Gov Semester 1 Final Flashcards
(127 cards)
1
Q
What are the three main components of government?
A
people: elected & non-elected
powers: gov’s authority & ability to get stuff done (3 branches)
policies: laws, programs, actions
- ^ know what they mean too *
2
Q
What is a state?
A
Political unit with power to enforce laws
3
Q
What are states characteristics?
A
Sovereignty (self-governed), population, territory
4
Q
For people to accept forms of rule, what do rulers need?
A
Legitimacy
5
Q
What is the social contract
A
Following rules for protection, we can overthrow gov by voting
6
Q
Whos credited with the idea of the social contract?
A
John Locke
7
Q
What is a monarchy?
A
Inherited position, one person in charge, autocracy (one person ruler)
8
Q
What is a dictatorship?
A
One person (or small group) having unlimited power, use fear and force
9
Q
What is an oligarchy?
A
A small group being in charge (typically in a dictatorship)
10
Q
What is direct democracy?
A
Democracy: Ruled by the people, people are the source of govs power
People vote on everything
11
Q
What is a republic?
A
Indirect or representative democracy
12
Q
What is a unitary system?
A
National gov has ultimate authority
13
Q
What is a federal system?
A
Separate and shared power, both gov and state have shared power
14
Q
What is a confederate system?
A
States have the ultimate authority
15
Q
What is a presidential system?
A
Elected by the people, head of executive branch and military, sets foreign policies, sets direction for domestic legislation
16
Q
What is a parliamentary system?
A
A prime minister and legislative in same branch
PM a member of parliament and heads majority party
17
Q
What are the ideals of american democracy?
A
Liberty, equality, self-government
18
Q
What is liberty?
A
Freedom from gov control, dec of independence, freedom to exercise rights
19
Q
What is equality?
A
Fair treatment and equal opportunities for everyone
20
Q
What is self-gov?
A
Ordinary people become in charge
People are the source of power
21
Q
What is majority rule and minority rights?
A
Right for the unpopular groups opinions, can debate and vote in elections
22
Q
What are the three branches?
A
Legislative, Judicial, Executive
23
Q
What does the legislative branch do?
A
House of reps and senate
24
Q
What is judicial branch?
A
Courts and judges, civil cases
25
What is the executive branch?
Enforcing laws, president
26
What is a bicameral gov?
2 houses in a gov
27
What is a Proprietary colony?
king gave land grant and proprietor (appointed by king) makes laws
28
What is a Royal colony?
directly appointed by king and controlled by a governor (does what king wants)
29
What is a Charter colony?
King and Colony agreed to charter and the colony runs itself
30
What is the stamp act?
Tax on all paper goods
Colonies met and told the king the power to tax should be left to the colonies
31
What is the first continental congress?
Georgia didn’t come. Called for the repeal of intolerable acts, king says no
32
What is the second continental congress?
Asked again to repeal intolerable acts, he said no again
33
What are the articles of confederation?
the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain.
34
What is shay’s rebellion?
Farmers were going to lose their farms so Daneil Shay led the farmers and surrounded and rioted around a courthouse to prevent the foreclosure hearings ,
Gov couldnt ask states for help or money
35
What is the virginia plan?
Edmund Randolph
- 3 branches, checks and balances
- power to tax, override state laws, control commerce between states,
- Bicameral legislature w/ membership based on population (power based on pop)
36
What is the new jersey plan?
William Patterson
- 3 Branches
-Unicameral legislature w/ membership based on equal representation (equal power)
37
What is the great compromise?
Combined VA and NJ plans
Bicameral legislature (house of rep: pop based, elected by people
Senate: equal rep chosen by state legislature)
38
What is the 3/5’s compromise?
The south wanted slaves to count in the population for representatives, and the north didn’t
- 3/5 of total number of slaves counted in the pop
39
What did the federalists want for the constitution?
They wanted the constitution
40
Antifederalists?
Didn’t want constitution, wanted a bill of rights
41
What is the bill of rights?
12 amendments, freedom of speech, right to bear arms, etc…
42
What is popular sovereignty?
We the people, the gov gets power from the people elected leaders, republic
First basic principle of governing
43
What is limited gov?
rule of law (everyone no matter role in gov has to follow the laws), bill of rights, informed citizens
Second basic principle of governing
44
What is rule of law?
everyone no matter their role in gov has to follow the laws
45
What is separation of powers?
3 SEPERATE branches (judicial, executive, legislative)
legislative: makes laws
judicial: interprets laws
executive: carries out laws
46
What is checks and balances?
- prevents one branch from becoming too powerful
-> easiest example: president can veto laws, goes back to congress and they can override that too
47
What is a veto?
Bill is rejected
48
What is judicial review?
-> power of courts to deicide if an action is unconstitutional
49
What is unconstitutional mean?
failing to comply with a constitution.
50
What is federalism?
Division of power between state and federal gov
51
What is Supremacy clause?
