Checks and Balances Flashcards
What is the Legislative Branch made up of?
Senate & House of Rep
What is the Legislative’s Branch primary job?
- Make laws
- Declare laws
- Regulates interstate and foreign commerce
- Controls taxing and spending policy’s
Term length of House of Rep?
2 years
How is representation determined for the house?
Representatives are divided across all the states according to the respective numbers.
Title of leader in the house?
Speaker of the house
Term length of Senate?
6 years
How is representation determined for the Senate?
Each state gets 2 senators
Title of leader for the Senate?
Vice President
What is the impeachment process?
The House of Representatives brings articles (charges) of impeachment against an official. If the House adopts the articles by a simple majority vote, the official has been impeached. The Senate holds an impeachment trial.
What is the primary job of the Executive Branch?
Execute or enforce laws
Key powers/ responsibilities of the Executive Branch?
- Veto bills
- Command armed forces
- Grant pardons
- Appoint judges
- Appoint cabinet
President’s term?
4 years
What is the VP’s primary responsibility?
VP is the tie breaking vote if needed
What is The Cabinet?
The Cabinet is an advisory body made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Primary job of The Judicial Branch?
The judicial branch decides the constitutionality of federal laws and resolves other disputes about federal laws.
Term length of Judicial Branch?
Lifetime
Legislative over Executive?
The President can veto a law, but the legislative branch can override that veto with enough votes.
Legislative over Judicial?
The judicial branch interprets laws, but the legislative branch confirms the President’s nominations for judicial positions, and Congress can impeach any of those judges and remove them from office.
Executive over Legislative?
The legislative branch makes laws, but the President can veto those laws with a Presidential Veto. The legislative branch makes laws.
Executive over Judicial?
The Executive branch has the ability to appoint Federal judges and issue pardons, which gives it influence over the actions of the Judicial branch.
Judicial over Legislative?
The legislative branch makes laws, but the judicial branch can declare those laws unconstitutional.
Judicial over Executive?
The executive branch can declare Executive Orders, which are like proclamations that carry the force of law, but the judicial branch can declare those acts unconstitutional.
How does the Electoral College work?
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Your State has the same number of electors as it does Members in its Congressional delegation: one for each Member in the House of Representatives plus two Senators.
How many electors are needed to win an election?
270
How are Electoral votes awarded by state?
The number of electoral votes exercised by each state is equal to that state’s congressional delegation which is the number of Senators (two) plus the number of Representatives for that state. Each state appoints electors using legal procedures determined by its legislature.
Which states use a different method for the electoral college?
Maine and Nebraska
