multiple choice Flashcards
(258 cards)
1
Q
What are the first 10 amendments known as?
A
Bill of Rights
2
Q
1st amendment
A
free speech
3
Q
2nd amendment
A
guns
4
Q
3rd amendment
A
prohibition of soldiers in ppls house w/o consent
5
Q
4th amendment
A
security from unwarrantable search/seizure
6
Q
5th amendment
A
criminal/civil proceedings - due process
7
Q
6th amendment
A
right to public trial
8
Q
7th amendment
A
right to jury trial
9
Q
8th amendment
A
forbid cruel and unusual punishment
10
Q
9th amendment
A
nothing written in the constitution can cancel out later amendments to it
11
Q
10th amendment
A
federalism - powers not delegated to US given to states
12
Q
what are inherent powers?
A
powers not specified in the constitution but needed in order to fulfil powers that are
13
Q
Article 1 of constitution
A
on legislative branch
14
Q
Article 2 of constitution
A
on executive branch
15
Q
Article 3 of constitution
A
on judicial branch
16
Q
Article 4 of constitution
A
on the states
17
Q
2 major reforms of congress post 1970s, date, significance
A
1973 War Powers Act = limit president ability to conduct war without Congress approval
1974 Budget Impoundment and Control Act = Congress compete with President as budget maker, created budget committees
18
Q
Representatives are elected every…
A
2 years
19
Q
Senators are elected every…
A
6 years
20
Q
Pocket veto
A
President fails to sign legislation within 10 days
21
Q
Difference between Presidential and Congressional constituencies
A
President = national constituency / broad electoral coalition
Congress = narrow constituency / specific interest
22
Q
At what level are US political parties based?
A
STATE based
23
Q
What is split ticket voting - what is it caused by?
A
Vote for different parties for different offices - rise of individualist campaigns
24
Q
What did the Gringrich reforms of the 90s do? (4)
A
- centralise power in the speaker
- reduce power of committees
- abolished party voting
- 6 year term limit on committee chairs (power back to party)
25
In what way is policy-making decentralised in Congress?
Committee and sub-committee chairs --> individualistic decision-making
26
Bush example of reliance on interest groups to pass legislation
2003 Medicare Prescription Drug Bill--> relied on 3 major associations to reform social security
27
What effect does hyper-pluralism have?
Policy-making gridlock --> too many interests, no one can agree
28
Who did the framers intend to be the main initiator of legislation? Who is it now?
Congress --> President
29
Dual Federalism (period/description)
19th/early 20th century
2 layer system - strong states / weak federal government
30
Cooperative Federalism (period/description)
Great Depression
Increased federal power - FDR New Deal
Marble cake
31
Regulated Federalism (period/description)
1960s
Indirect method carrot/stick -->
federal = recipe / states = ingredients
(national standards)
(expansion of federal gov)
32
New Federalism (period/description)
1970s and 80s
| Small federal government - devolution
Nixon and Reagan
33
McCulloch v Maryland (1819) significance
Implied powers under necessary and proper clause --> created federal reserve
34
Obergefell v Hodges (2015)
Same sex marriage / full faith and credit clause
35
Mapp v Ohio (1961)
4th amendment - warrant needed for evidence to be valid in court
36
Miranda v Arizona (1966)
5th amendment - rights of accused persons / Miranda Rights
37
Plessy v Ferguson (1896)
Separate but equal
38
Brown v Board (1954)
Overturn PvF as it violated 14th amendment
39
Bakke v Uni of Cali (1978)
Upheld Affirmative Action / cant have quotes but can ask about race
40
Marbury v Madison (1803)
Est judicial review / Chief Justice Marshall
41
US v Nixon (1974)
President cant use Executive Privilege to withhold information from criminal trial
42
Citizens United v FEC (2010)
Corporations and unions unlimited spending on elections
Rise of SuperPACs
43
Hamdan v Rumsfeld (2006)
Bush military commissions illegal - violate Geneva Convention
44
Gibbons v Ogden (1824)
Congress right to regulate interstate navigation / commerce clause
45
12th amendment
President and VP have to run together for election
46
13th amendment
abolished slavery
47
14th amendment
citizenship / due process / equal protection
48
15th amendment
right to vote
49
16th amendment
Congress can levy income tax w/o giving it to states
50
17th amendment
direct election of Senators
51
18th amendment
prohibition
52
19th amendment
women vote (1920)
53
21st amendment
repealed prohibition
54
22nd amendment
limit on the number of terms a president can serve (2)
55
24th amendment
cannot deny vote based on non-payment of tax
56
26th amendment
18 year olds get the vote
57
27th amendment
pay rises/decreases of Congress membs
58
How is a Supreme Court Justice approved?
Appointed by president then confirmed in Senate by SIMPLE majority
59
What is stare decisis?
When Supreme Court reject an appeal - lower court decision stands
60
Constitutional amendment process 1
1. pass in both Houses by 2/3rds SUPER majority
| 2. Ratified by 3/4ths of STATES
61
Constitutional amendment process 2
1. Constitutional convention called by 2/3rds of state legislatures
2. Ratification by 3/4ths of state legislatures/conventions
62
When did US enter WWII
1941
63
Watergate
1974
64
Name of Committee that investigated watergate
Church Committee
65
What were the revelations that the Church Committee found?
