PoliSci Final Flashcards
democracy meaning
power from the people
monarchy meaning
power held by one
oligarchy
power held by few
autocracy
power from self
anarchy
power held by none
direct democracy
all citizens vote directly on decision making
indirect democracy
representative- vote for representatives- consists of presidential and parliamentary
four purposes of government and what they mean
maintain social order - provide ways of resolving conflict and make and enforce laws
provide public services- public health, safety, and essential services
national security-protect against external threats and provide framework for intergovernmental agreements
economic decisions- moderate the domestic economy,, provide economic aid to other countries
Structure of the constitution
preamble, seven arguments(articles), bill of rights, other amendments
what are all the articles in order in the constitution
1- establishes the congress/legislative branch
2. establishes executive branch
3- judicial branch
4- relationships and limits between states
5- how to amend constitution
6- national debt
7-ratification( says once 2/3 of states agree then it is ratified)
principles of constitution
- popular sovereignty
- checks and balances
- separation of power
- federalism
- limited government
- judicial review
popular sovereignty
governments authority is based on the consent of the governed - ex- voting for government officials
checks and balances
each branch of the government has some power over others– limits so not one has all power. -congress can overturn presidential veto
separation of power
power separated to different groups; multiple branches of government- ex- congress has power to make laws, president can veto, supreme court can say its unconstitutional
federalism
system in which power is divided between national state+local government- each have own laws- ex- one large power/government and then states also have their own powers (ex- drug legalization)
limited government
constitution limits the actions of the government by listing powers gov. does and doesnt have. - ex- us, england, canada, mexico, etc.
Legislative Process- House
(Introduce a bill, Referred to committee for work, committee vote, full chamber vote, passage by other house, conference committee, signed by president).
- a bill is drafted & introduced on the floor
- a bill is sent to a committee for study, discussion, & review
- committees are reassigned every congressional term - calendars list bills to be considered
- “house rules committee” directs legislation to more forward in consideration
- what else are we doing on this bill? a checkpoint that the bill has met everyone it needs to
- they have to review every single bill that committees send to them - quorums must be considered
- minimum number of members required to be present to allow official action. typically half or more
Legislative Process-senate
compared to the house, the senate has a very informal atmosphere
– bill introduced on the senate floor
– senate leadership controls flow of bills to committees
committee revises bill & holds a vote before passing – the bill to the senate for debate
constitutional requirements to be a member of senate
9 yrs citizen
Residence in that state
30 yrs old
constitutional requirements to be a member of house
7 yrs as citizen
Resident in that state
25 yrs old
Congressional redistricting
Congressional representation determined by census
Reapportionment takes place every ten years
Each district MUST have the same population
Racial considerations
Gerrymandering
structure of congress
bicameral- house (population based) + senate (2 ppl per state)
speaker of the house
nancy pelosi- chosen by the majority. presiding officer of the house- has lots of power
who is the minority leader for house
kevin mccarthy
current representative for sounthern MN
jim hagedorn
majority leader for senate
chuck schumer- scheudule work of senate and steer bills through committees
minority leader for senate
mitch mcConnell
MN senators
amy klobuchar and Tina smith
congressional caucuses
group of like minded congress memebers(black caucus)
committees
group of expert congress memebers
chaired by a member in the majority party
before congress votes on a bill it needs to be cleared by a committee
joint committee
has both members from house and senate
federalist 10
by James Madison. Warning of power of factions and competing interests over US gov. Everyone has their own self interest. Large republic helps control factions because there is more representation and more opinions
qualification to be president
natural born citizen, 35+ yrs old, US resident for 14+ years
powers of president
- head of armed forces(but cannot be in military)
- can receive written recommendations from cabinet
- power to grant pardons (except in cases of impeachment)
- can make treaties with 2/3 congress approval
duties of president
- deliver state of union speech in congress every jan
- call congress into special sessions if they had adjourned
- receive ambassadors and other public ministers
- responsible for enforcing laws and choosing others to assist them
role of president- chief executive
the presidents duty is to have the power to enforce laws. this can also include executive orders (have force of law)- ex- ww2 execuitve order to keep japanese americans in camps
role of president- head of state
symbol of the nation and ceremonial head of government - ex- give medals of bravery to soldiers
role of president-chief diplomat
has final say on laws and can veto- james madison vetoed a bill for construction of roads and canals
role of president-commander in chief
civilian leading the nations armed forces
foreign policy
DIME- diplomacy, informational, military, economic
cabinet
15 leaders of the major executive departments
individual role- leading executive departments
collective role- advising president
original jurisdiction
trial court that hears a case for the first time (u.s. district court, u.s. supreme court)
appellate jurisdiction
hears appeals from lower court decisions (u.s. court of appeals, u.s. supreme court)
district courts
lowest level in the federal system
94 judicial districts in 50 states & territories
no appellate jurisdiction
original jurisdiction over most cases
courts of appeal
intermediate level in the federal system
12 regional “circuit” courts, including d.c. circuit
no original jurisdiction; strictly appellate
supreme court
highest court in the federal system
nine justices, meeting in d.c.
limited original jurisdiction over some cases
appeals jurisdiction through certiorari process (the record of a lower court is
sent to a superior court for review)
power of federal courts
provide criminal rulings
interpret the u.s. Constitution & its amendments
provide checks & balances on the executive & legislative branches
conduct judicial review
judicial review
congressional laws (statutes) (affordable care act)
state actions (separate train car law)
federal bureaucratic agencies (u.s. fish & wildlife service vs sierra club)
presidential actions (deferred action for childhood arrivals)
guiding principles of the american legal system
criminal law
offenses considered to be crimes against society as a whole
warrant punishment by & in the name of society
civil law
deals with the rights of private citizens
usually involve lawsuits seeking monetary damages
constitutional law
relates to the meaning of the constitution in a case (brown vs topeka, board of education, 1954)
the process of supreme court hearing
step 1 : the supreme court receives a petition or case
step 2 : the process of granting writ of certiorari
step 3 : written arguments
step 4 : oral arguments
step 5 : conference
step 6 : rendering an opinion
writ of certiorari
does the case have standing? (is there a constitutional issue being raised that has not been raised previously? was this decision raised as an error?)
“rule of four”
if NO: SCOTUS decides not to take case, no “petition of value”
facts already established
if YES: SCOTUS looks at legal & process issues; constitutional questions
written arguments
briefs submitted by each lawyer
amicus curiae briefs (someone who is not a party to a case assists a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case)
oral arguments
each side has 30 minutes
justices interrupt frequently
opinion
written decision by the court
authority to hear certain cases
jurisdiction of the court
solicitor general
from lower court- presents case to supreme court
current method for judge to get position
president nominates someone he sees fit for position. then congress reviews it to ensure they are actually qualified and will protect constituitional rights
6 goals of preamble
form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
