Final Exam Flashcards
What are the characteristics of a state?
Population, Territory, Sovereignty, Government
What is the Social Contract Theory?
States that the state was created voluntarily by the people, government powers are granted by the people, and that people have the right to change or abolish the government
What are the purposes of the United States government according to the Preamble to the Constitution?
Form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, secure the blessings of liberty
Both Locke and Hobbes would agree that the government exists to serve what?
The will of the people
Which type of government consists of all the power being concentrated in one central person or agency?
Unitary Government
What is a confederate government?
Alliance of independent states
Which type of government is one in which power is divided between a central government and local governments?
Federal Government
According to the Declaration of Independence, who has the right to rule and, if necessary, abolish government?
The people that are being governed
The Articles of Confederation created a government consisting of how many
One, one (unicameral)
What weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to its failure?
The national government had no power to tax, raise an army, control interstate commerce; most power was held by the states
What significant agreement/decision was made at the Philadelphia Convention?
Draft a new constitution
What document(s) were written to win support for the Constitution, particularly in New York?
The Federalist Papers
What do the words “We the People” symbolize in the U.S. Constitution?
Popular Sovereignty
What is limited government?
Government must operate within certain bounds set by the people.
What is separation of powers?
Equal distribution of power among the three branches of government
In what ways does the legislative branch check the power of the judicial branch?
Remove judges through impeachment
What is a veto?
The power of the president to reject an act of Congress; example of checks and balances
How has the Constitution endured for more than 200 years?
Built-in provisions for accommodating change
What are the four possible methods of formal amendment?
Proposed by Congress by 2/3 vote of both houses (ratified by ¾ of state legislatures or ratified by conventions in ¾ of the states). Proposed at a national convention called by Congress when requested by 2/3 of the state legislatures (ratified by ¾ of state legislatures or ratified by conventions in ¾ of the states).
What is the Bill of Rights and why were the added to the Constitution?
The First Ten Amendments added after the ratification of the Constitution that arose from Controversy over the protection of basic rights.
What is federalism?
Division of power between a central government and regional governments
What is an expressed power?
Powers granted to the National Government; spelled out in the Constitution
What are three examples of expressed powers held by the National Government?
Coin Money, Acquire Territory, Declare War, regulate interstate and foreign trade, grant patents/copyrights
What types of powers are exercised simultaneously by the National and State governments?
Concurrent powers
The Supremacy Clause requires that states honor what?
The legality of one another’s civil laws
Fund given to a state by the National Government with special conditions attached are called what?
Categorical Grants
What are the functions of a political party?
Nominate candidates for office, insure good performance of elected candidates, provide a mechanism for the conduct of government
Why are people members of a particular political party?
Voluntary; personal choice based on similar beliefs
What political party tends to be more liberal, enjoys trying new ideas, and is pro gun control?
Democratic Party
In a dictatorship, how many political parties are typically allowed to exist?
one
What caused the development of the two-party system in the United States?
Conflicts about the Constitution between Jefferson and Hamilton created opposing viewpoints
Someone labeled as a conservative is most likely to be a member of what political party?
Republican
In recent decades, union members have tended to support which political party?
Democrats
Individuals that are pro-guns, pro-life, and pro-business typically support what political party?
Republicans
What qualifications do states require people to meet in order to vote?
citizen of that state AND the U.S., 18 years or older
Why do many people consider gerrymandering to be unfair?
It sets district boundaries to decrease one group’s voting strength
People with no sense of political efficacy believe what?
That any choice/vote they make will have no effect
What is political socialization?
Process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions.
What are some of the major influences on a person’s political socialization?
Influences include family, peers, media, schools, employment, and gender.
An increasing number of Americans today choose to do what concerning their membership in a political party?
Identify with neither party
What groups of people are most likely to participate in the election process?
White collar males
What is a closed primary?
Only declared party members may vote
Why is money an indispensible campaign resource?
Allows candidates to make themselves known to the publicn
What is the most costly item in a typical campaign budget?
TV ads
Who is allowed to contribute money to a presidential campaign effort?
Any American
How are individuals limited under the presidential campaign financing laws in terms of how much money they can contribute to a candidate?
Not unlimited; rules for donations by a single person per election cycle
What is an interest group?
Collection of people that share certain views on public matters and work to shape public policy to their benefit
Why are interest groups sometimes called “pressure groups”?
They seek to put pressure on the government to affect policies.
What are public affairs and how are they affected by interest groups?
Public affairs are those issues and events that concern the people at large. Interest groups help to stimulate interest in these public affairs
What are three examples of interest groups that promote causes?
American Civil Liberties Union, National Rifle Association, Sierra Club
Why did the Framers of the Constitution favor bicameralism?