1. FBI carried out smear campaigns of civil rights activists and anti-Vietnam dissidents
2. CIA opening citizen mail
3. CIA secret drug tests on unsuspecting victims `
66
What act attempted to limit plausible denial? How?
1974 Hughes-Ryan Act --> President had to review and approach every CIA covert action
67
What committee was established after Watergate? When?
Permanent Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (1976)
68
What did the Church Committee recommendations establish for the FBI?
10 year term limit imposed on FBI directorship
69
What did the Military Commissions Act (2006) do? (3)
1. Military tribunals of enemy (vague term) combatants
2. held indefinitely w/o judicial review
3. amnesty law for the crimes committed during WOT?
70
Difference between fire-alarm and police-patrol oversight?
fire-alarm = dealing with intelligence scandals/failures after they come to light
police-patrol = systematic safeguards to prevent intelligence abuses
71
When was the US constitution drafted?
1787 - Constitutional Convention in Pennsylvania
72
Articles of the Confederation date
1777-1789
73
Why did the Articles of the Confederation fail?
no executive / no central gov / each state 1 vote
74
Shay's Rebellion date and significance
1786-87 Massachusetts
Demonstrated need to regulate interstate commerce and regulate westward expansion
75
What was the great compromise?
Bicameral legislature
House of Reps = based on population
Senate = equal (2 seats)
76
What was the plan called that favoured small states?
New Jersey Plan
77
What was the plan called that favoured big states?
Virginia Plan
78
what was the 3/5ths compromise?
Benefitted large slave-owning states / every 3 of 5 slaves counted towards population --> Southern states would only join US if slavery was protected
79
Expressed powers
Powers explicitly given to the federal gov by the constitution
80
Supremacy clause
Federal laws override state if there is conflict
81
Elastic clause also known as?
Necessary and proper clause / Congress can interpret the constitution
82
When was the last time Congress declared war
1941
83
Concurrent powers
Held by both State and Fed e.g. taxes
84
Police powers (3)
1. Family law
2. Professions e.g. bar exam
3. States dictate what is legal and punishment
85
How many federal employees were there in 2015?
4.2mil
86
What % of government does the Dept of Defence compromise?
75% - 3.2mil employees
87
Which is the oldest federal law enforcement office?
US Marshals
88
Which is the only independent federal agency?
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
89
Abolition of slavery
1863 - emancipation proclamation
90
US civil war
1861-65
91
What is fiscal federalism?
Looks at the financial relations between fed and state govs
92
What are the 4 guarantees a state has?
1. equal representation in the Senate
2. Jurisdictional integrity
3. Republican form of government
4. Protection against invasion
93
What is the goal of federalism?
solve the tension between central authority and local autonomy
94
What are block grants?
Money that can be spent on whatever by states - more control
95
What are categorical grants?
Specific programmes/strings attached
96
3 types of law
1. Criminal
2. Civil
3. Public (constitutional)
97
How are the federal courts organised?
Geography
98
How does a case end up in Supreme Court? (5)
1. Broken federal law
2. Treaties w/ foreign states
3. Constitutional dispute
4. Civil case more than $70,000 at stake
5. Involves citizens of more than 1 state
99
Levels of federal courts (3)
Trial courts (bottom) --> Appellate court --> Supreme Court
100
What is judicial review?
Power of judiciary to strike down actions of executive and congress as unconsitutional
101
Significance of US v Curtiss-Wright Export Corp (1936)
Supreme Court ruling in favour of President as 'sole organ of fed gov' in international relations/foreign policy
102
What is the significance of Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co v Sawyer (1952)?
Supreme Court rule against President in area of foreign policy in favour of Congress
103
Who decides how many Justices sit on the Court?
Congress - as laid out in Article 3
104
What is original jurisdiction?
Where SC can try a case for the first time, bypassing appellate courts
105
When does original jurisdiction apply? (4)
1. foreign policy
2. state v state
3. US v a state
4. between individual and state
106
What does 'standing' mean in relation to SC cases?
Each party has to have significant stake in the outcome and injury
107
What does 'mootness' mean in relation to SC cases?
Case has to be relevant - cannot have been previously resolved
108
When does 'mootness' not apply?
Pregnancy --> even if has come to term Roe v Wade
109
How long is a lawyer given to present case to SC?
30 mins - justices can stop you at any point to ask questions
110
What important legal document establishes precedence?
Opinion writing --> affects whole legal system
111
Significance of Furman v Georgia (1972) (2)
1. Ruled that states must get rid of bias in capital punishment rulings as blacks disproportionately given sentence
2. Capital punishment constitutional
112
When was the constitution ratified?
1788
113
When did the constitution come into effect?
1789
114
How many justices sit on SC currently?
9
115
What type of power is judicial review?
implied
116
What % of the US public can be described as 'attentive'?
10%
117
How many representatives are there in the House?
435
118
How are number of representatives allocated to the House?
Population = 1 per 600,000
119
How many Senators are there?
