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SS: Government & Politics > Branches of Government > Flashcards

Branches of Government Flashcards

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1
Q

Name the three brances of government in order

A

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

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2
Q

What is the Legislative Branch?

A

Bicameral Congress as stated in Article I of the Constitution

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3
Q

Requirements to serve in the House

A

25 years old, 7 years a citizen, legal resident of state representing, 2 year term

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4
Q

Who is the Speaker of the House?

A

Leader of the political party that has the majority for that term

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5
Q

Requirements to serve in the Senate

A

30 years old, 9 years a citizen, legal resident of state representing, 6 year term

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6
Q

Who is the president of the Senate?

A

the vice president, only votes in the event of a tie

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7
Q

Who is the majority leader?

A

considered most poweral member of the Senate and does not have to share party of president

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8
Q

Number of members in the Senate

A

100, 2 from each state regardless of size

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9
Q

Number of members of the House

A

435 members currently, based on state population

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10
Q

What’s the Reapportionment Act of 1929?

A

Act that fixed the number of House representatives to 435

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11
Q

Least number of representatives each state must have and which states are these?

A

1, Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska

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12
Q

How did the 17th Amendment change the bicameral process?

A

Senators were chosen by state legislatures, and the Amendment gave the vote to the people

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13
Q

Why do we have a bicameral Congress?

A

The Virginia Plan (larger states) and the New Jersey Plan (smaller states) were in conflict, so Conneticut offered the Great Compromise: bicameral Congress

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14
Q

What’s the Great Compromise?

A

A way to offer both equal and proportional represention: AKA Connecticut Compromise

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15
Q

Which one is the upper house?

A

Senate

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16
Q

Which one is the lower house?

A

House

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17
Q

Why are the houses divided and given different powers?

A

Framers wanted branches to limit and check each others’ power

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18
Q

What’s the main purpose of Congress?

A

to make and pass laws

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19
Q

Main powers of the House of Representatives?

A
  1. impeach President and other officials 2. decide presidental elections if no majority of electoral college 3. raise taxes
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20
Q

Main powers of the Senate?

A
  1. hold impeachment trials 2. ratify teaties with a 2/3 vote 3. confirm appointment of executive officers
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21
Q

Who presides over an impeachment trial?

A

Vice President if its not the President being impeached, chief justice of the supreme court

22
Q

What is the Power of the Purse?

A

the House’s ability to rasie taxes, because they more closely represent the people who vote them in

23
Q

Name the three brances of government in order

A

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

24
Q

Why does the Legislative Branch hold the most power in terms of checks?

A

The framers feared an executive holding too much power like King George III

25
Q

How are bills passed?

A
  1. introduce in either house, except taxes 2. sent to committee 3. sent to subcommittee 4. back to full committee 5. if approved, then over to the other house 6. conferance committee 7. president signs or vetoes
26
Q

How does debate differ between the two chambers?

A

unlimited debate in Senate b/c of size, filibuster allowed, limited dabate in the House b/c of size

27
Q

What is a cloture?

A

unlimited debate in Senate b/c of size, filibuster allowed, limited dabate in the House b/c of size

28
Q

How is Congress’s work organized?

A

Congress uses a committee system

29
Q

What does a conference committee do?

A

irons out differences between House and Senate bills before sent to President

30
Q

What does the Rules Committee do?

A

weeds out bills that are unworthy of being proposed to the full chamber

31
Q

Requirements to serve as the President

A

35 years old, natural citizen, reside in US for 14 years

32
Q

How many members of the electoral college?

A

538, each state has as many members of congress as it does electoral votes, plus 3 for DC

33
Q

What does the Presidential Succession Act of 1967 state?

A

Speaker of the House is next in line for President after VP

34
Q

What does the 25th Amendment state about the VP?

A

VP can now elect a replacement VP, used to be left vacant, VP can serve as President if he becomes disabled

35
Q

What’s the “fourth branch” of government?

A

the Federal Bureaucracy, independent agencies that protect consumers and regulate industries

36
Q

Which branch can propose amendments?

A

legislative branch by 2/3 vote

37
Q

Judiciary Act of 1789?

A

established the Supreme Court and 13 district courts based on the states of the time

38
Q

What types of courts do we have?

A

Supreme, federal District Courts, Courts of Appeal, and special courts

39
Q

Number of Supreme Court Justices?

A

1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices, serve for life, used to be 6 justices and grew as the US expanded

40
Q

How many votes for Supreme Court to consider a case?

A

4 justices must agree

41
Q

What’s a writ of certiorari?

A

orders calling up the records from lower courts

42
Q

What’s precedent?

A

previous rulings made in similar cases

43
Q

What’s a majority opinion?

A

written during a split decision, a justice on the majority witll write an argument for their reasoning

44
Q

Whats a concurring opinion?

A

when a justice agrees with the majority but bases that argument on a different principle, he/she will write an argument for that reasoning

45
Q

What’s a dissenting opinion?

A

written during a split decision, a justice on the minority will air their conflicting arguments

46
Q

Some examples of special courts?

A

Tax, Military, International Trade, Customs, Claims (person vs government)

47
Q

How did the Supreme Court change in 1925?

A

Supreme Court started enforcing the Bill of Rights and confromed to the federal standard of civil rights

48
Q

What does de jure mean?

A

legally enforced

49
Q

What does de facto mean?

A

exists in fact

50
Q

What is a whip in Congress?

A

an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to enforce discipline and threaten members to vote and act accordingly

SS: Government & Politics (6 decks)

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