Midterm Study Guide Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is the role of gov?
maintain order, provide public goods, and promoting equality
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
27
What are 2 parts of US Congress?
house of representatives and the senate
What are the powers of Legislative Branch?
make laws, confirm/reject prez nominations, and can declare war
What are the powers of the Executive Branch?
carries out and enforces law
What are the advantages of running for reelection?
name is know, easy access to campaign money, and how they run things,
How many terms can a president serve?
2
Who were the Federalists?
those who wrote and campaigned for ratification of the constitution and wanted a weaker stat gov
How many justices are on the Supreme Court and who nominates them?
9 and the president nominates them
What is a judicial review?
power to declare congressional/presidential acts invalid bce they violate constitution
What is a veto?
prez disapproval of a bill that has been passed by both houses (congress can override with 2/3 vote)
What is descriptive representation?
belief that its more effectively represented by legislators who are similar to them in key characteristics (race, gender, ethnicity, or religion)
What is a filibuster?
delaying tactic used in senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote
What is an executive order?
presidential directive that instructs executive branch officials and agencies to create/modify public policies w/o direct approval of Congress
How do issues get on the Congressional agenda?
visible trend
What is Federalism?
division of power between a central and regional governments.
What are some examples of checks and balances?
congress can make laws, prez can veto, court can declare them unconstitutional
Why is the Constitution an Art of Compromise? What are some examples of the Founding Fathers compromised on to get the Constitution ratified?
delegates had to give numerous key points to create a Constitution that was acceptable to each of the 13 states (ex: Great Compromise, Three-Fifths Compromise, and Electoral College
In what ways does the President influence the legislative process?
threatening to veto, sign it or do nothing
What points are on the political ideology spectrum? (for example, anarchy is on one side w/ totalitarianism on the other, what is in the middle?)
L: Democracy (ppl rule)
M: Oligarchy (elite rule)
R: Autocracy (totalarianism)
What are some factors that improve democracy?
economic prosperity, civil society, and political culture
What are some important issues that were omitted from the Constitution to ensure ratification?
centralized powers, slavery, and civil rights
