Government Unit 1 Flashcards
Qualifications for house of reps:
1. Age
2. Citizenship
3. State-related
4. Term length
- At least 25
- Citizen for at least 7 years
- Have to be an inhabitant of state you represent
- 2 years
Qualifications for senate:
1. Age
2. Citizenship
3. State-related
4. Term length
- At least 30
- Citizen for at least 9 years
- Have to be an inhabitant of state you represent
- 6 years
Qualifications for president:
1. Age
2. Citizenship
3. Term length
- At least 35 years old
- Been a US resident for 14 years AND a natural born US citizen
- 4 years
Powers of president (military related)
- Militia of several states
- Commander in chief of US Army and Navy
Powers of president (nominations, treaties, and bills)
- Can make treaties (2/3 of senate has to agree)
- Nominate officers of the US, judges of the supreme court, appoint ambassadors, and other public ministers and consuls
- Veto bills
Powers of congress (money)
- Collect taxes
- Coin money
- Borrow money
Powers of congress (other)
- Make laws
- Declare war
- Override president’s veto
- Confirm president’s appointments
Powers of judicial branch (what court and term)
Interpreting the meaning of laws. Applying laws to individual cases. Deciding if laws violate the Constitution.
Supreme court, life term
Where does the process start for impeachment
The House of Representatives decide to carry charge(s) against an official
Jury in an impeachment trial:
The senate
Presides over an impeachment trial
Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Number of votes for conviction of impeachment
2/3 of the members (senators)
Punishment for impeachment
President is taken out of office and can’t run again for re-election
Votes required for amendment proposal
⅔ of the house and the senate must approve
Votes required for amendment ratification
¾ of the states must approve
Popular Sovereignty
Government receives its power from the people and can govern only with their consent
Limited Government
No government is all-powerful. Everyone, even those in power, must obey laws
Checks and Balances
Gives each branch the ability to limit the power of the other two
Separation of powers
Power is divided into three branches - legislative, executive, and judicial (avoids having too much power in the hands of a person or group)
Federalism
Power is divided between a central gov and state governments. Allows freedom of states but ability to come together as one nation
John Locke
Constitutional Monarchy - Government has obligations to citizens (natural rights) and citizens have the right to overthrow their gov
Thomas Hobbes
Absolute Monarchy - only way to keep the naturally mean behavior of humans in check
Baron de Montesquieu
Separation of powers - gov should be divided into three branches to ensure no one person or group of people becomes too powerful
Social Contract
Locke proposed that if the government doesn’t fulfill obligations, people have the right to overthrow
Reserved Power
For states - not expressed in constitution for the federal gov
Concurrent power
Power that states and federal gov share
Expressed power
Power that the federal gov has - stated in the constitution
Implied Power
Not stated in constitution that federal gov has the power, but implied
Bicameral
Congress has two houses - the senate the the house of reps
Senator
A person who represents their state
House of reps
Each representative represents a certain district, bigger states have more representatives
Bill of Rights
Was created to protect people’s natural rights - founders didn’t want America to become a tyranny like Britain
1st Amendment (5)
Right to petition the gov, freedom of religion, right to peacefully assemble, freedom of speech and press
2nd Amendment
Right to keep and use guns
3rd Amendment
Soldiers can’t stay in someone’s house without their consent/permission
4th Amendment
People’s houses and possessions can’t be unreasonably searched or seized by police (without a warrant)
5th Amendment
Double Jeopardy: can’t be tried for the same crime twice. Self-incrimination: a witness can choose not to give a testimony if it incriminates them
6th Amendment
Fair trial - confront witnesses (speedy, impartial jury and judge, right to an attorney)
7th Amendment
Similar to the 6th, pertains to civil cases (cases that exceed $20)
8th Amendment
Protection from excessive bail, protection from cruel & unusual punishment
9th Amendment
Protects rights not stated in he constitution that are obvious
10th Amendment
Federalism - power not stated in the constitution, given to states
25th amendment (pres)
The vice president becomes president if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office through impeachment
Oligarchy
Ruled by a group of people (usually wealthy or elite class of individuals)
Theocracy
Ruled by religion
Democracy
Run by the people, voice of gov is in hands of the people
Monarchy
Power rests in the hand of the sovereignty (king or queen)
Dictatorship
A government ruled by one person who wields all authority
Substantial disruption test
public school officials may only censor student speech that causes a substantial disruption or material interference with school activities
Skokie, Illinois (Nazis)
Hate speech was banned in town with large Jewish population to avoid people rallying and marching in support of Hitler. The court ruled in favor of the Nazis - their 1st amendment rights needed to be protected
Poway High School
Person wore a shirt to school against homosexuality - leading to the student getting suspended and being threatened of expulsion. The court ruled that school officials did not violate their 1st amendment rights of the student
Tinker v. Des Moines
Black armbands to school in protest to the 1st amendment, school suspended them. Court ruled that school couldn’t do that bc armbands weren’t causing a distraction.
