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Intro to American Politics > Final Exam > Flashcards

Final Exam Flashcards

1
Q

Why is the president the head of the military?

A

The president is the commander in chief

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2
Q

Trump choosing Branstad as an abassador is an example of?

A

His responsibility as Chief Foreign Policy Officer

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3
Q

What are some executive powers?

A

Chief administrator, Commander in Chief, and Chief Foreign Policy Officer

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4
Q

What is a negotiated deal with another country without Senate approval called?

A

executive agreements

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5
Q

What is a veto?

A

President can refuse to sign a bill

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6
Q

Can Congress override a veto?

A

Yes, with a 2/3 vote

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7
Q

What is the event called where the president informs congress the state of the union?

A

State of the Union Address

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8
Q

What is an executive order?

A

President issues a clarification of congressional law
ex: Obama made an executive order for DACA

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9
Q

What are legislative powers?

A

veto power, state of the union address, and executive order

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10
Q

What is senatorial courtesy

A

asking the senior senator from their own party for a yes or no for a nominee from their state

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11
Q

Who appoints and confirms the judges and justices?

A

Presidents appoints and senate confirms

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12
Q

What is the pardoning power?

A

the president can pardon people for FEDERAL crimes

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13
Q

What are judicial powers?

A

Appoint judges & justices, friend of the court/solicitor general, pardoning power

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14
Q

What is the friend of the court brief?

A

The government’s lawyer that argues before the SC on behalf of the government

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15
Q

When was the transition from traditional to modern presidents?

A

Great Depression & FDR

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16
Q

Who is the head of state and the head of government?

A

President

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17
Q

What is the double expectations gap?

A

expecting our president to act as the head of state and head of government

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18
Q

Who picks the cabinet?

A

the president

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19
Q

What is like the cabinet but a little smaller?

A

The executive office of the president

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20
Q

Who are white house staffers

A

President’s advisors (chosen by the president and not confirmed by congress)

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21
Q

What is the role of the Chief of Staff?

A

controls the president’s schedule

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22
Q

What is the role of the Press Secretary?

A

Gives press conference on behalf of the president

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23
Q

What is the constitutional job of the vice president

A

1) Leader of the Senate
2) Wait for the president to die

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24
Q

How does the president become influential?

A

Power to persuade (Trying to get someone to do something without the knowledge that you thought of it)

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25
Q

When is the honeymoon period?

A

The very beginning of the term there is high approval rating

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26
Q

What is the midterm loss?

A

the typical lowest approval rating comes after the midterm

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27
Q

What can affect presidential approval rating?

A

Midterm election, Honeymoon period, Economy, war/terrorism

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28
Q

What is the “least dangerous” branch?

A

Supreme Court

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29
Q

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

A

Supreme Court shall not decide judical appointments
- established judicial review

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30
Q

What are the bottom courts called?

A

District Courts

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31
Q

How many district courts are there? How many does Iowa have?

A

94 in total
Iowa has 2

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32
Q

What court can be called for jury in federal cases?

A

District Courts

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33
Q

What are the middle courts called?

A

Circuit Courts

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34
Q

How many circuit courts are there?

A

12

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35
Q

What is the purpose of Circuit Courts?

A

Asking to revisit a case because they have appellate jurisdiction

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36
Q

Do circuit courts retry trials?

A

No

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37
Q

What is a Strict Constructionist?

A

Belief that what’s constitutional is just what is plainly written in the constitution

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38
Q

What is a Judicial Interpretivist?

A

Thinks of the constitution as a living document

39
Q

Who is the plaintiff?

A

the accuser

40
Q

Who is the defendant?

A

the accused

41
Q

What is the appeals court?

A

Someone asked the courtt to reconsider a case

(have to demonstrate that a point of law was not applied correctly)

42
Q

What does a grand jury do?

A

decide if there is enough evidence to go to trial

43
Q

What is a trial jury?

A

jury for the trial
(at district courts only)

44
Q

What is substantive law?

A

what you can and cannot do

ex: don’t murder people

45
Q

What is procedural law?

A

how other laws are applied

ex: miranda warning

46
Q

What is criminal law?

A

Crimes that happen against the state
(need to prove “without a reasonable doubt”)
ex: murder someone you’re going against state rules

47
Q

What is civil law?

A

interactions between people
(punishment is money)
ex: breaking a contract

48
Q

What is constitutional law?

A

interpretation of the constitution

ex: violating freedom of speech is against constitutional law

49
Q

What is statutory law?

