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108 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What is the one person one vote concept?
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a rule requiring that congressional districts must have equal population so that one person's vote counts as much as anothers.
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What are the responsibilities of Commander in Chief?
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Lead the nations armed forces
Can commit troops for up to 90 days Set up military governments in conquered lands Can call a cease fire (armistice) |
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What is Apportionment?
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More populous states have more seats.
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What are the two types of Jurisdiction and where are they mentioned?
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Original and Apellate
Article 3 |
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What is a speaker Pro tempore?
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The substitue a speaker appoints to lead the session so the speaker can vote.
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What is a Filibuster?
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Senate tradition of unlimited debate
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Define the House
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Represents the people
Seats based on population 435 voting members 2-year term Elected by voters of a particular area (congressional district) May impeach More formal rules Has limited debate Has controlled floor action Less prestige and less individual notice Originates bills for raising revenues Local or narrow leadership |
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What is common law?
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body of law developed from judicial decisions in England not attributed to legislature.
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What percentage of Senators are elected every 2 years?
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1/3
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What are the Roles of the President?
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Chief Exectuive
Commander in Chief Chief of State Chief Diplomat Cheif Legislator Political Party Leader |
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What can the president do to a bill?
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Veto or make it into law
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What is the State of the Union Address?
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Required by Constitution, given in January last 2 hours
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Who do Senators represent?
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all the people of the state
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How often has the president declared war?
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5 times
WWI WWII Korea Bosnia Persian Gulf/Desert Storm |
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How does a bill become a law?
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Introduced (only by Congress)
Referred to committees Standing committee Sub-committee back to Standing Committee House or Senate Report on Bill Rules committee and Scheduling Floor Debate Vote Conference committee President |
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What are the 3 levels of Federal Court?
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Trial aka district courts
Appeals aka Circuit court of appeals or appellate Supreme Court |
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What were the house and the Senate based on?
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The Great Compromise, a bicameral legislation
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Who started and what is the Spoils System?
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Jackson began it and it is rewarding party members with presidential appointments
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What is a joint committee?
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A committee made up of both the house and the senate
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What does the 22nd ammendment state?
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No president elected more than twice, or if held office more than two years, only elected once more
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Who do representatives represent?
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voters of a particular area known as a congressional district.
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What is the War Powers Resolution?
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Presidential ability to send troops for 90 days without Congressional approval
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How often are House seats reapportioned and how are they reapportioned?
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Every 10 years
By Census Distributed 2 years after the Census |
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How many times has there been a vacancy in the office of president during a term?
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8 times (4 assassinations, 4 natural causes)
4 assassinations: Licoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy |
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How many seats did Georgia have last year and how many seats in the house does Georgia have this year?
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was 11 now is 13
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Where can you find the Presidential Powers?
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Article 2 of the Constitution
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What are the qualifications for Senate?
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30 years old
US citizen for 9 years Legal resident of state he is representing |
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What is Justicable?
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a real and substantial controversy.
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What is a congressional district?
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The geographic area that is served by one representative in congress.
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Who helps the president oversee and manage the budget?
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The Office of Management and Business
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What is the percentage of incumbents reelected?
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90%
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What is the "Rule of Four?"
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4 supreme court justices must agree to hear a case before it will be allowed in the Supreme Court
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What is a safe seat?
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Voters already know who will be elected (might be running unopposed)
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What are the responsibilities of Chief of State?
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Throws out first Baseball of season
Lights national Christmas tree Decorates war heros Dedicates parks and post offices |
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Who is the Minority leader?
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party leader of the minority party in the house
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What is Criminal Law?
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The branch of law that defines and governs actions that constitute crimes.
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Define the Senate
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Represents the states
100 members Serve 6 years Must be 30 years of age originally elected by state legislature Fewer rules and regulations Extended debates Unanimous consent rules More prestige Power of advise and consent on presidential appointments and treaties National leadership (2 represent entire state) |
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What are the responsibilities of Chief Exectutive?
