Final Exam Review Flashcards
What was the name given to those Americans who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
Anti-federalists
When was the United States Constitution signed?
September 17th, 1787
When was the Constitution ratified?
June 21st, 1788
What two men wrote most of the Federalist Papers?
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton
When was the Bill of Rights ratified?
December 15th, 1791
What are the two chambers of the law-making arm of our government?
House of Representatives and the Senate
Who serves as the president of the Senate?
The Vice President of the United States
How many members serve in the House of Representatives?
435
How many members serve in the Senate?
100
What political philosopher had an obvious influence on the Declaration of Independence?
John Locke
What is the name of document that governed the states before the U.S. Constitution?
The Articles of Confederation
Stamp Act
Congress formed to protest the newly passed Stamp Act. Sent letters of complaints to the king and parliament, and it showed signs of colonial unity and organized resistance
Intolerable Acts
disallowed elections and public meetings (result of Boston Tea Party); angered colonists because they had basically been able to run themselves for 100+ years
State of nature is a “war of all against all.”
Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short;
People create government because the Fundamental Truths (self-preservation; violent death) allow a system where everyone is their own judge.
People need one judge.
Hobbes
There are some things that are evident (reasonable).
Inalienable rights are life, liberty, property.
People also have a right to protect their rights, however, the common fundamental flaw: selfishness makes people act unreasonably.
Government created to rationally protect already existing rights.
Locke
Original sin was private property which created civil society that protected inequality.
Life in the state of nature was isolated (noble savage).
Rousseau
Father of classical liberalism
John Locke
Which philosopher championed separation of powers?
Montesquieu
(“the accumulation of two or more functions of government in the hands of one or a few is despotism.”)
Definition of republic given in class
the majority limited by a written constitution that safeguards the rights of the individuals and minorities
Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
bicameral legislature; House of reps: population based (slaves 3/5ths a person); Senate: equal (2); House elected by people; Senate elected by state legislature;
single executive
Congress only has power to tax in proportion to representation in the House
What form of government do we have in the United States?
Democratic Republic
What system of government do we have in the United States?
Federal
What are our three branches of government and what are their primary functions?
Legislative: Lawmaking Function; Making the Laws
Executive: Chief Executive; Enforcing the Laws
Judicial: Interpreting the Laws
What are the two most important contributions to the United States Constitution made by James Madison?
Separation of powers
Checks and balances
Bill of rights
1st ten amendments
What is the significance of the commerce clause and the power of the federal government?
Madison claimed regulation of commerce was the only new power granted to the federal government in the new constitution.
Expanded its power among the states.
3 most powerful members of the House
Speaker: Mike Johnson
Majority Leader: Steve Scalise
Minority Leader: Hakeem Jeffries
President of the Senate
Vice President (Kamala Harris)
Reapportionment
the redistribution of seats in the House of Representatives based on changes in population in the states.
What is the electoral college
The system used to elect the president. It includes all of the House of Representatives, the Senate members, and the 3 voters for the District of Columbia (DC). The winner must receive at least 270 votes.
How many electors in electoral college
538
Where do all appropriations bills originate in the federal government?
House and senate committees
Don’t quote me on that but I think that’s right
Which chamber of congress provides “advice and consent” to the President?
Senate
What is the difference between explicit powers and implied powers?
Explicit- directly spelled out word-by-word in the Constitution
Implied- those that are not directly spelled out in the Constitution, but are assumed to be powers of the government
Article 1
Legislative Branch
Article 2
Executive Branch
Article 3
Judicial Branch
Primary goal of federal bureaucracy
To perform duties efficiently to save taxpayers money.
What is found in Article 1 Section 8 Clauses 1-17 of the Constitution?
Enumerated powers (of Congress?)
What are the roles and responsibilities of the President?
Head of State
Chief Executive
The Powers of Appointment and Removal
The Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons
Commander-in-Chief
Chief Diplomat
Chief Legislator
Chief of Party
Constituencies and Public Approval
Emergency Powers
Executive Orders
Executive Privilege
What is are the three primary sources of law in the United States?
Constitution
Statutory and Administrative Regulations
Case Law
What is the significance of the Judiciary Act of 1789?
Implements article 3
Judiciary Act of 1869?
set number of supreme court justices at 9
Who is the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
John Roberts
What are the three levels of the federal judiciary?
District Courts
Circuit Courts
Supreme Court
Marbury v Madison
Judicial review established (emphatically the duty and province of judiciary to say what law is)
Judiciary act of 1789 declared unconstitutional.
Rule of 4
If 4 justices want to hear a case it will probably be heard
Law of 5
5 votes is majority in Supreme Court
“With five votes, you can do anything around here.” - Justice Brennan
What are four types of federal bureaucracies?
Cabinet Departments
Independent Executive Agencies
Independent Regulatory Agencies
Government Corporations
15th amendment
can’t discriminate based on race
19th amendment
can’t discriminate based on sex
26th amendment
lowered voting age to 18
Laswell definition of politics
who gets what, when, and how
Madison’s ideas about causes and effects of faction
A government cannot remove the causes of factions, so it must seek to control the effects of factions.
How does the Supreme Court check themselves?
Will not hear hypothetical and political questions
Respect the decisions of lower courts
25th amendment
procedure for Presidential succession
Civil Liberties
protection from the government rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause
Civil Rights
protections by the government rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause.
Negative rights
Inalienable rights or natural rights
Positive rights
Those granted by the government
