Cotti American Government Final Review
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Created by:
renacotti Plus on May 27, 2010
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179 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 articles | one of seven main divisions of the body of the Constitution |
| jurisdiction | the authority of a court to rule on certain cases |
| supremacy clause | statement in Article VI of the Constitution establishing that the Constitution, laws passed by Congress, and treaties of the Untied States "shall be the supreme Law of the Land" |
| amendments | a change to the Constitution |
| popular sovereignty | rule by the people |
| federalism | Constitutional principle that is a compromise in which power is divided between the national and state governments |
| separation of powers | the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government |
| checks and balances | the system where each branch of government exercises some control over the others |
| veto | rejection of a bill |
| judicial review | the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional |
| sovereign government | Supreme in power, rank, or authority within a country's boundaries |
| government | the instituion through which a society makes and enforces its public policies |
| representative democracy | People elect representatives. Representatives make laws, war and justice. Reps. change when voters don't like thier actions |
| dictatorship | goverment led by one powerful person who is not held responsible to the will of the people |
| constitutionalism | basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the law; the rule of law |
| Anti-Federalist vs. the Federalists | Fed: People who supported ratification of the Constitution on 1787-1788. |
| framers | group of delagates who drafted the US Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 |
| constitutionalism | basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the laws stated in the Constitution |
| unconstitutional | something that does not follow the Constitution so therefore it is illegal, null and void, and has no force and effect. |
| confederation | an organization that consists of a number of parties or groups united in an allegiance or league |
| formal amendment process | a change or addition that is written into the Constitution. |
| delegated powers | powers that are specifically written into the Constitution and given to the 3 branches of government |
| expressed | spelled out in the constitution. Also called enumerated |
| implied | powers that are not specifically written into the Constitution but are granted to the 3 branches by the "Elastic Clause" (McCulloc V. Maryland) |
| inherent | powers the Const is presumed to have delegated to the National Govt because it's the govt of a sovereign state |
| concurrent | powers used by the states and federal government |
| reserved | powers not denied to the states by,but also not granted specifically in the Constitution |
| nomination | process of candidate selection in an electoral system |
| open primary | party-nominating election that any qualified voter can participate in |
| closed primary | party-nominating election that only declared party members can participate in |
| partisanship | Gov't action based on a firm allegiance to a political party |
| caucus | a meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans. |
| self-announcement | A write-in candidate |
| polling place | place where voters in a certain precint go to vote |
| political parties | group of people who want to control government by winning an election and holding office |
| two-party system | a political system dominated by two major parties |
| interest groups | private groups with members that share certain views and who work to shape public policy |
| political socialization | the process by which people get their political attitudes and opinions |
| mass media | those means of communications that reach large audiences |
| reapportionment | R: redistribute the seats in a legislative body |
| congressional term is ____ years | 2 |
| direct tax | tax that must be paid by the person on whom it is levied |
| indirect tax | tax levied on one party but passed on to another party for payment |
| How long copyright is good for | 70 years beyond the life of the author |
| legal tender | any kind of money that a creditor must, by law, accept in payment for debts. |
| protective tariff | dury imposed on goods when moved across a political boundary |
| patent | a grant issued by the U.S. Government giving an inventor the right to exclude others from making, using or selling his or her invention in the United States for the life of the patent. In return for this legal protection, an inventor must fully disclose their invention to the public. |
| Necessary and Proper Clause | the power of Congress to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof." |
| impeachment | to bring formal charges against a public official |
| 435 | Number of members in the House of Reps |
| 22nd and 25th amendments | 22: presidential tenure; 25: presidential succession, VP vacancy, presidential vacancy, presidential inability to serve |
| Number of electoral votes | 538 |
| cabinet | Presidential advisory, usually made up of heads of executive depts and other officers |
| judicial powers | The powers to interpret laws, to determine their meanings, and to settle disputes in society |
| The Judicial Branch | branch of government that interperts the laws |
| the Supreme Court | the highest court in the land |
| district courts | A court within the federal court system |
