Exam 3

Question 1

Define “constituency”

Answer 1

Residents in the area from which an official is elected

Question 2

Important features of Legislative branch

Answer 2

Bicameral; building blocks are parties and committees

Question 3

Differences between House and Senate

Answer 3

House (435) is more organized and centralized, which Senate (100) is slower to act and deliberative. House members must become policy specialists, while senators are expected to be generalists.

Question 4

Term lengths

Answer 4

House: 2 yrs, Senate: 6 yrs, President: 4 yrs, Judges and Justices: life

Question 5

Define apportionment, redistricting, and gerrymandering

Answer 5

Apportionment- allocates House seats among the 50 states every 10 yrs
Redistricting- redraws boundaries of House districts to reflect population changes
Gerrymandering- districts are shaped to create an advantage for the party controlling the redistricting process

Question 6

Factors that influence who is elected to Congress

Answer 6

Who- ambition, fundraising
Incumbency- war chest, name recognition, constituent services
House districts- lines are often drawn to crest “safe” districts

Question 7

Define incumbent and name advantages

Answer 7

Person already holding an office;
Competitive advantages: name recognition, fundraising, media coverage
Advantages of office : free mailing to constituents, providing casework, legislative projects

Question 8

Congressional committees

Answer 8

Standing- permanent to write legislation
Select- temporary for specific issues
Joint- both House and Senate
Conference- joint to compromise on pieces of legislation

Question 9

Define filibuster and cloture

Answer 9

A tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action by holding the floor; ending filibusters by a vote to cut off debate

Question 10

Constitutional power and process of impeachment

Answer 10

If high officials are thought to have committed “treason, bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors,” they can be impeached. The House acts as grand jury, and the Senate conducts trial.

Question 11

Role and duties of VP

Answer 11

Role is electoral. Duties: become president in emergency, rule Senate, tally electoral votes by state electors

Question 12

Difference eligibility criteria and qualifications

Answer 12

Eligibility criteria: natural born citizen, 35 yo, in U.S. at least 14 years.
Qualifications: older, wealthier, educated, married, religious, and held prior office.

Question 13

Define mandate

Answer 13

Authority granted by constituency to act as its representatives. Elections won by landslide said to give a mandate to do certain policies.

Question 14

Marbury vs Madison (1803) and Youngstown vs Sawyer (1952)

Answer 14

Marbury vs. Madison- judicial review, power to review an act of Congress, the president, or a state, and to invalidate that action if the court believes it to violate the Constitution. Youngstown Co. vs. Sawyer limited power of the President to seize private property.

Question 15

Spoils system

Answer 15

Promising party campaign workers with office-holder positions when they become President begun by Andrew Jackson

Question 16

Rule of law

Answer 16

All are equal before law, and none are immune from it

Question 17

Original jurisdiction

Answer 17

Supreme Court authority to hear case for first time given in specific cases

Question 18

Define certiorari, habeas corpus, and stare decisis

Answer 18

Certiorari- decision of at least 4/9 Supreme Court justices to review a decision of a lower court.
Habeas corpus- a court order that the individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention.
Stare decisis- “let the decision stand,” the use of precedent in a current case, the court is hesitant to overturn precedent.

Question 19

Chief task of federal bureaucracy

Answer 19

Help President carry out their duties and define what Congress’s policy will mean in practice

Question 20

Organizational units of federal bureaucracy

Answer 20

Cabinet department- largest subunit in executive branch, and head of each department are secretaries in the President’s cabinet.
Independent agencies- like NASA and the CIA.
Government corporations- like USPS. Independent regulatory commissions- like the FTC.

Question 21

Define executive agreement and executive order

Answer 21

Executive agreement- unofficial treaty made by President without Senate approval
Executive order- rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation

Question 22

War Powers Act of 1973

Answer 22

Designed to restore role in military policy, limiting the President’s authority over foreign wars