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Intro to American Politics > Final exam > Flashcards

Final exam Flashcards

(69 cards)

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1
Q

How many people in the House of reps

A

435, 2 year terms

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2
Q

How many in the senate

A

100, 6 year terms

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3
Q

Congressional district

A

geographic district where one official represents for the House

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4
Q

Reapportionment

A

reapportion how many representatives each state gets every ten years after cencus

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5
Q

Malapportionment

A

voting power of its citizens is different than voting power of another district = unfair

senate is very very malapportioned

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6
Q

One person, one vote rule

A

each person’s vote should have the same amount of power = no malapportionment

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7
Q

Redistricting

A

drawing districts so each district is the same size (in terms of population)

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8
Q

Gerrymandering

A

redistricting so your party benefits

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9
Q

minority- majority district

A

gerrymander a district where you can maximize the voting power of the minority

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10
Q

descriptive representation

A

how much the member of congress looks like (same demographic) the people who are representing

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11
Q

Substantive representation

A

member of congress represents the same policy issues as the people in their district

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12
Q

trustee

A

member of congress doesn’t just think about their demographic but does what is right

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13
Q

instructed delegate

A

will only vote for what their district wants/ what benefits the district

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14
Q

Rules committee

A

committee in the just the house that decides the rules to consider and debate for a specific bill

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15
Q

fillibuster

A

tactic used by senators to block a bill to hold the floor and speak- if there isn’t cloture

To prevent a decision being made

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16
Q

cloture

A

limiting the amount of time a person can speak and how long you can spend on a bill- must pass with 3/5 majority of the senate

limits each person to one hour and a total of 100 hours for the bill to be discussed after cloture is invoked

16 senators sign a petition for cloture and then 3/5 of senate must agree

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17
Q

conference committee

A

when theres a disagreement between the house and the senate in passing a bill

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18
Q

veto override

A

both house and senate disapprove with 2/3 majority vote in both chambers

difficult because only about half of each party occupies the senate

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19
Q

Why we hate congress but like our member

A

Congress never actually gets anything done. We like our member though because they represent us and they push for us

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20
Q

Earmarks

A

adding spending that only benefit a certain amount of people

instructed delegate could do this to benefit their district

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21
Q

Rucho vs common cause

A

courts concluded that courts cannot fix gerrymandering issues

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22
Q

President- chief executive

A

appointment of power

cabinet

executive orders

take care clause

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23
Q

take care clause

A

president shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed

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24
Q

Why does trump have lots of executive orders?

A

because his supporters want results on easy issues and to fulfill what he said he was going to do for his campaign

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25
President- chief legislator
veto power- has help from offices for policy advice hard to get anything passed by government- power to pursuade
26
President- political party leader
most powerful party official has staff in charge of regulating political standing (approval rating)
27
Commander in chief and restraints
in charge of army and navy constraint- only congress can declare war, congress determines defense spending
28
Trump and bombing
has bombed a lot more than other presidents
29
Head of state and restraints
main negotiator/ talker to other countries restraint- senate must ratify treaties and sets department budget
30
Characteristics of populism
charismatic outsider, appeals to nationalism, outreach to working class, uses media
31
Executive order
president says he wants executive branch to carry out a certain law can be taken away by next president
32
Executive office of the President (EOP)
group of policy related offices that serves the president
33
White House office
an EOP- handle's president's political needs press secretary, chief of staff, media
34
Formal/ constitutional powers
powers expressed in the constitution for the president- mostly in article 2
35
Pardon
president can pardon someone for a national crime governor can pardon for a state crime
36
Treaty
agreement between countries- president can negotiate and sign but senate has to pass
37
Problem with president appointing officials
senate has to approve the appointments
38
State of the Union
allows the president to shape legislative process- to persuade congress
39
President and going public
helps the president to use the people to persuade congress often doesn't work because citizens like to ignore the president opposition can go public too
40
Executive departments (bureaucracy)
cabinet (political appointees)- | state, treasury, defense
41
Independent agencies
not under direction of executive branch- difficult for president to remove established by congress CIA, NASA, USPS
42
Government corporations
provide a public service and produce revenue AMTRAK, FDIC
43
Implementation
all of the agencies/ corporations do their jobs to enforce the laws and do their jobs
44
Interpretation
laws are vague and leave some points inresolved
45
Code of federal regulations (CFR)
gives details of implementation
46
Discretion
departments of bureaucracy have freedom in how to interpret policy
47
Why is the DMV so bad?
No incentives, budget cuts if there is money leftover, hard to fire someone in the DMV
48
Spoils system
Ended 1883- president could employ friends which would fund political parties
49
Rendleton act
modern civil service system we know today need to protect government agents cus if you try to fire them its under the assumption that its political
50
hatch act
prohibits political activity by civil servants can't run for office or fund people running for office
51
Two things yo need to bring a case to the supreme court
Must have a standing (well defined injury) Must be a justiciable controversy - means that it is the Supreme Court's job
52
Appeals courts
If you lose in a district court, you have the right to go to appeals court If you lose in appeals court, you can appeal to go to supreme court but can’t just go to supreme court
53
District courts
the court you first go to
54
State court system
state court different than federal court
55
judicial review
The power by supreme court to declare acts or laws of legislative or executive branches unconstitutional
56
Marbury vs Madison
Power of judicial review Power to determine constitutionality
57
Legal model of decision
Facts+ law = decision non political
58
Stare decisis
idea that judges must follow the precedent
59
Precedent
court decision that is followed if there is a case with the same grounds
60
Attitudinal model
Facts+ law = inconclusive other factors have influence- judges own attitudes have an effect`
61
Judicial restraint
court should let elected branches make decisions, should rarely intervene try to remain outside of political questions
62
Judicial activism
court should use powers to check the legislative and executive branches necessary to protect injustices
63
Strict construction/ original intent
Just look at the actual words of the constitution and follow that for decision making
64
Broad construction/ modernism
interpret constitution as a living and adapting document consider the spirit of the law/ its intent
65
Jurisdiction
when a court has the power to "speak the law" or to rule in the court a state court has jurisdictional power to over all residents within the state
66
Writ a certiori
Supreme Court orders a record of the case that happened in the lower court
67
Iron triangle
Congress(make laws), interest groups (push for laws), executive agencies (enforce laws)
68
whistleblowers
people who point out misbehavior of agencies/ corporations in the bureaucracy
69
Minority leader and majority leader
Nancy pelosi and Paul Ryan

Intro to American Politics (4 decks)

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