Test 2 (Study Guide Terms)

Question 1

Define Casework

Answer 1

Casework- Assistance provided by members of Congress to constituents who encounter a grievance with a federal agency or the federal government

Ex: Political asylum, Social Security Benefits, VA concerns, IRS, etc

Question 2

Describe the Attorney General

Answer 2

Oftentimes a stepping stone to a higher office, such as governor or senator.
Ex: Josh Hawley was the attorney general before he was a senator.

Question 3

What is the House Speaker?

Answer 3

The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, close in line to succession for the presidency (after Vice President)

Question 4

Describe the presidents representative before the Supreme Court

Answer 4

The Solicitor General

Question 5

Describe Filibuster

Answer 5

Talking a bill to death, committed to unlimited debate. Can only be ended through cloture which requires 60 votes.

Question 6

Describe the relation of the federal government to the German economy

Answer 6

The federal government is the same size as Germany’s economy

Question 7

Describe Cloture

Answer 7

Only way to end a filibuster, requires 60 votes out of 100.

Question 8

Describe Standing, Select, and Joint committees.

Answer 8

Standing Committees are permanent. Have a staff and a budget.

Select Committees are temporary. Has a temporary staff and a temporary budget

Joint Committees are where both sides of the US Congress form a committee, like that used to solve the government shutdown

Question 9

Describe the Senate Majority Leader

Answer 9

Key office in Senate. Not in line of succession to presidency.

Question 10

Describe the Active-negative presidency type & examples

Answer 10

“Compulsive” will not admit they made mistakes, very active, engage in behaviors that destroy them politically
Least desirable

Nixon, LBJ, A. Lincoln

Question 11

Describe the Active-positive, presidency type & examples

Answer 11

“Adaptive” scientific in their approach to problems, like to analyze

Most desirable

FDR, H. Truman, JFK, G. Ford

Question 12

Describe the Passive-positive presidency type & examples

Answer 12

“Compliant” seem to be optimistic, but have insecurities. They want to be liked.
They are dangerous. Sometimes they allow problems to continue b/c they don’t want to be in conflict with other people.

Ronald Reagan

Question 13

Describe the Passive-negative presidency type & examples

Answer 13

“Withdrawn” don’t like politics, have a sense of duty. Not necessary bad presidents. Military people (something in their backgrounds that propel them to service)

C. Coolidge, D. Eisenhower, G. Washington

Question 14

Describe an Executive agreement

Answer 14

Presidents like these because all they need is a presidential signature

Question 15

Describe an Executive order

Answer 15

Instructions to federal departments/agencies by the president
-most are routine

Question 16

Describe a Good Faith Effort

Answer 16

The theory that you are covered legally from the repercussions of torturing people if you have either a doctor, nurse, or EMT

Question 17

Describe Human experimentation

Answer 17

Doctor is technically engaging in human experimentation if part of torture which exposes them to massive legal liability

Question 18

Describe the Kennedy administration record

Answer 18

Kennedy was bad at avoiding crisis but a good crisis manager.

He was unsuccessful at getting things done in congress, Johnson had to finish his work.
Notable for 15ct increase in minimum wage

Question 19

Describe Impeachment

Answer 19

1/2 of House of Reps votes to impeach, 2/3rds of Senate actually removes.

Impeachment is a bringing of charges against the president

Question 20

Describe presidential vetoes

Answer 20

2/3rds vote in each chamber can overrule a veto.

Vetoes were originally used only if a bill was thought to be unconstitutional

Question 21

What are the top three presidents as rated by historians?

Answer 21

George Washington, FDR, Lincoln

Question 22

Describe the President Pro-Tempore

Answer 22

Oldest member of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the Vice President

Question 23

Describe the Parliamentary system

Answer 23

Prime minister must belong to parliament. Voters do not vote directly for prime minister.

Question 24

Describe the Ad-hoc, Circular, and Pyramid models

Answer 24

Ad-hoc- combination of circular and pyramid. There is a chief of staff that filters and protects the Presidents time. Special task forces report directly to the president.

Circular- President is at the center with aids and assistants reporting directly to him. Rarely used.

Pyramid- Chief of Staff serves as a filter, everything seen by the president is determined by the chief of staff.

Question 25

Describe the Rule of propinquity

Answer 25

Those who are in close proximity to the president have the most influence

Question 26

Describe Earmarks

Answer 26

Directs money to home in projects that may not be necessary
AKA pork-barrel spending
Ex: making home of the in-laws of president William McKinley a historical site.

Question 27

Describe Descriptive representation

Answer 27

The idea that elected representatives in democracies should represent the specific group that they come from

Question 28

Define Oversight

Answer 28

Oversight- Congress calling members of the executive branch before a congressional committee to testify before congress,. Happens fairly regularly and is an example of a check on the executive branch