Everything Flashcards
What is a limited gov’t?
a gov’t power cannot be absolute
Seperation of powers
CHecks and balances
Federalism v Republicanism
What are Natural Rights?
Hint: Think John Locke
All People havr certain rights that cannot be taken away: life, liberty and propery
What is Popular Sovereignty?
All gov’t power comes from the consent of the people
What is Republicanism
The democratic principle that the will of the people is reflected in gov’t debates and decisions by their representatives
What is social contract?
An implicit agreement amoung the people in a society to give up some freedoms to maintain social order
What is a Representative Democracy?
It is a system of gov’t in which all eligible citizens to vote on representatives to make public policy for them
The forms of Rep. demo.
- Participotary
- Pluralist
- Elite
What is a Participatory Democracy?
It emphasizes broad participatation in politics and civil society
What is a Pluralist Democracy?
It emphasizes group based activism by nongovernmental interests striving for impact on political decision making
What is an Elite Democracy?
It emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society
What is the Declaration of Independence?
It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and restates the phillosophy of natural rights and provides foundation for popular sovereignty
What is the US constitution?
It is an example of a social contract and establishes a system of limited
government; provides the blueprint for a unique form of democratic government in the
United States
Explain Federalist 10?
focused on the superiority of a
large republic in controlling the “mischiefs of faction,” delegating authority to elected representatives and dispersing power between the states and national government
Dangers of factions
What is Brutus 1?
adhered to popular democratic
theory that emphasized the benefits of a small, decentralized republic while warning of the dangers to personal liberty from a large, centralized government
What is the AOC?
Specific incidents
and legal challenges that highlighted key weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation are represented by the:
i. Lack of centralized military power to address Shays’ Rebellion
ii. Lack of an executive branch to enforce laws, including taxation
iii. Lack of a national court
system
iv. Lack of power to regulate
interstate commerce
v. Lack of power to coin
What is an Anti-Fed?
opposed the ratification of the Constitution and wanted more power reserved to state governments rather than a strong central government
What is a Federalist?
supported ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government
What is a Democracy?
a system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives
What is a Faction?
A party or group that is often contentious or self seeking
What is Shay’s Rebellion?
an armed uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxation and insufficient economic policies that exposed concern over the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation
What is the Great (Connecticut) Compromise?
created a dual (bicameral) system of congressional representation with the House of Representatives based on each state’s population and the Senate representing each
state equally
BICAMERAL!!!
I explain the difference of House and Senate
What is the Electoral College?
created a system for electing the president by electors from eachstate rather than by popular vote or by congressional vote
What is the 3/5ths Compromise?
provided a formula for calculating a state’s enslaved population for
purposes of representation in the House and for taxation
1 slave = 3/5 vote
What is the Constitutional Convention?
a meeting of delegates from the several states in 1787 intended to revise the Articles of Convention
and ultimately drafted the United States Constitution in establishing a stronger central government
What does Article V cover?
entailed either a two-thirds vote in both houses or a proposal from two-thirds of the state legislatures, with final ratification determined
by three-fourths of the states
THE AMENDMENT PROCESS
What is a Ratification?
the act of consenting to the U.S.
Constitution through state ratification conventions, requiring 9 of the 13 states to ratify per Article VII of the U.S. Constitution
What is the Seperation of Powers
Specific and separate powers delegated to Congress, the president, and the courts allow each branch to check and balance the power of the other branches,
ensuring no one branch becomes too powerful ; creates multiple access points for stakeholders and institutions to influence
public policy
As long as I say something like this is good
If I don’t get this slap me
This idea is really really important
What are checks and balances?
allow legal actions to
be taken against public officials deemed to
have abused their power
Checking other branches of powers, Make me name a few
If I don’t get this, I need to do better
What is Fed. 51?
explains how constitutional
provisions of separation of powers and
checks and balances control potential abuses
by majorities
As long as I metion checks and balance as well as seperation of powers
What is Impeachment?
the House formally charges
an official with abuse of power or misconduct
I must say House not senate
What is Removal/Impeachment process
if the
official is convicted in a Senate impeachment
trial
I must say Senate not House
What is Federalism?
it is the system of government in the United States in which power is shared between the national and state governments
What is Enumerated powers?
written in the
Constitution
I’m bad at this
What is Implied powers
not specifically written in
the Constitution but are inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause
What are Reserved Powers?
those not delegated or
enumerated to the national government but
are reserved to the states, as stated in the
Tenth Amendment
What are Concurrent powers?
shared between both
levels of government such as the power to
collect taxes, the power to make and enforce
laws and the power to build roads
What is Revenue sharing?
national funding with
almost no restrictions to the states on its use
and is the least used form of funding
What is Categorical Grants?
national funding that is
restricted to specific categories of expenditures, is preferred by the national
government, and is the most commonly used
form of funding
What are the two types?
