us gove

Question 1

example of outdated constitution

Answer 1

rules surrounding election or president, using electoral college

established when there are fears people wouldn’t make rational decisions so people vote for an electoral college who would decide who president would be

nowadays they wouldn’t reject the will of the people but possible for one candidate to get most popular votes but another candidate to win (Trump 2016)

small states over-represented so some votes worth more than others, undermining core principles of modern democracy

Question 2

18th amendment

Answer 2

prohibition, (prohibited sale or transportation of liquors)

repealed by 21st amendment 13 years later

Question 3

13th amendment

Answer 3

ended slavery

Question 4

19th amendment

Answer 4

gives women right to vote

Question 5

10th amendment

Answer 5

right of states to have reserved powers, as opposed to the federal government

any power not specifically given to the federal government by the constitution belongs to the states and the people

Question 6

what is codification?

Answer 6

writing a constitution down in one document

Question 7

what is entrenchment?

Answer 7

system by which a constitution is protected from change by law

Question 8

what is authoritative?

Answer 8

on a higher level than ordinary law so sets out the basis for all political institutions

Question 9

what are implied powers

Answer 9

powers that are not expressly written down in constitution but needed to perform enumerated power or are suggested by the wording

Question 10

example of implied powers

Answer 10

‘necessary and proper’ or elastic cause

congress has power ‘to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers’

been used to justify major expansion of power of federal government

Question 11

roe v wade

Answer 11

14th amendment prohibits states ‘from depriving any person of liberty without due process of law’

repeal of roe v wade which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights

Question 12

term length of senators and congress people

Answer 12

senator - 6 years

congressman/woman - 2 years

Question 13

what is gerrymandering?

Answer 13

drawing electoral boundaries to favour a certain social group or party

lets dominant party draw distinct boundaries in their favour at the expense of the opposition

Question 14

what pork-barel legislation?

Answer 14

member of congress proposes amendment to legislation that will bring benefits (esp financial ones) to a particular group

an amendment added by politician that benefits their constituency is an ‘earmark’

Question 15

what are the functions of congress?

Answer 15

representation
the legislative function
oversight

Question 16

example of filibuster

Answer 16

chris Murphy’s unconventional filibuster

used filibuster to force vote rather than prevent, only end once government agreed to vote on two key gun control measures

senators eventually agreed and halted filibuster after 14hours but both amendments were banned