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American Government > Three Branches of Government > Flashcards

Three Branches of Government Flashcards

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1
Q

The House of Representatives and the Senate

A

Two bodies that make up the legislative branch in the U.S.

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2
Q

Legislators use this type of spending by attaching the bills of local projects to other invoices.

A

Pork Barrel Spending

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3
Q

What does it mean when an appellate court remands a case?

A

The case is sent back to the trial court for further proceedings

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4
Q

Order of state court levels (from lowest to highest)

A

Lower courts (Courts of general jurisdiction), State appellate court, and State Supreme Court

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5
Q

A grant of clemency that does not take effect until certain conditions are fulfilled, such as paying restitution or completing community service

A

Conditional pardon

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6
Q

There are 9 total who serve in the Supreme Court; they are nominated by the U.S. President and confirmed by the Senate. They serve for life, or until they resign, retire, or are impeached.

A

Supreme Court Justices

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7
Q

Because states are responsible for their own laws

A

Reason states establish their own court systems

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8
Q

The ability of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional

A

Judicial review

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9
Q

Term limits (presidential campaigns are more aggressive than congressional campaigns because the term limits are different); campaign expenses (presidential campaigns spend much more); voter turn out (presidential elections have a way bigger voter turnout); responsibility (it is much easier for a congressional campaign to deflect blame than a presidential campaign)

A

Differences between presidential and congressional campaigns

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10
Q

The voter’s background, party identification, and view of the incumbent’s previous performance. Independent voters focus mainly on the state of the economy.

A

Main factors that influence voter behavior

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11
Q

An organization that pursues a particular cause or causes related to the interests of the group’s members

A

Interest group

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12
Q

District Court, Circuit Court, Supreme Court

A

The order of the federal court system (lowest to highest)

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13
Q

Individuals, party committees, special interest groups, Political Action Committees (PACs), 527 groups

A

Sources of campaign money (money raised for politicians running for offce)

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14
Q

The Supreme Court usually hears cases that involve interpreting the Constitution or where a federal appellate court has made a different interpretation of a law; about only 1% of cases get chosen

A

Types of cases that usually make it to the Supreme Court

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15
Q

A court that will look at a case appealed from a lower court. Federal district courts and the state supreme courts have this type of jurisdiction.

A

Appellate Jurisdiction

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16
Q

The right of a court to hear a case before any other court. Family, traffc, tax, state trial and bankruptcy courts all have this type of jurisdiction.

A

Original Jurisdiction

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17
Q

The federal courts of appeal; there are 13 circuit courts that make up the middle level of the federal court system

A

Circuit courts

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18
Q

It’s used for congressional redistricting, federal fund allocation, statistical purposes, and deciding how many seats each state is awarded in Congress.

A

Common uses of the U.S. Census

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19
Q

In terms of Supreme Court decisions, this concept denotes that the Court sides with the federal government

A

Judicial nationalism

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20
Q

The President (Executive Branch)

A

Head of government in a Congressional government system

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21
Q

A formula that’s used to establish the appointment of Congressional seats; divides the state’s population by the geometric mean of that state’s current number of seats and the next seat. It then allocates the remainders between the states by giving the smallest relative difference between any pair of states in the population of a district and in the number of people per representative.

A

Method of equal proportions

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22
Q

The analysis and understanding of the U.S. Constitution, may be literal or up for reinterpretation

A

Constitutional interpretation

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23
Q

The court that hears all claims against the United States

A

The United States Court of Federal Claims

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24
Q

A judge serving in a federal court who’s been appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; federal judges serve for life, except in the event of resignation, retirement, or impeachment

A

Federal judge

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25
Q

In this kind of democracy, the executive and legislative branches are separate. Politicians make decisions on their own, though they often support their party.

A

Congressional Democracy

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26
Q

Lobbying, incentives to lawmakers, protests, publicity, lawsuits, economic power

A

Ways interest groups pursue their causes

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27
Q

A somewhat liberal approach to the use of the court’s power, where judges use generalized or relaxed interpretations of statutes.

A

Judicial activism

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28
Q

Impeachment, executive pardon, and judicial appointments

A

3 constitutional ways the Supreme Court’s power is checked

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29
Q

The article that states that any decisions made by the Supreme Court are to be treated as the highest law in the U.S.

