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Honors Government > Final > Flashcards

Final Flashcards

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0
Q

Bill of Rights

A

the first ten amendments

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1
Q

Government

A

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

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2
Q

Political Party

A

a group of people who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office

  • principle-oriented
  • Issue-oriented
  • election-oriented
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3
Q

Suffrage

A

the right to vote

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4
Q

Electorate

A

all of the people entitled to vote in a given election

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5
Q

Off-Year Election

A

Congressional elections held in years when there is no presidential election

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6
Q

Closed Primary

A

Only declared party members can vote

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7
Q

Open Primary

A

any qualified voter can take part

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8
Q

Run-Off Primary

A

if a required primary is not met, the two people with the most votes run again

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9
Q

Non-Partisan Primary

A

candidates are not identified by party labels

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10
Q

Supremacy Clause

A

in the Constitution and United States laws as the “Supreme Law of the Land.”

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11
Q

Full Faith and Credit Clause

A

ensures that the States recognize the laws, documents and court proceedings of other States

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12
Q

Privileges and Immunities Clause

A
  • Provides that no state can draw unreasonable distinctions between its own residents and those persons who happen to live in other States
  • States cannot, pay lower welfare benefits to newly arrived residents than it does to its long-term residents
  • States can draw reasonable distinctions between its own residents and those of other states
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13
Q

Precinct

A

a voting district, it is the smallest geography unit used to carry out elections

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14
Q

Polling Place

A

where the voters in the precinct go to vote

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15
Q

Session

A

the regular period of time during which Congress conducts business

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16
Q

Gerrymandering

A

the act of drawing congressional districts to the advantage of the political party that controls the State legislature

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17
Q

Eminent Domain

A

the inherit power to take private property for public use

18
Q

Copyright

A

the exclusive right of an author to reproduce, publish, and sell his or her creative work

19
Q

Patent

A

grants a person the sole right to manufacture, use, or sell “any new and useful machinery, manufacture, or composition of matter.”

20
Q

Impeach

A

bring charges against, an individual and the Senate conducts a trial

21
Q

Electoral College

A

is the group of people (electors) chosen from each state and the District of Columbia that formally selects the President and Vice President

22
Q

4 Elements of the State

A
  • population-a state must have people, the number of which does not directly relate to its existence
  • territory-a state must be compromised of land-territory with known and recognized boundaries
  • government-every state has a government- that is, it will be politically organized
  • sovereignty-every state is sovereign. It has supreme and absolute power with its own territory and decides its own foreign and domestic policies
23
Q

4 Theories of the origin of the State

A

1) The Force Theory states that one person or small group took control of an area and forced all within it to submit to that persons or groups rule
2) The Evolutionary Theory argues that the state evolved naturally out of the early family
3) The Divine Right Theory holds that God created the state and God gives those of royal birth a divine right to rule
4) The Social Contract theory argues that the state arose out of voluntary act of free people

24
Q

3 Branches of Government in the U.S.

A

1) Legislative Branch-Congress
2) Judicial Branch-Supreme Court
3) Executive Branch-White House
* Separate but Equal*

25
Q

5 ways that the Constitution can be informally amended

A

1) The passage of basic legislation by Congress
2) Actions taken by the President
3) Key decisions of the Supreme Court
4) The activities of Political Parties
5) Custom

26
Q

Advantages of a Multi-Party System

A
  • Provides a broader representation of the people
  • More responsive to the will of people
  • Gives voters more choices at the polls
27
Q

Disadvantages of a Multi-Party System

A
  • Cause parties to form coalitions, which can dissolve easily
  • Failure of coalition can cause instability in government
28
Q

Universal Requirement for Voting

A
  1. Citizenship:most states require U.S. citizenship to vote
  2. Residence:one must be a legal resident of the State to vote in election. Most states require residency for a minimum amount of time in order to vote.
  3. Age:the 26th Amendment requires that no State set a minimum voting age above 18
  4. Registration:all states but North Dakota require residents to register to vote ahead of an election
29
Q