A

Comes from state or fed legislature

ex: if you’re in iowa and trans, and want to play sports kim reynolds says no

50
Q

What is administrative law?

A

Comes from

51
Q

What court has appellate jurisdiction?

A

Circuit

52
Q

What is a Writ of Certiorari?

A

writing to a judge “please rethink this case and this is why”

53
Q

Who reads judge’s petitions?

A

Clerks who have the same ideology as the judge

54
Q

Is a writ of cert sc exclusive?

A

no but its most commonly used by the sc

55
Q

What is the rule of four?

A

If four justices wanna hear a case, they will hear it
*gives minority a chance

56
Q

What makes a case more likely to be heard?

A

1) whether the solicitor general is involved
2) Amicus Curiae
3) Case timing

57
Q

What is an Amicus Curiae (amicus brief)?

A

Submitted by organizations that are not parties to the case in support of one of the positions

58
Q

What is case timing?

A

SC being selective of when they will hear cases

59
Q

Who can argue before the SC?

A

Solicitor General (have to pass a harder BAR)

60
Q

What is an “Official decision”

A

majority opinion

61
Q

What is a concurrent opinion?

A

An opinion that agrees with the majority with different or additional reasoning

62
Q

What is a dissenting opinion?

A

disagrees with the majority and tells you why

(tells there is a strong dissent)

63
Q

What is “setting precedent”?

A

keeping laws how they were based on previous laws

64
Q

What’s common law?

A

Laws that don’t want to change, justices stick to the past unless they ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO CHANGE

65
Q

What does “Stare Decisis” mean

A

Let the decision stand

66
Q

What is an activist judge?

A

Sets a new precedent
(most justices don’t want to)

67
Q

What is judicial restraint?

A

Doesn’t want to make a new precedent

68
Q

What is an open primary?

A

Vote for either parties candidates?

69
Q

What is a closed primary?

A

Have to be registered in that party to vote in that primary

70
Q

What is a blanket primary?

A

All of the candidates from all parties are on one ballot
*(rare and parties hate it)

71
Q

What are negative effects of primaries?

A

1) makes election cycles very long
2) very expensive
3) does not lead to an effective decision

72
Q

What is frontloading

A

States try to schedule their primaries early in the process

73
Q

What is a party voter

A

A person who always votes that party (you bish)

74
Q

What are swing voters?

A

Voters that haven’t made up their mind

75
Q

What’s a valence issue?

A

An issue everyone can agree on
ex: LETS END CANCER

76
Q

What are position issues?

A

Issues where you differ positions from your candidates and have a clear defined position

77
Q

What are wedge issues?

A

Divided members of the same political party

ex: covid & gaza

78
Q

What does issue ownership mean?

A

One party is seen as more competent on an issue than the other

ex: democrats = pro choice, republicans = anti choice

79
Q

What’s an example of a contrast ad?

A

“I think ___ and my opponent thinks ____”

80
Q

What is an attack ad?

A

Clearly attacking the opponent

81
Q

What is hard media?

A

news media/radio

82
Q

what is soft media?

A

personality tv

83
Q

What does FECA stand for?

A

Federal ELection Campaign Act (1974)

84
Q

What is FECA?

A

1) Limited what people and business could donate, and tracked the money (what they raised and spent)
2) Created a presidential election fund

85
Q

Who are the people that fun FECA?

A

Federal Election Commission

86
Q

What is hard money

A

Money that is tracked and limited by the government

87
Q

What is soft money?

A

not limited and not tracked
*candidates “dont” know about it

88
Q

What does BCRA stand for?

A

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

89
Q

What is the BCRA

A

tried to limit soft money (and failed in 2000)
- required candidates to say “I’m ___ and I approve of this message”

90
Q

What is political efficacy?

A

Whether you think you have power or influence

91
Q

What are the six major functions?

A

1) Section of Leaders
2) Policy Direction
3) Citizen Development
4) Informing the Public
5) Containing Conflict
6) Legitimation and System stability

92
Q

How to calculate electoral votes?

A

house + senate

93
Q

Why are there problems with the electoral college?

A

1) Popular vote and electoral vote don’t match (happened 5 times which is big)
2) States w lower electors have a better vote count
3) Winner take all system (except for in nebraska and maine)

94
Q

Is being a faithless elector their right?

A

depends, some states have laws that say you will be charged if you are a faithless elector

Intro to American Politics (3 decks)

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