| inferior court | The lower federal courts, beneath the Supreme Court |
| rule of four | the power of the Supreme Court to decide which cases it will hear |
| majority opinions | opinion of the court, is the court's decision along with the reasons the decision was based upon |
| certiorari | the supreme court agrees to hear a case |
| Federal Government | Print and coin money, control relations with foreign governments, and Pass laws that impact entire country |
| State Government | Laws on Schools, Marriage, and owning property;Licensee Lawyers, Doctors, and Teachers. |
| Federal and State | Raise Taxes and Build Roads; Borrow money |
| The President must be at least ____ years old | 35 |
| how many consecutive years do you have to live in the US before you run for President? | 14 |
| 1774 | 1st continental congress was in what year? |
| 1775 | Decleration of independance was in what year? |
| 1787 | what year was the constitution created in? |
| How many years max, could a president serve? | 10 |
| chief of state | welcome leaders of other countries, cerimonial job |
| chief executive | runs government and enforces laws |
| chief administrater | organizes and runs government boracracy |
| chief diplomat | in charge of operating foriegn policy |
| commander in chief | in charge of military |
| chief legislator | recomends and proposes laws |
| chief of party | heads of politicle party |
| chief citizen | represents ideals of the nation |
| 1947 in the year __________ was created | presidential succesion act |
| Vice President becomes Pres if _______ die/dies. | President |
| Speaker of the House becomes Pres if _______ die/dies. | President and VP |
| President pro tempre becomes Pres if _______ die/dies. | President, VP and Speaker of the House |
| Cabinet members become Pres if _______ die/dies. | prz, vp, speaker of the house, and president pro tempre |
| 25th amendment | Gives anyone who fills presidential vaccancy the power and title of president |
| 12th amendment | added the seperation of the president and vice president onto two different ballots |
| Electorate | the mass of people who actually cast vote sin an election |
| Who must for the VP to take over if the President is disabled? | Congress |
| Who tied in the election of 1800? | Adams and Jefferson |
| How many electoral votes are there? | 538 |
| constituents | The residents of a congressional district or state |
| reapportionment | The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. |
| redistricting | The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population. |
| gerrymandering | the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent |
| safe seat | An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted. |
| incumbent | the current holder of an elected office |
| bicameralism | the principle of a two-house legislature |
| enumerated powers | the powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution |
| elastic clause | nickname for the "necessary and proper clause" |
| Speaker | the presiding officer in the House of Representatives, formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party. |
| party caucus | a meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans. |
| majority leader | the legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line. |
| minority leader | the legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition |
| whip | Party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature |
| rule | a ticket to the floor in the House |
| closed rule | A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments. |
| open rule | A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill. |
| president pro tempore | Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president. |
| hold | A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of a bill or nomination |
| filibuster | A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue. |
| cloture | a procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters in the Senate; the question of curtailing debate must be put to a vote two days after 16 senators sign a petition for this. |
| senatorial courtesy | Presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to Senators from the states in which the appointees are to work. |
| standing committee | a permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area |
| special or select committee | A congressional committee created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation |
| joint committee | made of members of both houses |
| authorizing committees | pass laws that tell government what to do; make the most basic decisions about who gets what, when and how from government; also responsible for oversight of the federal bureaucracy |
| appropriations committees | make decisions about how much money government will spend on its programs and operations; have great power to undo or limit decisions made by authorizing committees |
| earmarks | special standing projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents |
| rules and administration committees | determine the basic operations of their chamber; in the House, it has the responsibility of issuing rules to bills |
| revenue and budget committees | deal with raising the money that appropriating committees spend while setting the broad targets that shape the federal budget. |
| seniority rule | A legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee. |
| oversight power | the responsibility to question executive branch officials to see whetehr their agencies are complying with the wishes of Congress and are conducting their programs efficiently. |