Sociological Patterns of Voting (DEMOCRAT)

A
  • Minorities & Women
  • Catholic & Jewish
  • Union Members
  • Middle to Lower Class
  • Inner-City
  • Northwest & Bigger States
  • Younger Voters
30
Q

Sociological Patterns of Voting (REPUBLICAN)

A
  • White Males
  • Protestants
  • Business
  • Middle to Upper Class
  • Suburbs & Rural
  • Midwest & Southern States
  • Older Voters
31
Q

Sociological patterns that promote voting

A
  • level of income
  • level of education
  • occupational status
  • strong party identification
  • woman
  • live in suburbs
  • older than 35
  • married
32
Q

Importance of Minor Parties

A
  • Spoiler Role: Minor Party candidates can pull decisive votes away from one of the major parties’ candidates, especially if the minor party candidate is from a splinter party.
  • Critic: Minor Parties, especially single-issue parties, often take stands on and draw attention to controversial issues that the major parties would prefer to ignore
  • Innovator: Often, minor parties will draw attention to important issues and propose innovate solutions to problems. If proposals gain popular support, they are often integrated into the platforms of the two major parties
33
Q

Comparing the House of reps and the Senate

A

HOUSE: 435 members, 2 year terms, great change, based on population, less prestige
SENATE: 100, member, 6 year terms, Continuous body, 2 representative per state, more prestige

34
Q

Leadership Positions in Congress

A
  • Stg. at Arms
  • Doorkeeper
  • Postmaster
  • Committee Memberships
  • Speaker of the House
35
Q

Qualifications for President (FORMAL & INFORMAL)

A

1.Be”a natural born citizen.”
2.Be at least 35 years of age
3.Have lived in the US for at least 14 years
Informal:
intelligence, character, and experience

36
Q

Pathway to Presidency

A

Nomination
Self Announcement is the most common method

Presidential Primary
An election within each Political Party

Convention
Delegates selected based on electoral college by state and on who won the State

General Election
We Vote!

Electoral College
Electors representing us choose the President

37
Q

Who gets nominated into the Presidency

A 
Incumbent President almost always gets nominated. 
Leadership experience is essential 
Vice-Presidency
Senators
Governors
Generals 
Many candidates come for key larger states. 
California 
New York 
Ohio
38
Q

Strength and Weaknesses of the Electoral College (WEAKNESSES)

A
  • It is possible to win the popular vote in the presidential election, but lose the electoral college vote.
  • Nothing requires the electors to vote for the candidate favored by the state,
  • If no candidate gets a majority of the votes the election is thrown into the House of Representatives.
39
Q

Strength and Weaknesses of the electoral College (STRENGTH)

A
  • A known process. New methods may have unknown flaws.
  • It defines a winner quickly and with certainty.
  • Protects little states from being dominated by bigger states.
40
Q

The Vice-Presidency

A

The Constitution gives the Vice-President two duties besides becoming President if the President is removed from office

  • to preside over the Senate
  • to help decide the question of presidential disability
  • If the office of Vice-President become vacant, the President nominates a new Vice President subject to the approval of Congress
  • The Vice-President often performs diplomatic and political chores for the President.
41
Q

Presidential Succession

A
  • Vice President
  • Speaker of the House
  • President Pro Tempore of the Senate
  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of the Treasury
42
Q

The Division of Power between Local and Federal Government (Venn Diagram)

A

LOCAL:(Reserved Powers of the State)regulate business and trade within the state, establish public schools, pass license requirements for professionals, regulate alcohol beverages, conduct elections, establish local governments
FEDERAL:(Delegated Power of the National Government)coin money, regulate foreign and interstate trade, declare war, govern U.S. territories and admit new states, conduct foreign relations
BOTH:(Concurrent Powers)levy and collet taxes, borrow money, establish courts, define crimes and set punishments, claim private property for public use.

Honors Government (5 decks)

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