What are Block grants?
national funding with minimal
restrictions to the states on its use and is
preferred by the states
Broadly defined purpose
What are Mandates
requirements by the national
government of the states
What is the 10th Amendment
the last of the Bill of
Rights to define the balance of power
between the federal government and the
states ; establishes reserved powers of the
states
What is the 14th Amendment?
Due Process Clause
and Equal Protection Clause as applied to the
states
What is the Commerce clause?
gives the national
government the power to regulate interstate
commerce, but Supreme Court
interpretations can influence the extent of
this power
What is the Necessary & Proper clause/ Elastic Clause?
gives Congress the power to make laws
related to carrying out its enumerated
powers, but Supreme Court interpretations
can influence the extent of these powers.
What is the Sumpremacy Clause?
gives the national
government and its laws general precedence over states’ laws, but Supreme Court interpretations may affect when specific actions exceed this constitutional power
What is Formal Power?
power delegated to a branch
of government explicitly listed in the U.S. Constitution
What is Informal power?
powers not listed in the U.S.
Constitution but implied or granted
What is Bicameral?
Two house legislature
What is the Senate?
- designed to represent states equally
- has 100 members and debate is less formal than the House
- One-third of the Senate is
elected every two years - creating a continuous legislative body ; bills are typically brought to the floor by unanimous consent,
but a Senator may request a hold on a bill to prevent it from getting to the floor for a vote.
During debate, a Senator can use the filibuster or make a motion for cloture
What is the House?
- designed to represent the people - Debate in the House, which has 435 members, is more formal than in the Senate ;
- all House members are elected every two
years - All revenue bills must originate in the House
- Rules for debate in the House on a bill are established by the Rules Committee
- The House can form a Committee of the Whole in order to expedite debate on bills. An individual representative in the House can file a discharge petition to have a bill brought to the floor for debate, but it is rarely done
What is the Federal Budget?
generated by Congress to address both mandatory and discretionary spending
What is Oversight?
Congressional authority to ensure legislation is implemented as intended, including i. review, monitoring, and supervision of bureaucratic agencies ii. Investigation and committee hearings of bureaucratic activity iii. Power of the purse ; serves as a check of executive authorization
What is the Speaker of the House?
elected by a majority of House members and presides over the legislative work in the House
What is a Bill?
a draft or proposed law in Congress
What is a Committee?
conduct hearings and debate and mark up bills with revisions and additions ; leadership in committees is determined by the majority political party ; a majority of bills do not pass committees to floor debate and vote
What is a Committe hearing?
a method of both houses by which committee members gather and analyze information, evidence, and testimony in deliberation over a bill prior to full chamber debate and vote
What is Mark-up?
additions and/or revisions of a bill done in congressional committee
What is the Rules Committee?
establishes rules for debate on a bill in the House
What is Committe of the Whole?
a committee formed in the House to expedite debate on bills
What is a Discharge petition?
a filing by a House member to have a bill brough to the floor for debate, but rarely done
What is unanimous consent?
a typical Senate procedure to bring bills to the floor for debate and vote
What is a Hold?
a filing by a Senator to prevent a bill from getting to the floor for a vote
What is a Filibuster?
a tactic to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill
What is Cloture?
a procedure to end a debate
What is a conference committee?
meets when a bill passed by both chambers on the same topic has variation in its wording and attempt to reconcile those differences
What is a mandatory spending?
required by law for entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
What is Entitlements?
any government-provided or government-managed benefit or service to which some or all individuals are entitled
What is Social Sercurity?
a social insurance program funded by a payroll tax on current employers and employees to be redistributed to qualifying individuals for retirement, disability, or survivor benefits
What is Medicare?
a federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified elderly Americans
What is Medicaid?
a federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified low-income households
What is Discretionary Spending?
approved on an annual basis for defense spending, education, and infrastructure ; as entitlement costs grow, discretionary spending opportunities will decrease unless tax revenues increase, or the budget deficit increases
What is Infrastructure?
a set of facilities, structures, and utilities developed, owned, operated, and maintained by the federal, state, and/or municipal government ; includes highways, roads, railroads, bridges, ports, airports, public transportation, water and sewage systems, electrical grids, and broadband systems
What is Pork Barrel?
funding for a local project in a larger appropriation bill
What is Logrolling?