| conference committee | Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form. |
| franking privilege | free postage for Congress members for mailings back home. |
| delegate | An official who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views: one interpretation of the role of the legislator |
| trustee | An official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator. |
| attentive public | those citizens who follow public affairs closely |
| discharge petition | petition that, if signed by a majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration |
| rider | a provision attached to a bill -- to which it may or may not be related -- in order to secure its passage or defeat |
| pocket veto | A veto exercised by the president after Congress has adjourned; if the president takes no action for ten days, the bill does not become law and is not returned to Congress for a possible override. |
| override | an action taken by Congress to reverse a presidential veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in each chamber. |
| reapportionment act of 1929 | created permanent size of the house at 435 one rep for ever 650,000 people |
| qualifications of the house | must be 25, must be a citizen for 7 years, must live in the state from which he or she is elected |
| qualifications of the senate | 30 years old citizen for 9 years, live in the state where they are elected |
| qualifications of the president | 35 years old natural born citizen redsided in the us for 14 years |
| vice president duties | presdie of the senate, help decide presidential disability |
| concurrent powers | powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments |
| examples of expressed powers | lay and collect taxes, coin money, declare war, grant copyrights and patons,etc. |
| 1 Powers denied the national government | levy duties on exports, to deny the first amendment, illeagal search and seizures, deny fair and speedy trial |
| 2 constitution denies | congress may not tax the states and their local units of government to carry out federal government functions |
| Constitutionalism | the government must be conduced according to constitutional principles |
| How is the House of Reps apportioned? | based on the state's population |
| districts drawn | to the advantage of the political party that controls the legislature |
| succession act of 1947 | vice president, speak of the house, pro tempore, secretary of state, 13 cabinet heads |
| Rule of Four | the unwritten requirement that four Supreme Court justices must agree to grant a case certiorari in order for the case to be heard |
| Cases involving foreign governments and disputes between state governments | Name 2 kinds of cases in which the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction: |
| How are federal judges chosen? | Appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate, serve for life |
| speaker of the house | if president and vice president die then who becomes president? |
| Speaker of the House | If neither the Pres nor Vice Pres. can serve, the position will be filled by |
| The Speaker of the House has 3 roles or duties. They are... | preside over session, refers bills to committees, and appoints committee members |
| Speaker of the House if the ___________ officer of the House | powerful |
| electoral_college | the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president |
| executive order | a directive, rule, or regulation that has the effect of law |
| Executive Agreement | An agreement made between the president and a leader of another nation. |
| treaty | formal agreement between two or more sovereign states |
| concurring opinion | written explanation of a judge who supported a decision but wanted to add another point to it. |
| dissenting opinion | written explanation of a judge who disagreed with a decision |
| The state can be defined as a body of people, living in a defined territory, and organized _______ | politcally |
| State | a body of people, living in a defined territory, and organized politically |
| In a ____________, supreme and political authority rests with the people | democracy |
| Democracy | Type of government in which supreme and political authority rests with the people |
| In order to change the written words of the Constitution, onw must use a ________ process | formal amendment |
| The Judicial Branch can _________ laws | interpret |
| The Judicial Branch can determine the _________ of laws | meaning |
| The Judicial Branch can settle _________ within the society | disputes |
| Who has the power to impeach civil officers of the U.S.? | The House of Reps |
| The Speaker of the House may vote on __________ | any issue |
| The Speaker of the House _________ the floor | controls |
| What is the oldest form of election? | self-announcement method |
| Per the Constitution, Congress must meet at least ____ time/s a year | 1 |
| What are sessions? | The time each year that Congress assembles and does business. |
| At least ____ electoral votes are needed to win the Presidency | 270 |
| There are a total of ______ Senators | 100 |
| Each state has 2 _____ | senators |
| Number of Senators from each state | 2 |
| Step 1 for a bill to become a law: | The Senate committee must have a simple majority |
| Step 2 for a bill to become a law: | The full Senate must have a simple majority |
| Step 3 for a bill to become a law: | The House Committee must reach a simple majority |
| Step 4 for a bill to become a law: | The full house must reach a simple majority |
| Step 5 for a bill to become a law: | The President signs it |
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