3 Branches Of Government Flashcards
Veto
Reject a decision or law.
Amendments
An addition to the Constitution
Expressed Powers
Powers given to congress from the constitution.
Implied powers
Congress can make laws to help them execute their duties.
Examples of expressed and implied powers
Expressed Powers –> Implied Powers
Collect taxes –> Punish tax evaders
Establish Naturalisation laws–> regulate and limit immigration
Raise an army –> draft Americans into military
Establish post offices –> regulate what can be shipped by mail.
Impeachment
To bring charges of wrongdoing against the president or an elected official
Checks and balances
Counterbalancing influences so that one branch doesn’t become too powerful. Each branch has specific checks it can perform on the other 2 branches.
Civil cases
Relating to the rights of citizens
Criminal cases
Relating to a crime
Judicial review
The power of the Supreme Court to determine is a law or action of the government is constitutional or not
Appellate jurisdiction
Cases start in “lower” courts
Original jurisdiction
Case starts in Supreme Court
Congressional committees
Groups of representatives and senators assigned to groups of specific areas of expertise.
Article I
Legislative branch
Article II
Executive branch
Article III
Judicial branch
Requirements for representatives
Min age: 25 years old
U.S. Citizen for at least 7 years
Live in state they represent
# per state determined by population. MA has 9.
Term lengths and limits for representatives
2 year term, no limit.
Requirements for senators
Min age: 30
U.S. Citizen for at least 9 years
Live in the state they represent
Each state gets 2 senators
Term lengths and limits for senators
6 year term, no limit.
1/3 up for re-election every 2 years.
Requirements for president
Be a natural born citizen of USA
Be at least 35 years old
U.S. Resident for 14 years
Term lengths and limits for president
Term length = 4 years
Term limit = 2 terms (added 1951, 22nd Amendment)
Requirements for Supreme Court justices
No qualifications for who can be a judge. Appointed by president, approved by senate.
Term lengths and limits for Supreme Court justices
Lifetime tenure
Necessary and proper clause
“To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution for the foregoing powers.”
-Article 1, section 8, clause 18
Congress can make laws to help them execute their duties
Powers given to congress
Makes laws Impeachment Confirm presidential appointments Impose and collect taxes Naturalizes citizens Borrows money Prints money Regulate trade Establishes post offices Pass copyrights and patents Declares war Raise and support armies
Power only given to the House of Representatives
All bills dealing with taxes or money must start in the house
Impeach the president
Chooses the president if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral vote.
Powers only given to the senate
Senate must approve all treaties made by the president and approve all presidential appointments (cabinet, federal courts, etc.)
Senate holds a trial for any impeached official (president, judge).
Powers given to the president
Executing laws
Appointing cabinet members, ambassadors, and judges
Make treaties, conduct diplomacy
Issue executive orders
Authority over military action
Veto power
Grants reprieves and pardons (powers of clemency)
7 roles of the president
Chief administrator Commander in chief Chief executive Chief diplomat Chief of state Chief of party Chief legislator
Chief administrator
Sets the national budget, policies and spending in certain areas.
Commander in chief
Civilian leader of the military. Can use the military to maintain peace.
Chief executive
Enforces law through the executive branch, that are passed and established in the U.S.
Chief diplomat
Conducts foreign policy, holds summits and sets our relationship with other nations.
Chief of state
Represents the country ceremonially and is the figure for national unity and strength.
Chief of party
Works to get his party members elected, appoints party members to various positions.
Chief legislator
Suggest and works for certain bills to be written into law. Must sign any bill before it becomes a law. Can veto any bill.
Give the presidential role for the following situation:
The drug enforcement agency is created in 1973 by president Nixon to enforce various drug laws created in congress.
Chief executive
Give the presidential role for the following situation:
President Roosevelt directs U.S. Military actions in WWII.
Commander in chief
Give the presidential role for the following situation:
President Cleveland helps dedicate the Washington monument in 1888 in Washington D.C.
Chief of state
Give the presidential role for the following situation:
In 1978 president Carter leads a summit between Israel and Egypt leading to a peace treaty between those two countries.
Chief diplomat
Give the presidential role for the following situation:
President George W. Bush vetoes the stem cell research enhancement act of 2005
Chief legislator
Give the presidential role for the following situation:
In 1995 president Clinton submitted a budget to congress for $1.6 trillion.
Chief administrator
Give the presidential role for the following situation:
In 2013 president Obama appointed John Kerry to serve as Secretary of State.
Chief of party
Other members of the executive branch
Vice President
Office of the president (chief of staff, press secretary, speech writers)
Cabinet members (department of justice, department of state, etc.)
Federal agencies (environmental protection agency, Central Intelligence Agency)
Many of these positions are appointed by the president and need senate confirmation.
How a bill becomes a law
1) Legislation may begin in either chamber. Similar proposals are often introduced in both chambers.
2) Measures must pass both the House and the Senate in identical form before being presented to the president.
3) Legislation presented to the president.
Structure of the Supreme Court
9 judges called justices, no jury.
How a case reaches the Supreme Court
1) It can work its way from state courts to appellate courts and finally up to Supreme Court (appellate jurisdiction)
2) It can start in the Supreme Court (original jurisdiction)
The Supreme Court gets to decide which cases to take on. Receives about 8000 - 10000 petitions for cases each year. Hears less than 100 cases per year.
Leadership position in the House of Representatives.
Speaker of the house (currently John Boehner, Republican, OH) Top position in house Elected by house members 2nd in line for presidency Duties: Rules over house and keeps order Decides which laws will be reviewed Assigns reps to committees.
Leadership positions in the senate
Senate president (currently Joe Biden, democrat) Only votes if there is a tie
Senate president pro-tempore (currently Patrick Laehy, democrat, VT) Elected by senate 3rd in line for presidency Duties: Runs the senate Decides which bills will be heard Assigns senators to committees
What is the order for the “line of presidency”?
After president:
Vice President
Speaker of the House
Senate President Pro-Tempore
Checks the Executive Branch has on Legislative Branch
Can veto acts of Congress
Can call special sessions of Congress
Can suggest legislation and send messages to Congress
Checks the Executive Branch has on the Judicial Branch
Appoints Supreme Court justices and other federal judges
Can grant reprieves and pardons
Checks the Legislative Branch has on the Executive Branch
Can impeach and remove the president
Can override the president’s veto by a two-thirds vote
Controls appropriation of money
Senate can refuse to confirm presidential appointments
Senate can refuse to ratify treaties
Checks the Legislative Branch has on the Judicial Branch
Can impeach and remove federal judges
Can refuse to confirm judicial appointments
Establishes lower federal courts
Can propose constitutional amendments to overturn court decisions
Checks the Judicial Branch has on the Legislative Branch
Can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional
Checks the Judicial Branch has on the Executive Branch
Can declare executive acts unconstitutional
Appointment for life makes judges free from executive control
WHEN IS THE U.S. HISTORY TEST?!?!?!?!?!
DECEMBER 18th, 2013!!!!!!!!!!