(combining several pieces of legislation into one bill to secure enough votes for passage) OR vote trading between legislators
What is Partisan Voting?
when members of Congress vote based on their political party affiliation
What is Polarization?
when political attitudes move toward ideological extremes
What is Gridlock?
A situation in which no congressional action on legislation can be taken due to lack of consensus
What is reapportionment?
redistribution of congressional seats to the several states based on the U.S. Census held every 10 years
What is Redistricting?
Redrawing of congressional districts by statte legislatures based on congressional reapportionment
What is Gerrymandering?
Redrawing of congressional districts with the intent to create undue advantage for a political party
What is divided gov’t?
When one party controls the presidency and the other party controls at least one of the chambers of Congress
What is Lame duck?
AN outgoing politcaiton or group of politicians who continue to serve until the assumption of their elected successors
What is Trustee representative?
What is a Representative who will vote on issues based on their own knowledge and jugdement
What is Delegate reprsentative?
A representative who sees themselves as an agent of those who elected them and will vote on issues based on the interesrs of their constituents
What is a Politico representative?
Uses a combination of trustee and delegate role conceptions
What is Policy Agenda?
A list of subjects or issues to which gov’t officials will agree to consider as part of public policymaking
What is the Cabinet?
An advisory body to the President made of the heads of the 15 executive departments and the VIce President
What is Executive Office of the president?
Comprises the offices and agencies that support the work agenda of the President; consists of the White House Office, NAtional Security Council, and tOffice MAnagement
What is a Veto?
It is formal power of the presendent to check COngress, but vetos can be overridden with a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress
What is a Pocket Veto?
It is formal power of the President to check Congress and cannot be overridden with a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress
What is a Line item Veto
the (uncontitutional) authority of the President to reject or veto particular provisions of a bill passed by Congress
Explain Commander in Chief
Formal foreign policy power of the President that commands the military
What is Executive Agreement?
Informal foreign policy power of the President
What is a Treaty?
Formal foreign policy of the President
What is bargaining and persuaion?
Informal power of the President to secure congressional action
What is Executive order?
an informal power to allow the president to manage the ferdeal gov’t and are implied by the presidents vested executive power or by power delegated by Congress
What is a Signing Statement?
It is an informal power of the President to inform Congress and the public of the president’s interpretation of laws passed by Congress and signed by the President
What is a Senate Confirmation?
It is an important check on appointment powers but there can be a potential for conflict based on who is chosen by the resident for appointments, including:
-Cabinaet members
-Ambassadors
-Some positions within the EOP
-Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeals, and District judges
but the presidents longest lasting influence lies in life tenured judicial appointments
What is Congresstional Agenda?
It is the formal list of policies Congress is considering at any given time ; policy conflicts with the congressional agenda can lead the president to use executive orders and directives to the bureaucracy to address the president’s own agenda items
What is Fed 70?
offers justification for a single executive by arguing a strong executive is “essential to the protection of the country against foreign attacks, to the steady administration of the laws, to the protection of property, and to the security of liberty.”
1 prez
What is the 22nd AMD?
established presidential term limits and demonstrates concern about the expansion of presidential power
What is the State of the Union?
formal power of the President that is a nationally broadcast message for agenda setting that uses the media to influence public views about which policies are the most important
What is the Bully Pulpit?
informal power of the President for agenda setting that uses the media to influence public views about which policies are the most important
What is Agenda setting?
the President uses their formal and informal powers to influence public policy and public opinion in pursuit of their presidential agenda
What is Article 3?
foundation for powers of the judicial branch ; life tenure for justices allows the court to function independent of the current political climate
What is Fed 78?
the argument for how its independence checks the power of other branches ; life tenure for justices allows the court to function independent of the current political climate
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What is Judical Review?
the Supreme Court’s power to determine the constitutionality of a congressional law, executive action, or state law or state court decision
What is Precedent?
a principle or rule established in a previous legal case relevant to a court when deciding subsequent cases
What is Stare decisis?
the legal doctrine under which courts follow legal precedents when deciding cases with similar facts)