It prohibits states from interfering with the federal government's exercise of its constitutional powers
52
Marbury v. Madison?
Adams appointed marbury a job right before leaving office, next pres tried to fire him
53
What is a repeal?
To cancel or revoke a law
54
What are executive agreements?
Conducting foreign policies
55
Political parties?
Effect change of presidential primary system informally amending the constitution
56
What is the cabinet?
advisory body made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, the members of the Cabinet are often the President's closest confidants.
57
What is a gridlock?
The ability to govern effectively due to separation of power
58
What is the electoral college?
Process of which the president is elected, 270 to win
59
Enumerated powers
powers granted to the Federal government, and specifically Congress,
- article 1, section 8
60
implied powers
powers given to the national gov that are assumed from the consitition
61
inherent powers
national gov's powers it needs because it is a national gov
62
reserved powers
10th ammendment
regulate health, safety, morals, etc for the citizens of the states
63
Concurrent powers
things that both national and state gov can do
64
full faith and credit clause
that state courts respect the laws and judgments of courts from other states
65
dual federalism?
Layer cake, authority is clearly divided among all levels of gov
66
Cooperative federalism
Marble cake, authority mixed among the state and local gob
67
Creative Federalism
Even more marbled cake,
68
New federalism
little less marbled, returned power to states
69
what led towards cooperative federalism
stock market crash, great depression
70
what is giving power back to the states in the era of new federalism is
devolution
71
McCulloch v Maryland
created implied powers and national bank
72
a constituent is
people who are represented by a member of congress
73
apportionment
figuring out where the 435 reps go
74
appropriation
taking something without someone's premission
75
impeachment
Impeachment is the process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing.
-> only 3 presidents
76
what is Oversight
the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation.
77
Necessary and proper clause
The Necessary and Proper Clause is an implied power that gives Congress the power to write laws beyond what is written in the Constitution.
78
Deficit
amount owed yearly
79
Writ of Habeas corpus
protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment
80
bill of attainder ex post facto
a law that acts retroactively or after the fact to criminalise an act that was legal at the time it was committed
81
laws
when a pres signs a bill it becomes a law
82
Reapportionment
census 10 years,
figuring out where the 435 reps go
83
Gerrymandering
drawing district lines to the advantage of one political party over another
84
Speaker of the House
most powerful member of the house
85
floor leader
Both party leaders
- serve as the spokesperson for their party's positions on the issues and coordinate their respective legislative strategies.
86
party caucus
a meeting or grouping of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement.
87
standing committee
a permanent committee in Congress that oversees bills that deal with certain kinds of issues.
88
select committees
temporary committees created with a timeline to complete a specific task, like investigating government activity.
89
joint committees
debate and report on matters concerning the Congress rather than issues of public policy.
90
president of the senate
vice president
91
president pro tempore
senior member of majority party
92
senate majority leader
leader of party
93
seniority rule
the custom in Congress providing for the assignment of a committee chairpersonship to that member of the majority party who has served on the committee the longest.
94
filibuster
long talking debate to prevent or delay a bill
only senate
95
conference committeee
work out differences between the house and senate (bills)
96
Presidents 4 options when a bill is passed
sign: turns into a law
10-day rule: if pres doesnt do anything for 10 days, automatically passes
veto: rejects bill, but can be overwritten
Pocket veto: the pres gets bill 9 days before congress leaves, it dies if he doesn't do anything
97
how many houses are in congress
2
98
laws made by the will of people come through which body
congress
99
how many total senators are there
100
100
how many total reps are there
435
101
how long is the term for a rep
2
102
how long is the term for a senator
6
103
the house of reps was an idea that came from this plan
viriginia
104
the senate was an idea that came from
new jersey
105
the current congress came from an idea from
connecticut
106
to be eligible for the house you must be
25
107
to be eligiable for the senate you must be
30
108
how long must you be a citizen to be on the senate
9
109
to be eligible for the house a person must be a citizen for how many years
7
110
Chief Executive
"top cop" POTUS
111
commander in chief
when POTUs uses troops in military action
112
foreign policy
chief diplomat, negotiates treaties, ambassadors
113
diplomacy
the art and science of maintaining peaceful relationships between nations, groups, or individuals
114
chief of state
symbolic figure head, ceremonial role
115
succession
vice president takes over if pres is dead,
- taking over role passed down
116
executive orders
- like a law w/o comgress
- directs the executive branch on how to do their job
POTUS can act alone when doing this
117
executive privilege
POTUS can refuse to give information to congress in order to shield information
118
diplomatic recognition
negotitate treaties, form alliances, end conflicts
119
reprieve
temp halt to a criminal punishment
120
pardon
forigving a crime committeed by an indiviual
121
amnesty
forgiving a crime by a group of people
122
commute
shortening of a criminal sentence
123
Executive office of the preSIDENT
VP and cabinet
124
white house office
executive branch
125
NSC
National Security Council
126
executive departments
The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments
127
