17 - CHECKS AND BALANCES - By Congress Flashcards
Chapter 17 - CHECKS AND BALANCES by Congress
checks and balances - congress
What are 5 checks by Congress on the President?
- Legislation
- Veto override
- Power of the purse
- Impeachment
- Ratification of treaties/appointments
What did Obama ask for in his State of the Union address from 2010 to 2015, but Congress did not pass?
Immigration reform
What did House Democrats try to do in September 2021?
To reign in executive powers they say Trump flagrantly abused
What act did the House pass in December 2021 to limit presidential power?
The Protect Our Democracy Act
What is required in Congress to override a presidential veto?
A supermajority
What was the only one of Obama’s 12 vetoes to be overridden?
The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
What was the only one of Trump’s 10 vetoes to be overridden and when was this veto?
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) - 1st January 2021
Where do appropriations bills start?
In the House of Representatives
Why did the government shutdown in January 2018?
The US government lacked the money to operate as a result of a dispute with Trump over Obama’s DACA immigration policy - Democrats held up appropriations bills
What does Congress have to give the president to authorise the use of troops?
An AUMF - Authorisation for the Use of Military Force
What did the 117th Congress repeal in regards to the authorisation of the use of military force?
The 117th Congress repealed the 2002 AUMF, which was used for the war in Iraq
What are presidents or members of the executive branch impeached for?
‘Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors’
What is required in the Senate for a president to be impeached?
A 2/3 majority
Who are the last two presidents to be impeached?
Bill Clinton (1997) and Donald Trump (2019,2021)
What were the specific charges against Clinton in his impeachment?
Lying under oath and obstruction of justice - linked to his rumoured affair with Monica Lewinsky
Why was Trump impeached for the first time in December 2019?
The Democratic Party accused him of asking the Ukrainian government to find him damaging information on Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son.
Trump apparently used the withholding of military aid as a lever to get Ukraine to do what he wanted
What happened to Trump’s approval ratings after his first impeachment?
They rose from the mid-40s to 49%
Why was Trump impeached for a second time in January 2021?
Trump was charged with ‘incitement of insurrection’
What was the result in the Senate vote why was Trump being acquitted in his second impeachment trial important?
- 57 guilty
- 43 not guilty
If he was found guilty he would not have been allowed to run in the 2024 election
What treaty was rejected by the Senate in 2012?
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
How many posts require Senate approval?
1200
Whose nomination for Secretary of Labor was withdrawn in 2017 following Mitch McConnell informing Trump that he did not have the votes to confirm his appointment?
Andrew Puzder
What are 4 ways Congress can check the Supreme Court?
- Impeach justices
- Propose a constitutional amendment
- Creation of lower courts
- Ratify judicial appointments
Who is the only Supreme Court Justice to be impeached?
Samuel Chase in 1805
What federal judge was found ‘guilty’ of bribery and making false statements in 2010?
Thomas Porteous
What Act was introduced by Congress in 2022 in an attempt to codify Roe v Wade after a Supreme Court ruling?
The Women’s Health Protection Act 2022
What were the results of two votes in the Senate on the 2022 Women’s Health Protection Act in February 2022 and May 2022?
February 2022: Defeated 46-48
May 2022: 49-51
How did Congress respond to the Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that slaves were property?
They added the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution which abolished slavery
How was the passing of the bipartisan Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act a check on the Supreme Court?
It allowed the federal government to regulate tobacco products, which the Supreme Court ruled they didn’t have the authority to do only 9 years earlier
What amendment was passed which allowed for the federal income tax to levied, overturning an 1895 Supreme Court ruling?
16th Amendment
What is it called when Congress tries to prevent the Supreme Court from hearing a case?
Jurisdiction stripping
How did Congress try to prevent the Supreme Court from hearing cases from Guantanamo detainees?
The Military Commissions Act 2006
How many unsuccessful nominations to the Supreme Court have there been?
37
Why was Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, not ratified by the Senate in 2016?
The Senate was controlled by the Republican party
What Reagan nomination to the Supreme Court in 1987 was rejected?
Robert Bork
