U.S. Government Flashcards
Which statements accurately characterize the effects that the media have on public opinion?
The media can completely shape the public’s perception of a new issue.
The media can often intensify underlying public opinion.
The Federal Communications Commission was developed to serve which of the following functions?
regulate broadcast content
promote competition in the broadcast industry
allocate radio and TV frequencies
How has the media landscape changed as the FCC’s regulatory powers changed in the past several decades?
Restrictions on media ownership have been relaxed
Liberty
Government interference in individuals’ lives should be kept to a minimum.
Equality of Opportunity
All individuals should be allowed to seek personal and material success.
What is true regarding socialization, attitudes about political issues, and underlying political values?
- Underlying values are formed through political socialization.
- Underlying values tend to shape specific attitudes.
Political Trust
The citizens trust for their federal government. It is important for a functioning democracy because the govt cant effectively help the population without its citizens providing funding through taxes and electing qualified officials
Political Efficacy
The willingness to vote. This is important because less people voting means it takes less people to influence policy and may not represent the population accurately.
Political Knowledge
This is important so that individuals can elect candidates that arr actually qualified and hold elected officials accountable.
How did the Articles of Confederation establish the relationship between the states and the federal government?
Emphasized the importance of small central government and large state governments. Shay’s rebellion made them realize that a stronger central government was required for united decisions, a national army, and taxes. But still needed to limit the powers of the fed govt as that was what they were running from.
Features of constitution that limit the federal government
Separation of Powers -
Checks and Balances -
Federalism -
Unitary vs. Federal Systems
Unitary -
- Strong central power.
- Sovereignty is only in the national
government
- Most Governments are unitary
- Makes national govt more effective
Federal
- divides sovereignty between central
and regional gov’t
- specific powers to regional and
specific powers to the federal gov’t
- often large or diverse
Constitutional powers of the national government
- Supremacy Clause
- Necessary and Proper clause
- Expressed and Implied powers
Supremacy Clause
The Constitution and federal laws (of the types listed in the first part of the Clause) take priority over any conflicting rules of state law.
Necessary and Proper Clause
Ensure Congress wasn’t overly limited. It allowed congress to have the power to pass laws that enforced the expressed powers. Others thought that this gave them too much leeway for congressional authority. This was tested by Mccullughy v. Maryland which created a national bank.
Commerce Clause
(Article I, Section 8) - authorizes Congress “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with Indian Tribes.”
The commerce clause has been the chief doctrinal source of Congress’s regulatory power over the U.S. economy
Expressed Powers
Powers stated directly in the constitution such as Congress having the power to coin money and collect taxes.
Implied Powers
Any powers derived from the Necessary and Proper Clause.
10th Amendment
Any powers not explicitly granted to the United States is reserved for the states and the people. This includes policing powers
How do political parties form?
Internal mobilization
External mobilization
How did political parties develop to what they are today?
- Parties were originally seen as a threat to social order (referred to as “factions”).
- Still, due to election rules, a two-party system developed.
Third parties have a function too.
Party Factions within Parties
- Republicans are divided between pro-business conservatives, far-right populists, social and religious conservatives, and libertarians.
- Democrats are divided between their more traditional, moderate wing, their more progressive wing, and the far left.
Why do people vote?
- Socioeconomic status
- Education, income, and age - Political environment
- Mobilization and electoral competition - State electoral laws
Election cycles.
presidential?
Congressional?
Midterm?
4 years
2 years
2 years
Negative campaign ads are more likely to address…..
Policy Positions?
Endorsements?
Personal Characteristics?
Policy Positions
The positive campaign adds focus more on…..
Policy Positions?
Endorsements?
Personal Characteristics?
Personal Characteristics
Which term describes developing campaign ads for specific demographic groups?
Micro-targetting
The United States Congress is a ____ legislature with the House of Representatives consisting of ____
members and the Senate consisting of ____ members per state
bicameral
435
2
Which power is granted to the Senate but not to the House?
- Power to subpoena witnesses?
- Power to pass appropriations bills?
- Power to judge abuses of power?
- The power to approve treaties and appointments?
The power to approve treaties and appointments
What is the difference between the inherent and delegated powers of the presidency?