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Enforces laws and federal court decisions
Can appoint and remove high ranking officials Can grant pardons and reprieves Handles national emergencies |
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What is a conference committee?
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a joint commitee that merges the two versions of a bill into one.
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How many Federal District courts are there?
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94
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What is a standard commitee?
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A constant committee with sub-committees
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What is a treaty?
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a treaty is a formal agreement between two or more governments
The president can negotiate and sign the treaties, but the Senate must approve it by a 2/3 vote |
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When does the Speaker of the House vote?
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He only must vote to break a tie, if he wishes to vote other times he must appoint a substitute to take his place.
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What is the procedure to hear oral arguments in the Supreme Court?
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Each side is given only 30 minutes to present its case.
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Who is the Majority Leader?
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a spokesman for the majority party in the house
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Who was the only Roman Catholic President?
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JFK
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What is a divided government?
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Congress is of one party and the President is of another
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What is the public defender system?
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Every one has a right to an attorney, if you can't afford one the court will provide one
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What are the responsibilities of the minority leader?
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keeps the party cohesive and organizes constructive criticism of majority party
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What is "going Public"?
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using public forums to help push through congress or gain support of something the president wishes.
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What is a special committee?
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a committee that may not be constant to study a particular problem
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How is a justice appointed?
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The president nominates them and the senate must vote 50% +1 to approve them
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What is the common name given to Congressional members "scratching each other's backs"?
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Log Rolling
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What is the responsibilities of the Political Party Leader?
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Chooses a VP
makes top government appointments Tries to execute the party platform May attend party fund raisers May assist other party members elections |
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Who is the presiding officer in the house?
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Speaker of the house
usually a longitme member of the majority party |
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What is original jurisdiction?
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state vs. state
foreign ambassadors etc. |
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What are the qualifications for Representative?
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25 years old
US citizen for 7 years Legal resident of state they will represent |
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What are the 4 steps to a fiscal budget?
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1. Preparation (May 30th)
2. Approval 3. execution/implementation (Oct. 1st) 4. Audit (Sept. 30th) |
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What percentage of Representatives are elected every 2 years?
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100%
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What is Judicial Review?
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power of the supreme court to decide on constituionality
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What are the responsibilities of the Majority Leader?
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plans the party's legislative program
Organize other party members to support legislation favored by the party follow up on bills in committee that are important to the party Make speeches on the important bills stating the party's position |
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What is executive agreement?
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An agreement between the president and another head of state. No congressional approval needed.
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What are the responsibilities of the Speaker of the House?
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substantial control over assigning bills to committees
Presides over the sessions of the house votes in event of a tie rules on points of order proposes and tally's votes makes committee assignments Schedules bills for action |
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What is Judicial Restraint?
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the belief that the constitution should be interpretted exactly as written
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What is a minority/majority whip?
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They assist the majority/minority leader
try to determine how others will vote make sure members are present to vote |
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What is the profile of the 107th Congress?
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House:
63 Women 59 Minorities 1 independent 223 republicans 208 democrats Senate 13 women 3 minorities 1 independent 49 republicans 50 democrats |
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Who is the President of the Senate?
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The head of the senate
the Vice President of the US |
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What is senatorial courtesy?
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Speaking to the senator from the state that needs a justice for the district court level. Asking for their opinion
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Responsibilities of the President of the Senate?
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Call on members to speak
put questions to a vote Cast a vote only in event of a tie |
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What is an executive order?
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a presidential order to carry out a policy in a law passed by congress
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What is Gerrymandering?
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drawing of legislative boundaries to maximize the influence of a certain group or political party
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What does the Solicitor General do?
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Represents the government in front of the surpreme court
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Who serves in the absense of the President of the Senate (VP)
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President Pro Tempore
Majority member with longest continued service in senate |
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Who are the Cabinet Members?
