Chapter 10-13

Question 1

a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses

Answer 1

Bicameralism

Question 2

Terms for senators

Answer 2

6 years

Question 3

Terms for house members

Answer 3

2 years

Question 4

the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives; the speaker is the most important party and House leader. Can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members’ position within the House

Answer 4

Speaker of the House

Question 5

the power of the courts to review actions of the legislative and executive branches and, if necessary, declare them invalid or unconstitutional (Supreme Court asserted this power in Marbury v Madison 1803)

Answer 5

Judicial review

Question 6

judicial philosophy that posits that the Court should go beyond the words of the Constitution or a statute to consider the broader societal implications of its decisions

Answer 6

Judicial activism

Question 7

judicial philosophy whose adherents refuse to go beyond the clear words of the constitution in interpreting the document’s meaning

Answer 7

judicial restraint

Question 8

outlines the powers and responsibilities of the Executive Branch, specifically focusing on the President

Answer 8

Article II clauses

Question 9

a party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party’s legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes

Answer 9

Whip

Question 10

Popular appeals to the public to create a mass base of support that will allow them to accomplish their goals

Answer 10

“going public”

Question 11

appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created so that local representatives can win re-election in their home districts

Answer 11

pork barrel

Question 12

temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate a particular issue or address an issue not within the jurisdiction of existing committees

Answer 12

Select committee

Question 12

joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

Answer 12

Conference committee

Question 13

permanent committees with the power to propose and write legislation that covers particular subjects, such as finance or agriculture

Answer 13

Standing committee

Question 14

A selection of electors that cast votes for the president and vice president. 538 electors in total. President must win 270 of votes to win.

Answer 14

Electoral College

Question 15

A vote in which half or more of the members of one party take one position while at least half of the members of the other party take the opposing position

Answer 15

Party unity vote

Question 16

Oversight is an effort by Congress to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

Answer 16

Congressional oversight

Question 17

Terms for a U.S. representative

Answer 17

2 years

Question 18

In most states, who controls the redistricting process?

Answer 18

state legislatures

Question 19

The process of allocating congressional seats among the 50 states is called

Answer 19

apportionment

Question 20

When Republicans gather in the House to elect their House leaders every two years, this is called a

Answer 20

conference

Question 21

When Senator Robert Byrd steered federal money to build highways, dams, and government facilities to his state of West Virginia, he was doing which of the following?

Answer 21

pork barrel

Question 22

To get around the need for Senate approval of treaties, many contemporary presidents have made use of ________ in foreign affairs.

Answer 22

executive agreement

Question 23

In writing and passing the Affordable Care Act, Congress ________ the task of defining “essential health benefits” to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Answer 23

delegated (powers)

Question 24

constitutional powers that are assigned to one governmental agency but are exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first

Answer 24

delegated powers

Question 25

In a striking example of exerting inherent powers, which president cited their oath of office as justification for suspending the writ of habeas corpus?

Answer 25

Abraham Lincoln

Question 26

The powers of the president that are most clearly spelled out in the Constitution are ________ powers.

Answer 26

expressed

Question 27

It is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector

Answer 27

government corporation

Question 28

Before the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, government appointments were made based on what system?

Answer 28

spoils system

Question 29

What is an example of an independent regulatory commission? They are known to be insulated from politics

Answer 29

FCC or CFPB

Question 30

Who gets to appoint the heads of all the federal bureaucracies?

Answer 30

president

Question 31

President Bush tried to privatize this program that millions of senior Americans depend on, but did not succeed even with Republican majorities in Congress

Answer 31

Social Security

Question 32

The term of a federal judge

Answer 32

life term

Question 33

Who gets to decide how many seats are on the Supreme Court?

Answer 33

Congress

Question 34

The secretary of education, secretary of defense, and secretary of the interior are all members of the ___.

Answer 34

cabinet

Question 35

When Democrats gather in the House to elect their House leaders every two years, this is called a ___.

Answer 35

caucus

Question 35

The U.S. House of Representatives committee that held hearings to investigate the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol is an example of a ________.

Answer 35

select committee

Question 36

Which author argued that the administrative state is a bloodless, unconstitutional revolution?

Answer 36

Gary Lawson

Question 37

A party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party’s legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes

Answer 37

whip

Question 38

Specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress and the president

Answer 38

expressed powers

Question 39

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class

Answer 39

Gerrymandering

Question 40

is a government organization that is given the authority to create and enforce rules and regulations related to specific areas of law.

Answer 40

Administrative agency

Question 41

The process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives: this happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population

Answer 41

Redistricting

Question 42

allows them to nominate individuals for key positions, including federal judges, cabinet members, and other high officials, with the "advice and consent" (confirmation) of the Senate

Answer 42

Presidential appointment powers

Question 43

Congress was the dominant institution of government in ____.

Answer 43

19th Century

Question 44

Constitutional law theory states that the President of the United States has sole authority over the executive branch.

Answer 44

unitary executive theory

Question 45

Special authorities granted to the President to address unexpected crises that require swift action, often exceeding the scope of normal presidential authority

Answer 45

Presidential emergency powers

Question 46

political candidates who currently hold a public office (incumbents) are more likely to win reelection than challengers.

Answer 46

incumbency advantage

Question 47

Presidential veto may be overridden by a ___ vote of each house of Congress

Answer 47

two-thirds

Question 48

The power of the President to reject a bill passed by Congress, preventing it from becoming law

Answer 48

presidential veto

Question 49

An advisory body composed of the heads of the 15 executive departments, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate

Answer 49

President’s cabinet

Question 50

are not directly stated in the U.S. Constitution but are inferred from it—stemming from the “rights, duties and obligations of the presidency

Answer 50

inherent powers

Question 51

Administrative agencies combine all 3 governmental functions in the same body, and even in the same people within that body. o Post new deal administrative state is unconstitutional

Answer 51

Lawson (article)

Question 52

Judicial activism is any instance in which the courts strike down a law that violates individual rights or transgresses the constitutional boundaries of the other branches of government. o Argues many of our laws are created not by officials who are democratically accountable to the people, but by unelected bureaucrats who are not

Answer 52

Bolick (article)