Fair and equal representation of the states at the national level
The regular period of time during which Congress conducts its business is called a what?
Session
When are Congressional Elections held?
Tuesday after the first Monday in November each even numbered year
What are the formal qualifications for the House of Representatives?
At least 25 years old, Citizen for 7 years, Must live in the state from which chosen
Each state has how many U.S. senators?
2
How long are the terms served by Senators?
6 year terms
What are the formal qualifications for Senators?
At least 30 years old, U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, inhabit of state elected in
What are three differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate?
Size of membership, length of term, size of constituency
What are common characteristics of members of Congress?
White males, married, have a college degree, some type of religious affiliation
What roles do members of Congress fill?
Legislator, Committee Member, Representative of people/Servant to constituents
In Congress, screening bills for floor consideration is done by whom?
Committee members
When does the House of Representatives elect a member to serve as the Speaker of the House?
The first day of each new term
What is the role of the President pro tempore ?
Serves as the presiding officer in the absence of the Vice President
Why is the majority leader more powerful than the minority leader in the Senate and House of Representatives?
Majority party has more seats than the other party, allowing them to control the order of business in their chamber
What is the role of a majority and minority party whip?
Assistant floor leaders; determine and tell party leaders how many votes can be counted on pertaining to a vote on a bill
How are committee chairpersons usually chosen?
Seniority
Why did Congress create standing committees?
Divide the workload; thorough consideration of bills
In the House of Representatives, where do most bills die at?
In committee
How is the legislative process between the Senate and House of Representatives different in terms of rules and structure?
Senate is less formal and its rules less strict
What is a filibuster?
Talk a bill to death; prevents action in the Senate
How can a bill become a law without the President signing off on it?
The President fails to act on a bill within ten days of receiving it while Congress is still in session
What are three formal qualifications for President according to the Constitution?
Natural born citizen, 35 years of age, Lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years
What is the maximum number of years a President may serve in office?
10 years
What is the President’s yearly salary?
$400,000
Who follows the Vice President in the line of succession?
Speaker of the House
What two duties are assigned to the Vice President by the Constitution?
Preside over Senate, determine Presidential disability
Who chooses a state’s Presidential electors?
The people of that state
What are the three major defects of the electoral college system?
Winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed the presidency, electors are not required to vote in accord with the popular vote, any election might have to be decided by the House of Representatives
What is criticism regarding the wording of the Executive Article?
Loose definition of executive power
What is a treaty?
FORMAL agreement between two or more sovereign nations; Senate approval
What is an executive agreement?
Pact between President and the head of a foreign state; no Senate approval
Who shares military powers?
President and Congress
What is the War Powers Act of 1973 and why was it created?
Limits the military powers of the President; purpose was to reign in the President’s powers by establishing time limits
Why is the President considered the nation’s chief legislator?
Initiates, suggests, and demands that Congress enact much of the major legislation that it produces
What is a bureaucracy?
Large, complex administrative structure that handles the everyday business of an organization
Much of the work of the Federal Government is done by the 15 executive departments, otherwise known as the what?
Cabinet/Cabinet Departments
Who appoints Cabinet members?
President
Who approves the appointment of Cabinet members?
Senate
What region of the world has demanded the most attention by the U.S. since the end of the cold war?
Middle East
What is the purpose of the United Nations?
Maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and promote justice and cooperation
What is the United Nation’s Security Council?
15 members (five permanent); bears the major responsibility of maintaining international peace, with the five permanent members holding veto power
What parties must in involved in order for a case to fall under the jurisdiction of the federal courts?
U.S. or one of its officers/agencies, representative of foreign government, state suing another state, a resident of another state, or a foreign government/subject, citizen of one state suing a citizen of another state, U.S. citizen suing foreign government/subject
How long are the terms of constitutional court judges?
Appointed for life
Who appoints federal judges, such as Supreme Court Justices?
President
Who approves the appointment of federal judges?
Senate
What court has original jurisdiction over most cases heard in federal courts?
District Courts
Why were the 12 federal courts of appeals created?
Relieve the workload of the Supreme Court, hear appeals from district courts, consider cases from several regulatory agencies
Why is the Supreme Court also referred to as the “High Court”?
It is the last court in which federal cases can be decided
How was the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review established?
The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v Madison
What is the Free Exercise Clause?
Gives people the right to believe whatever they want to believe in matters of religion
Why does the government make certain rules regarding an individuals right to freedom of assembly?
Protect against the inciting of violence or the endangerment of life
What is a writ of habeas corpus?
Requires the police bring a prisoner before the court and explain why he or she should not be released
What guarantees are given to a person in order to ensure a fair trial?
Adequate defense, trial by jury, trial within a reasonable amount of time, guarantee against self incrimination, guarantee against double jeopardy
