Quiz 2 Review Flashcards
According the Constitution, what powers does Congress have? Which of these are specifically delegated to the Senate?
- make bills/laws
- declare war
- tax
- control funds
- confirm presidential nominations (Senate)
- ratify treaties (Senate)
- impeach officials (Senate)
Remember: the Senate is apart of Congress! It is acceptable to list Senate powers as Congress powers.
How long are the House terms? The Senate?
- House: 2 years
- Senate: 6 years
Are there term limits?
no
What is the leader of the House of Representatives called?
the Speaker of the House
What is the leader of the Senate called?
the President of the Senate (the Vice President)
How does a bill become a law?
- Bill is introduced
- Committees review and revise bill
- Full vote in chamber
- Bill is sent to the other chamber and steps 1-3 repeats
- President signs bill into law or vetoes law
What occurs when the House and the Senate pass different versions of a bill?
- Conference committee is formed to create a compromise bill
- Full vote in both House and Senate
- President signs bill into law or vetoes law
According to the Constitution, what powers do the President have?
- vetoes bills
- appoints ambassadors, or extend and end diplomatic relations with foreign countries
- commander in chief
- signs bills into law
What is the Executive Cabinet?
the 15 heads of the cabinet departments working directly underneath the president
How are people appointed to the Executive Cabinet?
the President nominates them, the Senate confirms the nomination
How has presidential power changed from the country’s founding?
it has increased - modern presidents have more powers
What is the role of modern vice presidents?
more active, delegated tasks by the president
What is the structure of the federal court system?
- Supreme Court
- U.S. Courts of Appeal
- District Courts
How does the Supreme Court make decisions in regards to accepting a case and making decisions on a case?
- accepting - 4 justices
- decisions - 5 justices, majority vote
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
9 justices
Define judicial review.
power of courts to hold acts of Congress and the executive in violation of the Constitution
How does judicial review factor in checks and balances?
it gives the courts the right to check other branches, to deem their actions constitutional or unconstitutional
What is the bureaucracy?
the government’s workforce/the civil service
What does the bureaucracy do?
carry out laws and government policy
What are the different categories of the bureaucracy?
- Cabinet Departments
- Independent Regulatory Commissions
- Government Corporations
- Independent Executive Agencies
How many cabinet departments are there? Who do these departments work under? Who leads these departments?
- 15 departments
- the President
- a secretary (exception - attorney general heading the justice department)
What is responsibility do the independent regulatory commissions have? What are examples of these commissions?
- make and enforce rules to protect the public interest in some sector of the economy
- the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission
What responsibility do the government corporations have? What is an example of a corporation?
- provide a service that could be delivered by the private sector, typically charges for its services
- U.S. Postal Service
What are the independent executive agencies? What are examples of these agencies?
- the “other” category - agencies that are not cabinet departments, regulatory commissions, or government corporations
- The National Science Foundation, NASA
Define Government Regulation.
use of governmental authority to control or change some practice in the private sector
Extra Credit
What does the 25th Amendment accomplish?
- creates a means for selecting a new Vice President if the position became vacant
- permits the Vice President to become acting President if the President is disabled
ratified in 1967
Why would a president choose a certain vice president?
- unify the party
- compliment the top of the ticket
- a partner to govern with and trust
Is the Executive Cabinet mandated by the Constitution
no, it does not mention one, but every President has had one
How many secretaries did Washington have? How many do modern day presidents have?
- 3
- 15
What are the names of the heads of the cabinet departments?
secretary, with the attorney general heading the justice department
Who does the real work in each cabinet department?
the civil servants
Is favor equal amongst all cabinet departments?
no, some are unpopular with politicians