Inherent powers are not expressed or implied by the Constitution but are asserted by presidents as necessary to do their duties. Delegated powers are given to the president or an executive agency by Congress in order to carry out the demands of legislation.
The president’s primary objective in “going public” is to inform the public about what is going on in Washington, D.C. in a neutral and unbiased way.
False, Presidents primarily go public as a way of bringing public pressure onto Congress to achieve their goals.
What is the purpose of the War Powers Resolution?
Congress passed the War Powers Resolution of 1973, intending to limit the President’s authority to wage war and reasserted its authority over foreign wars.
Suppose that you are the communications director of a president who wishes to launch a new policy initiative. Which of the following scenarios offers the best chance for the public appeal on the policy to be successful?
The president has a 60 percent approval rating, and the issue will broadly contribute to most Americans’ well being.
Going public” is no guarantee of success, as it relies on the president’s level of popular support and the number of people who stand to benefit from the policy. An unpopular president will be unable to use the technique effectively.
What is an executive order?
rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation
Presidential power has ___
in the last hundred years, often ___
of Congress and the federal judiciary.
Grown, with acceptance
Which of the following are checks on the president that the framers wrote into the Constitution?
How do the presidents exercise legislative powers?
Presidents exercise legislative powers by:
issuing the annual budget
giving an annual State of the Union Address
proposing legislation
signing or vetoing legislation
calling for a special session of Congress
pocket veto
Under the Constitution, the president has 10 days (not including Sundays) to either sign or veto a bill before it becomes law. If less than 10 days remain in the congressional session, the president need only “pocket” the bill, by neither signing nor vetoing it, and it doesn’t become law.
To forestall a pocket veto, Congress routinely designates agents to receive a presidential veto, a practice upheld by the Supreme Court.
What function does the Electoral College perform?
The Electoral College officially elects the president and vice president because voters do not technically vote for the president or vice president. Rather, once a state votes, pre-pledged electors provide electoral votes for the winner of the popular vote in the state.
Exceptions exist in Maine and Nebraska, where electoral votes are cast by congressional district.
What judicial powers does the president exercise?
By design, the president’s judicial powers are limited to ensure the independence of the judicial branch. However, the president appoints judges to the federal bench (with Senate approval), and can grant amnesty, reprieves, and pardons.
Some presidents, such as Zachary Taylor and Barack Obama, asserted that they did not have to enforce Court decisions or laws they deemed unconstitutional, which is a further example of their judicial power.
The president is responsible for treaty negotiations. When do these treaties become binding?
Treaties only become binding when approved by two- thirds of the Senate.
In lieu of the time-consuming treaty process, numerous presidents have employed executive agreements, agreements between the president and another head of state, which are not binding on their successors in office.
What is “pork barrel” legislation?
Pork barrel legislation is legislation that funds initiatives in the legislator’s home district. Pork barrel projects are added to the federal budget by members of the appropriation committees of Congress.
The most famous recent example of pork barrel legislation was for the “Bridge to Nowhere,” a $398 million Alaskan bridge that was supposed to connect Gravina Island’s 50 residents with the Alaskan mainland.
The House Ways and Means Committee performs what function?
The House Ways and Means Committee is the chief tax committee in the House of Representatives; the committee has jurisdiction over taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures. In addition, the Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over Medicare, Social Security, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Since the House has priority on revenue bills, there is no Ways and Means Committee in the Senate.
What role do conference committees play in the lawmaking process?
Since bills passed by the House and Senate may contain varying language and provisions, conference committees are joint committees that resolve differences between bills. After a perfected bill is created, the conference committee returns it to the House and Senate for a final vote.
_____ are attachments to pieces of legislation, generally having no connection with a bill.
Riders
There are two reasons riders are used. First, riders can be attached to a bill to make it unpalatable to a majority; this is known as a “poison pill.” Second, a rider can be attached to a bill because the rider usually wouldn’t pass on its own.
joint committees
joint committees are composed of members of both the House and the Senate and are convened for a special purpose.
During the Civil War, the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War was established to investigate the conduct of several Union generals and was composed of four senators and four representatives.