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Agriculture- Veneman
Commerce- Evans Defense- Rumsfeld Education- Paige Energy- Abraham Health and Human Services- Thompson Housing and Urban Development-Martinez Interior- Norton Justice- Ashcroft Labor- Chao State- powell Transportation- Mineta Treasury- O'Neil Veterans affairs- Principi |
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How can a veto be reversed?
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2/3 vote of both house and senate override a veto
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What is a concurring opinion?
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a statement written by a judge or justice who agrees with the court's decision, but for different reasons
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What is the rules committee?
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standing committee in the house that provides how rules will be considered and debated by the house.
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What are the qualifications of President?
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35 years old
A natural born US citizen a US resident for 14 years |
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If the president does nothing to a bill what happens?
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If congress is in session 10 days it passes
If Congress is out of session 10 days it vetos (pocket veto) |
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What is the council of Economics Advisers?
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3 member council created in 1946 on economic matters
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What is Cloture?
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A method of ending a debate in the senate and bringing it under consideration of a vote.
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What is Statutory Law?
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The body of law enacted by legislature
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What are the resposibilities of the Chief Diplomat?
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Negotiate and sign treaties with other nations
make pacts with heads of state can accept the legal existence of another country's governement Receives foreign chiefs of state |
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How many Federal Circuit Court of Appeals are there?
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13
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What are the responsibilities of the Chief Legislator?
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Gives State of the Union Address
Suggests budgets and submits annual reports Can veto bills passed by congress Can call special sessions of Congress |
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What is appellate jurisdicition?
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cases on appeal
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What is the Executive Office of the President?
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White House Office
Council of Economic Advisors Council of Environmental Quality Nation Security Council Office of Administration Office of Management and Budget Office of national Drug control Policy Office of Policy Development -Domestic policy council -National Economic Council Office of Science and Technology Office of US trade Representative Vice President |
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What is Stare Decisis
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common law that requires judges to follow precedents
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What is the typical profile of a president?
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Male, white, Protestant, mostly Lawyers
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Who are the Worst and Greatest Presidents?
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Greatest: Lincoln
Worst: Buchanan |
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What president did not have a college degree?
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Truman
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Who in the justice department prosecutes?
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Attorney General
Solcitor General |
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What is Diversity Case?
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federal court jurisdiction arising when two parties live in different states, one of the parties is a foreign government or citizen, or amount is over $75,000
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What is the 25th Ammendment?
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sets policy in case president is incapacitated. Also allows replacing President to nominate a VP
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What is Amicus Curiae Brief?
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a professional person or organization that is not a party to a particular litigation but that is permitted by the court to advise it in respect to some matter of law that directly affects the case in question
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What is Legal Service Corp?
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a service provided like the welfare system to assist poverty level citizens with legal matters.
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What is Precedent?
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a court decision that furnished an example to be used in other court cases
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What is Constitutional Law
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Law based on the US and State constitutions
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What are the qualifications for a Justice?
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There are no qualifications listed other than they serve life with good behavior
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What is Civil Law?
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duties that individuals in society owe others not including criminal charges (usually monetary)
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What is Judicial Activism?
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The belief that the Supreme Court should interpret the Constitution as it applys to today
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What is Case Law?
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rules of law announced in court decisions
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What is the National Security Council?
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a council on domestic and foreign matters concerning the saftey and defense of the nation. created 1947
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What is standing?
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requirement that an individual must have a sufficient stake in the controversy before He or she can bring a lawsuit.
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Succession of the President?
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VP
Speaker of the House President Pro Tem of the Senate Secretary of State Secretary of Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce |
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What is a Dissenting Opinion?
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a written opinion disagreeing with the majority opinion
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How does Congress have power over the supreme court?
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The must approve the nominations of the Supreme Court Justices
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What is a writ of Ceriorari?
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A Petition for the supreme court to hear a case on appeal
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