend a bill

Front 12

What is the House Rule Committee?

Back 12

sets up rules and procedures for floor debate and schedules bills

Front 13

What are conference committees?

Back 13

committees composed of members from both House and Senate that irons out differences in House and Senate versions of bills

Front 14

What is judicial review and what does it say about it in the Constitution?

Back 14

where federal courts review the constitutionality of congressional acts, presidential acts or state laws

-The Constitution is silent

Front 15

What are some arguments for judicial review?

Back 15

1) court protects fundamental rights
2) court not subject to political pressure
3) court provides objective interpretation of rights

Front 16

What are some arguments against judicial review?

Back 16

1) undemocratic because court is not elected
2) the will of the majority may be violated

Front 17

What are the Supreme Court Opinions?

Back 17

1) majority opinion - when they explain the decision
2) dissenting opinion - when a justice might disagree with the majority opinion
3) concurring opinion - when a justice agrees with the majority opinion for different reasons

Front 18

What is Judicial Restraint?

Back 18

the philosophy that judges and courts should defer to the decisions made by elected representatives

Front 19

What is Judicial Activism?

Back 19

philosophy that says judges and courts should check the decisions made by elected representatives in the legislative and executive branches when those decisions exceed their authority

Front 20

What are the Presidential job requirements?

Back 20

1) 35 years old
2) 14 years U.S. resident
3) natural-born citizen

*President is the most visible political figure in the nation and a symbol of the nation selected independently of Congress
*25th Amendment - conditions of presidential disability

Front 21

What are the limits of the president on the appointment power and budget power?

Back 21

1) apointment power must be approved by Senate
2) OMB (Office of Management and Budget) - the president approves OMB's proposed budget and submits it to Congress

Front 22

When is the Federal Fiscal Year?

Back 22

Oct. 1st - Sept 30th

Front 23

Explain the president's veto power.

Back 23

1) He must act within 10 days or a bill becomes a law
2) Congress may override with 2/3 vote in both houses
3) no line item vetoes

Front 24

What is the War Powers Act? Give some examples of the president expanding the war-making powers.

Back 24

An Attempt by Congress to re-assert its authority to make war
-President must inform Congres with 48 hours in committing troops to combat
-use of forces must end within 90-day period

ex.
1) President Polk and Texas Border War
2) Truman and Korean War
3) Johnson and Vietnam Gulf of Tonkin War

Front 25

What does the White House Office staff do?

Back 25

manage day-to-day details & are members of the president's inner circle

Front 26

What do members of the President's cabinet do?

Back 26

There are 15 Heads of Executive Departments

They are presidential advisors rather than heads of their own departments

Front 27

What is an Executive Order? Give an example.

Back 27

Rule or regulation issued by president that has the effect of law.

ex. President George W. Bush establishment of military tribunals for suspected terrorists

Front 28

What are some of the Presidential Diplomatic Powers?

Back 28

1) receives and appoints ambassadors to foreign countries
2) negotiate treaties (requires majority Senate approval)
3) recognize foreign government as legitimate

Front 29

What are the important agencies in the Executive Office of the Presidency?

Back 29

1) OMB - Office of Management and Budget
2) NSC - National Security Council
3) CEA - Council of Economic Advisors

Front 30

What determines the President's influence over Congress?

Back 30

1) public approval & party seats in Congress
2) presidential skills and persuasion
3) power to veto legislation

Front 31

What is executive privilege?

Back 31

the right of executive officials to withhold information from a legislative committee

Front 32

What is the difference between a congressional term and a congressional session?

Back 32

a term is 2 years with 2 1-year sessions

Front 33

What Congress and session are we now in?

Back 33

110th Congress, 2nd Session

Front 34

Give an example of casework by a member of Congress.

Back 34

When a member of Congress helps a constituent get a small business

Front 35

What is Congressional Oversight?

Back 35

congressional monitoring of the executive branch to determine whether laws are being faithfully executed

Front 36

What is jurisdiction?

Back 36

the authority of court to decide certain cases

Front 37

What concern the federal courts?

Back 37

1) interpretation of law
2) courts sometimes make decisions that contradict the will of majority
3) federal judges serve a lifetime

Front 38

What are the Federal District Courts?

Back 38

they have original jurisdiction in all criminal and civil cases

Front 39

What are the U.S. Courts of Appeal?

Back 39

appellate courts empowered to review all final decisions of federal district courts

Front 40

What is Senatorial Courtesy?

Back 40

the tradition that limits a president's power to nominate federal judges and specifies that a senator may block appointments to judicial districts in his or her district