Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Government > U.S Government > Flashcards

U.S Government Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® U.S. Government flashcards U.S. Government Basics flashcards American Government 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is Checks and Balances?

A

counterbalancing influences by which an organization or system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the three branches of government?

A

Legislative, Executive and Judicial

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a presidential veto of a bill?

A

The power of the President to refuse to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevent its enactment into law is the veto. The president has ten days (excluding Sundays) to sign a bill passed by Congress.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a presidential veto of a bill?

A

The power of the President to refuse to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevent its enactment into law is the veto. The president has ten days (excluding Sundays) to sign a bill passed by Congress.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How are vetos overridden?

A

If both houses of congress establish a 2/3 vote

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the two parts of Congress?

A

House of representatives and Senate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How many congressman are there total?

A

535, 100 in senate and the rest in the house

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How many congressman are there total?

A

535, 100 in senate and the rest in the house

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Who nominates Supreme and federal court judges?

A

The president

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How are court nominees approved?

A

Majority vote in the Senate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How are court nominees approved?

A

Majority vote in the Senate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Which element of the government has the privilege of invalidating unconstitutional laws passed by the government?

A

Supreme Court

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Where is the U.S Congress located?

A

Washington, D.C

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How long do representatives serve for?

A

2 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How long do senators serve for

A

6 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the primary political parties in the U.S

A

Republican and Democrat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is a congressional district?

A

a territorial division of a state from which a member of the U.S. House of Representatives is elected.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are some of the unique privileges and responsibilities allocated towards Senators?

A

Advising and consenting to many important presidential appointments, (including members of the cabinet, federal judges, attorney general, Ambassadors and military officers.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are some of the unique privileges and responsibilities allocated towards Representatives?

A

All legislative bills for raising revenue, aka imposing taxation, must originate in the House of Representatives.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How is legislation passed?

A

A majority vote in both chambers of congress and the signature approval from the president

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How do Laws originate?

A

First, a representative sponsors a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How do Laws originate?

A

First, a representative sponsors a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is a spokesperson in the Senate?

A

An elected Senator to represent the political party for which the belong to.

21
Q

What is the Speaker of the House?

A

Role of Speaker The Speaker is the presiding officer of the House and is charged with numerous duties and responsibilities by law and by the House rules. As the presiding officer of the House, the Speaker maintains order, manages its proceedings, and governs the administration of its business.

22
Q

What is impeachment?

A

(especially in the US) a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office. Voted on initially by the House. 2/3 Majority vote is necessary from the Senate to convict and solidify the impeachment

22
Q

What is impeachment?

A

(especially in the US) a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office. Voted on initially by the House. 2/3 Majority vote is necessary from the Senate to convict and solidify the impeachment

23
Q

What are congressional Committees?

A

Congressional Committees are sub-organizations of Congress which do the work of drafting legislation and conducting congressional investigations into national matters. Because of the immense accumulation of workload, these committees endure a stratification which is designated towards attending to specific problems. There exist approximately 150 subcommittees. The three types of committees are standing(permanent) select and joint.

24
Q

What are some of the responsibilities and privileges of Congress as a whole?

A

levying and collecting taxation, coin money and regulate its value; provide for punishment of counterfeiting, establish post offices and roads, issue patents, create federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court, c ombat piracies and felonies, declare war, raise and support armies, provide and maintain a navy, provide for, arm and discipline the militia, to make laws necessary to properly execute powers and more.

25
Q

What is the Supreme Court?

A

the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States of America.

26
Q

How many justices serve under the Supreme Court?

A

1 Supreme Justice and 8 Associate Justices

27
Q

What is the role of the Supreme Court?

A

ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.

28
Q

What are the 3 types of Law?

A

Federal, State and Local

29
Q

What are federal laws?

A

rules that apply throughout the United States. These laws apply in every state, such as Immigration Law, Bankruptcy Law, Social Security and SSI Laws, Federal anti-discrimination and civil right laws, Patent and Copyright Laws, Federal Criminal Laws such as laws against tax fraud and the counterfeiting of money.

30
Q

What are State laws?

A

laws that are specific and unique to an idiosyncratic state. Such laws handle Criminal Matters, Divorce and Familial Matters, Welfare, Public Assistance and Medicaid Matters, Wills, Inheritances and Estates, Real Estate and Other Property, Business Contracts, Personal Injuries such as from a Car Accident or Medical Malpractice & Workers Compensation for injuries at work.

31
Q

What are local laws?

A

laws unique to different counties, cities, towns and municipalities, these types of law handle Rent Laws, Zoning and Local Safety.

32
Q

Roles of the Supreme Court

A

invalidating a statute for violating a provision of the constitution. It also contains the ability of striking down on presidential directives for violating either the Constitution or statutory law.

33
Q

What is a statute?

A

a written law passed by a legislative body.

34
Q

What is a Presidential directive, or executive order?

A

An oral or written instruction or declaration issued by the President of the U.S, which may draw upon the powers vested in the president by the U.S Constitution, statutory law, or in certain cases, congressional and judicial acquiescence

35
Q

What is a court of appeals?

A

A higher court that reviews the decision of a lower court when a losing party files an appeal.

36
Q

How many court of appeals are there?

A

13

37
Q

What are district courts?

A

federal district courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, and can only hear cases that involve disputes between residents of different states, questions of federal law, or federal crimes.

38
Q

How many District courts are there?

A

94

39
Q

What is a jury?

A

a body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court.

40
Q

What is a state supreme court?

A

the final arbiter and interpreter of that state’s statutes

41
Q

What are different types of presidential actions?

A

Executive orders, proclamations and memoranda, signing of bills, appointing nominees to their designated federal positions, etc.

42
Q

Who is the commander in chief of the armed forces?

A

The president

43
Q

What are some powers allocated to the positioning of the President?

A

Diplomatic decisions, conducting foreign relations, the institutionalization of a trade embargo (sanctions) against another country, declaring war, signing and negotiating treaties (however this function requires a 2/3 senate vote to actualize the discretion.)

43
Q

What are some powers allocated to the positioning of the President?

A

Diplomatic decisions, conducting foreign relations, the institutionalization of a trade embargo (sanctions) against another country, declaring war, signing and negotiating treaties (however this function requires a 2/3 senate vote to actualize the discretion.)

44
Q

How is the president and vice president elected?

A

By the electoral college

45
Q

What is the electoral college?

A

When people cast their vote, they are actually voting for a group of people called electors. The number of electors each state gets is equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. A total of 538 electors form the Electoral College. Each elector casts one vote following the general election.

46
Q

What is the cabinet?

A

The Cabinet of the United States is a body consisting of the vice president of the United States and the heads of the executive branch’s departments in the federal government of the United States. It is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States.

47
Q

What are the 15 executive departments of the government?

A

The departments of the US Cabinet include State, Treasury, Defense, Attorney General, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security.

48
Q

What is a government department?

A

a sector of a national or state government that deals with a particular area of interest.

49
Q

What is a government agency?

A

A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administration. There is a notable variety of agency types.

50
Q

According to the constitution, what is the reasoning behind the government’s existence?

A

“form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

Government (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions