exam review Flashcards
Give two examples of one branch checking another
President can veto any bill passed by congress, but congress can overturn that veto ⅔ votes
What was the importance of Shay’s rebellion with regards to the writing of the constitution?
It exposed how weak the federal government was under the Article of Confederation, help directly lead to new, stronger Constitution
What is federalism?
division or sharing of power between national and state government
What did the Supreme Court decide in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)?
Gave congress power to regulate interstate commerce
Read the 10th Amendment, Write in your own words.
The powers not specifically stated in the U.S Constitution are powers for the states and the people
what are “reserved powers”?
powers held by the state
Define bill of attainder
piece of legislation declaring a party is guilty of crime
Define Ex post facto law
criminalizes an act that wasnt a crime when it was committed
Define the habeas corpus clause of the Constitution
explain to judge what reason they have for holding a prisoner custody
Which one of the powers/clauses in Article 1 Section 8 (1-17) has been used the most to expand the power of the national government? (NOT elastic clause because that’s Art. 1, Sec 8, Clause 18)
The commerce clause
What is fiscal federalism?
Pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system
What is cooperative federalism?
system of government in which states and the national government share powers and policy assignments
What are block grants?
Money given to the states for a broad purpose
Which document describes a government based in unity, natural rights and the social contract theory?
The Declaration of Independence
Describe the difference between the pluralist theory and the elitist theory of democracy
pluralist theory: political power rests with competing interest groups sharing influence in government
elitist theory: a small group of people have more influence over the government
What is unfunded mandate?
Statute or regulation that requires state or local government to perform certain actions, with no money provided for fulfilling the requirements
What was the most evident change from the AOC to the Constitution?
Bigger national government with the power to tax
What are the six principles of government?
- Popular sovereignty
- limited government
- seperation of powers
- federalism
- checks and balances
- republicanism
- individual rights
What is a judicial review? is it in the constitution?
power of judiciary to determine whether actions from executive or legislative are in accordance with constitution
What Supreme Court decision gave us judicial review?
Marbury v Madison
What all did the Virginia Plan call for at the Constitutional convention?
Called for the legislature divided into two bodies: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Achieved representation of each state in congress, gave larger state’s power
what are concurrent powers?
Powers which are shared by both federal and state government
what are implied powers?
Powers that go beyond enumerated powers
what are enumerated powers?
Powers of the federal government that are specifically addressed to the constitution
what are inherent powers?
Powers the government exercises simply because it’s the government
What was the basic purpose for the Feedralist Papers to be written?
To convince people ratification of Constitution was a good plan
Locke believed the primary role of the government was to do what?
to secure and protect the natural rights of the people
What is the traditional democratic theory of the government?
Theory where the majority can rule without violating minority rights
What is the clause called in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18, and what does it allow for?
Necessary and proper (elastic) clause, allows congress to exercise implied powers that are necessary and proper to carry out the enumerated powers
Describe the Connecticut compromise and what problem it solved in the 1787 convention
Compromise reached that established two houses of congress: House of Representatives and Senate. This maximized equality among states and gave more power to people in small states compared to larger states.
What is the main difference between a categorical grant-in-aid and a block grant?
Categorical: Federal money to states for a specific purpose; Block grant: federal money given to states for broad purpose of use
What was the importance of the McCulloch v. Maryland Supreme Court decision?
Established supremacy of national government over state government
