Midterm Flashcards
On which point did the Virginia and New Jersey plans disagree?
How the states should be represented
____________, _________________, and _________________ were the authors of ______________which were written to encourage New York to ratify the constitution.
John jay
Alexander Hamilton
James Madison
The federalist papers
Which compromise combined parts of the New Jersey and virginia plans to make the legislature like it is today?
Connecticut compromise
Which was a compromise between the northern and southern states at the constitutional convention?
Congress could tax imports but not exports
What was an important agruement against the proposed constitution?
It did not guarantee basic rights
Why did smaller states favor the New Jersey plan over the virginia plan?
Because it called for the states to be represented equally
How did the 3/5 compromise affect representation in congress?
Every 5 slaves were counted as 3 free men
What finally solved the primary conflict at the constitutional convention over representation in congress?
The Connecticut compromise
What was the main reason that federalist supported ratification of the constitution?
The need for a stronger central government
What did federalist the federalist agree to in order to gain support for the new constitution?
Adding amendments to protect basic rights
The delegates to the Philadelphia convention of 1787 originally ,et to
Recommend revisions to the articles of the confederation
The new jersey plan gave congress the power to
Levy taxs
The Connecticut compromise particularly satisfied and appeased
Smaller, less populous states
The New Jersey plan called for
A federal executive for more than one person
Representatives are elected
From congressional districts
Senators are elected
At large
Senators are elected for
Six years terms
Representatives are elected for
Two year terms
Each congressional term is divided into
Two sessions
Until 1913, senators were chosen by
Their states legislature
What is the minimum number of representatives in congress (both senators and members of the house) that a state can have?
Three
Due to the length of their terms, house members may be more likely to
Listen to constituents views
Why did the framers of the constitution create a bicameral congress?
To settle a conflict during a constitutional convention
When may the president ask congress to hold a special session?
To deal with an emergency situation
What was the main idea of the Supreme Court ruling in wesberry v. Sanders?
One persons vote should be worth the same as another’s
In which house of congress does each state have the same number of votes, no Mayer how large or small its population?
The senate
How often does the constitution require congress to reapportion seats in the House of Representatives?
Every ten years
How many sessions are there within each term of congress?
Two
What was the goal of the framers of the constitution when they created a bicameral congress?
The two houses would check one another
When does each new term of congress begin?
January of every odd numbered year
Which of the following was an important reason that the framers favored a bicameral legislature?
Both parliament and the colonial legislatures were bicameral
Based on Supreme Court cases, which of the following practices is permissible?
Drawing district lines using race as one of a mix of factors
The framers intended the senate to primarily represent
The states
The framers intended the House of Representatives to primarily represent
The citizens of our republic
The framers hoped that ___________ would help make the senate a more responsible body than the house.
Longer terms
Which can congress do through its commerce power?
Control foreign trade
The federal government often spends more money than it takes in each year. It then borrows money to make up the difference. What is this called?
Deficit financing
According to constitution, who has the main respect sublimity for foreign policy?
The president
According to the constitution, how can the United States declare war?
Only by an act of congress
Most bankruptcy cases are determined
In state municipal courts
What does the necessary and proper clause give to congress?
A basis for implied powers
Liberal construction has led to which of the following in the United States?
A larger national government
Which is a result of Congress’s broad definition of commerce?
Federal power has increased
Congress has applied the necessary and proper clause to its use of the comerce clause. In doing so, how is the term commerce now defined by congress?
It refers to just about every form of economic activity
Which of the following is a limit the constitution places on the commerce power?
Congress cannot tax exports
Why did congress pass the war powers resolution after the Vietnam war?
To limit the presidents war making powers
Which is true when congress claims an implied power based on the necessary and proper clause of the constitution?
The implied power is based in at lease one if the expressed powers
Which of the following is a example of a tax congress would have the power to levy?
A tax on individuals’ income
As the lawmaking body of the sovereign United States, what kind if power does congress have in relation to foreign policy and national security?
Inherent power
Which is a joint committee that finalizes a bill so it can go to the president?
Conference committee
Which correctly discribes how a joint committee works?
Both houses participate
Congress begins a term in which of the following?
Every odd numbered year
How often does congress begin a new term?
Every two years
After the Vice President, who is next in line to become president of the United States?
Speaker of the house
Standing committees _______________________
Play a critical role in the lawmaking process
Which describes how a select committee may help congress?
Conducts investigations
In the president of the senate is absent, which officer serves in his or her place?
President pro tempore
Which is the most powerful member of the senate?
The majority leader
Why is the house rules committee so powerful?
It decides whether or not a bill will get a vote by the full house
What makes opening day in the senate different from opening day in the house?
The senate is a continuous body
Which is more important factor in the selection of committee chairmen?
Length of service in congress
Why are committee chairmen important in the legislative process?
They have a major say in which bills the committee will consider
Select committees are ______________
Temporary committees set up for a certain purpose
The speaker of the house is sworn in by
The dean of the house
The opening day of a new term of congress occurs in
January
The first step in introducing a bill in the house is to place it in the
Hopper
What is rhe purpose of a conference committee
To develop a compromise bill
Why does the house have so many calendars and rules?
Because of the huge workload of the house
Which is true of debate in the senate as compared to the house
More freedom to debate
Which allows congress to override a presidents veto
2/3 vote of each house
How is a bill introduced in the senate
It is read twice and sent it a standing committee
What does a house member do before proposing a new bill
Seeks conspirators
What happens to most bills that are referred to committees
They are pigeonholed and die
What must happen before a bill can be sent to the president for approval?
It must pass both houses before a bill can be sent to the president for approval
Bills for raising revenue must originate in the
House if representatives
Who can introduce a bill in the senate?
Only senators who have been formally recognized for the purpose
How can a majority of members of the house force a bill to the floor that has been buried in committee?
File a discharge petition
Why are the senates proceedings less formal and it’s rules less strict than those in the house?
The senate has fewer members
A political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval form any higher authority
State
Any sizable group of people who are united by a common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes, religion.
Nation
An agreement about basic beliefs
Consensus
The supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries
Sovereignty
The institution through with the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces binding decisions on citizens.
Government
The theory that the state evolved from the family
Evolutionary theory
The theory that the state was born of force - when all the people of an area were brought under the authority of one person or group
Force theory
Belief that certain people are either defended from gods or chosen by gods to rule
Divine right
Theory that by contract, people surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order and the state, in turn, agrees to protect its citizens
Social contract
A concept that is old as antiquity, it flourished in the 17th century. In general, it supposed that man by use of reason could know in the main the fundamental principles of morality
Natural law
A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government
Unitary system
A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments
Federal system
A loose union of independent states
Confederacy
A plan that provides the rules for government
Constitution
A government in which a constitution has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers of those who govern
Constitutional government
A statement in a constitution that sets forth the goals and purposes of government
Preamble
The effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government
Politics
A system of government in which the power to rule is in the hands of a single individual
Autocracy
A system of government in which a small group holds power
Oligarchy
Government in which the people rule
Democracy