A

Article III of the Constitution

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30
Q

Two terms

A

Presidential term limit

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31
Q

The analysis and understanding of a federal law, often done by observing the legislative history of the statute

A

Statutory interpretation

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32
Q

A type of judicial interpretation that leans towards leniently interpreting existing statutes in the interest of what is best in the present

A

Judicial activism

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33
Q

All matters not specifically granted to the federal government. Would include cases such as personal injury, malpractice, divorce, and adoption; would not include cases in areas like tax law or customs.

A

Jurisdiction of state courts

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34
Q

There are 94 district courts that make up the lowest level of the federal court system; each of these courts serves a geographical area, with at least 1 in every state

A

District courts

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35
Q

To permanently remove from offce

A

Impeach

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36
Q

When a bill is left unsigned by the President for ten days and Congress adjourns within that ten days, so the bill doesn’t become a law

A

Pocket veto

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37
Q

This federal appellate court has jurisdiction over patent cases, cases decided by the Court of International Trade, and cases decided by the Court of Federal Claims

A

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

38
Q

The president appoints all U.S. Supreme Court justices, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, and Cabinet positions.

A

Presidential appointments

39
Q

It always includes the majority view, and may also include any concurring or dissenting opinions.

A

Written opinion on Supreme Court decision

40
Q

The court that hears all claims involving customs and international trade

A

The United States Court of International Trade

41
Q

Eligibility to vote is determined by political party

A

Closed primary

42
Q

A type of unregulated donation given to a national political party

A

Soft money

43
Q

Details the organization and members of a party’s campaign committee

A

Statement of organization

44
Q

This issue can be limited by disallowing legislators and politicians from using the redistricting process.

A

Gerrymandering: Prevention

45
Q

Determined by the state’s number of congressional districts

A

Electoral votes per state

46
Q

A preliminary election that decide’s the party’s nominee for a specific offcial position. In a presidential election, the primaries dictate who the party will nominate for president at their party convention

A

Primary election (‘primaries’)

47
Q

This type of democracy allows the legislative branch to hold the executive branch accountable. Politicians usually follow the party line and don’t make decisions on their own.

A

Parliamentary Democracy

48
Q

All U.S. ambassadors; all Cabinet positions; all U.S. Supreme Court justices; all federal judge positions

A

Positions appointed by the President

49
Q

Anyone can vote, regardless of which political parties one is affliated with

A

Open primary

50
Q

Propose legislation; borrow money on behalf of the U.S.; lay and collect taxes from the American people; regulate commerce; raise and support an army and military; establish post offces; create and print money; create and enforce laws

A

Powers of Congress

51
Q

The President can veto bills proposed by the legislature. Congress can overrule this veto with a 2/3 vote of all members (House and Senate).

A

Presidential Veto

52
Q

Treaty power, appointment power, legislative powers, pardon power, and inherent powers.

A

Examples of Presidential powers

53
Q

Reduces or removes the punishment for a federal crime

A

Executive pardon

54
Q

intentional manipulation of boundaries of political constituencies for gaining an advantage in elections

A

Gerrymandering

55
Q

Based on the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution, generally defined as additional powers granted to Congress to fulfill powers that have already been specifically defined for them. An example would be the military draft.

A

Implied powers of Congress

56
Q

A type of judicial interpretation that stresses the limited nature of the court’s power; decisions emphasize interpreting existing laws

A

Judicial restraint

57
Q

A private organization that contributes or spends more than $1000 for the specific purpose of affecting the outcome of an election.

A

Political action committee (PAC)

58
Q

The person or party in a court case that files an appeal; this party must show that the trial court made a legal error affecting the court’s decision

A

Appellant

59
Q

The court that hears all federal tax claims

A

The United Sates Tax Court

60
Q

The legal authority to hear a certain type of case

A

Jurisdiction

61
Q

This article gives Congress the ability to impeach someone in the executive branch of U.S. government.

A

Article II of the Constitution

62
Q

The head of government in a Parliament government. The majority party decides on the Prime Minister.

A

Prime Minister

63
Q

Invoked when a case has parties located in different states and it involves at least $75,000 in damages. This allows the case to be heard either in a state lower court or a federal lower court

A

Diversity jurisdiction

64
Q

A court’s designated power, which gives it authority over a specific type of legal case

A

Jurisdiction

65
Q

The convention is an offcial assembly of the party delegates from all of the states, where they get together and formally announce the party’s nominee for president.

A

National Party Convention

66
Q

These are the members of a political party. Partisan constituency is one of the downsides of America’s party system; politicians are forced to make decisions that will appease everyone in their party, which leads to increased partisanship.

A

Partisan constituency

67
Q
  1. The idea for the bill is thought up and drafted
  2. The bill is proposed, introduced, and assigned to a committee
  3. The bill is reported to the chamber floor so the House or Senate can vote on it
  4. The bill is voted on by the other legislature than the one who already voted (if the Senate approved it goes to the House and vice
    versa)
  5. A conference committee is created to rectify different opinions and details
  6. The President approves the bill
A

List the steps it takes for a bill to become a law

68
Q

The U.S. Constitution, a federal statute, or a treaty

A

3 things that federal court cases usually involve

69
Q

Members of the U.S. Congress are disproportionately male, white, college educated, and 60+ years of age

A

Typical demographics of a Congressional member

70
Q

Allows a campaign committee to gather and spend funds on a candidate’s behalf

A

Statement of candidacy

71
Q

The concept that governmental powers are shared between the federal government and state governments

A

Federalism

72
Q

The appellate court reviews the court record, then the involved parties file legal briefs. Most cases are decided using the record & written briefs, but sometimes there is an oral argument.

A

Appellate decision process

73
Q

These groups are sources of campaign finance. They don’t directly donate to or work with a particular campaign, so they aren’t regulated the same as PACs. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is an example of a 527 group.

A

527 Group

74
Q

State courts interpret and decide matters of their own state constitutions, whereas federal courts interpret the Constitution and decide matters of federal law

A

Difference between state and federal court systems

75
Q

An additional argument submitted to the court by a person or group that is not a party involved in a lawsuit

A

Amicus curae brief

76
Q

The process of bringing a lawsuit; interest groups use this as a strategy to further their cause

A

Litigation

77
Q

An 1824 Supreme Court case where it was established that states had no right to regulate interstate commerce

A

Gibbons v. Ogden

78
Q

A conservative approach to the use of court’s power, where judges follow existing law instead of creating new law.

A

Judicial restraint

79
Q

The executive branch

A

Branch that contains the Prime Minister in a parliamentary government

80
Q

The person or party who defends the appeal; can also be called the respondent

A

Appellee

81
Q

This was enacted in 2002 and is also known as BCRA. It forbids ‘soft money’ and other big donations to national party organizations.

A

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

82
Q

An action done by the President of the United States that can lessen or nullify a punishment for a federal crime; may be a full pardon or a conditional pardon

A

Executive pardon

83
Q

An indirect procedure for electing the United States president created as a compromise when Congress couldn’t decide if the people or Congress should elect the president. With this system, Electoral College votes are determined by the popular vote.

A

The Electoral College

84
Q

A written document that requests the Supreme Court review a case

A

Writ of Certiorari

85
Q

The landmark case in the early 1800s that gave the U.S. Supreme Court the power to block unconstitutional legislation

A

Marbury v. Madison

86
Q

To run for Congress a candidate must be: 30 years of age for the Senate, 25 for the House; a citizen of the U.S. for at least 9 years; an inhabitant of the state they are running in

A

Requirements for running for Congress in the U.S.

87
Q

The election by the U.S. President and the Senate to select members of the judicial branch (Supreme Court justices and federal court judges)

A

Judicial appointment

88
Q

Established fundraising methods and sources; name recognition; media access; and franking privileges

A

Reasons incumbents are often successful in elections

89
Q

Each U.S. senator gets 1 vote, each congressional district gets 1 vote, and Washington D.C. gets 3 votes.
(100 + 435 + 3 = 538 total)

A

How Electoral College votes are decided

90
Q

Established by the U.S. Constitution and declared to be the highest court in the country; makes up the judicial branch of the federal government

A

The United States Supreme Court

91
Q

States that use this type of primary election allow anyone to vote, regardless of their political affliation. However, everyone can vote in only one primary.

A

Semi-Open Primary

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