100 - 2 per state
120
What are the powers of Congress? (8)
1. Tax
2. Debt
3. Borrow & coin money
4. Regulate commerce
5. Copyright&patent power
6. Post office
7. Declare war
8. Raise army/navy
121
Exclusive powers of the House (3)
1. Consider all money bills first
2. vote on impeachment
3. choose president if electoral college deadlocked
122
Exclusive powers of the Senate (4)
1. Ratify treaties (2/3rs majority)
2. Confirm executive appointments
3. Try impeachment
4. Choose VP if electoral college deadlocked
123
Concurrent powers of Congress (4)
1. Pass legislation
2. Override Pres veto
3. Initiate constitutional amendments
4. declare war
124
Difference between trustee and delegate representation?
Trustee = Congress men act in the way they think best
Delegate = do what the people want
125
What is case work?
Congressmen working on behalf of their constituents
126
What % of Reps and Senators are re-elected every election?
90%
127
What is the effect called when Congress women get better benefits for their constituents?
Jackie and Jill Robinson Effect
128
How much more federal funding do districts receive if they are represented by women?
9% / $50mil
129
How a bill becomes law (6 steps)
1. Submission
2. Committee deliberation
3. House rules committee
4. Floor debate
5. Conference committee
6. President sign or veto
130
External factors that influence Congress decisions (2)
1. Constituency - electoral connection
| 2. Interest groups - campaign contributions/lobbying/information/mobilise voters
131
Internal factors that influence Congress decisions
Party discipline
- Committee assignments
- Access to the floor (controlled by Speaker)
- Whip system
- Logrolling
132
How is the party leader decided and how often?
Every 2 years at Party caucus
133
Who decides committee membership?
Party leader
134
What does the ways and means committee deal with?
Taxation
135
What does the House rules committee deal with?
Bills - decides amendments on all Bills
- How much floor time it'll get
Close/open rule
136
What does the Appropriations committee deal with?
Money = power of the purse / allocate funds for whole government
137
Committee on Committees function?
decides who gets to go on committees
138
What is the seniority system?
How long unbroken membership on a committee = hierarchy system
139
How many staffers across whole Congress?
11,000
140
What is the close/open rule?
```
Close = limit debate and number of amendments allowed on bill
Open = more difficult to get bill through
```
141
How many votes do you need to kill a filibuster?
60 / 3/5
142
Function of the Conference committee?
decides what a bill should look like - from both Houses of Congress
143
How many votes does congress need to overturn president veto?
2/3rds in BOTH houses
144
What is logrolling?
Favour/vote trading
145
How to impeach a president in House and Senate?
```
House = simple majority
Senate = supermajority
```
146
What requires a supermajority to pass as mandated by the Constitution? (5)
1. amendments
2. impeachment
3. ratification of treaties
4. override a veto
5. if cabinet tries to impeach president
147
Who is the most powerful senator?
Majority leader
148
Who is the most powerful representative?
Speaker
149
What where the elections where the Democrats lost their dominance in Congress?
1994
150
How much can an individual contribute to a campaign?
$2,000
151
What type of committees are the most influential?
Finance
152
What decided who the chairperson of a committee will be?
From the majority party
153
Name 3 waves of reform in Congress and their significance
1. 1970s Chairpersons removed from pinnacles of power
2. 1980s power back to party leadership
3. 2006 reduce earmarking and outside influence of lobbyists
154
Formal powers of the Speaker (4)
1. Votes in the event of a tie
2. create ad hoc committees
3. controls flow of legislation
4. recognises who is to speak
155
Who appoints the whips?
Majority/minority floor leaders
156
Who is the president pro temper?
longest-serving senator of majority party
157
Criticisms of Congress (3)
1. fragmentation - not coherent policy-making body due to committees
2. Failure of oversight - approval of appointments based on politics not qualification
3. Failure to deal with crises - partisanship / special interest
158
4 building blocks of electoral connection
1. ambition = seek reelection
2. autonomy = independent from party
3. responsiveness = demands of constituents
4. accountability = punish/reward through reelection
159
When was the Progressive Era?
1890-1920
160
Eligibility for Presidential office (3)
1. 35 y/o
2. US born citizen
3. 14 years resident
161
Formal powers of President (6)
1. Head of State
2. Chief Exec
3. Commander in Chief
4. Chief diplomat/foreign policy maker
5. Chief legislator
6. Veto
162
Date the imperial presidency
1945-73 - Truman to Nixon
163
Date the imperilled presidency
1973-80 Nixon to Carter
164
Date the post-modern presidency
1981-2001 Reagan to GW Bush
165
How many votes did Clinton survive impeachment
17
166
how many votes did Andrew Jackson survive impeachment
1
167
What was the effect of the Louisiana Purchase and what President?
Increased size of US by 1/3 - Jefferson
168
Which President was responsible for the creation of nationwide political parties?
Andrew Jackson
169
Which President can be attributed for War Powers?
Lincoln --> didn't ask Congress to go to war during Civil War & suspended Habeas Corpus
170
Which President is attributed for the birth of the modern presidency?
FDR
171
Which President is attributed for the creation of the national security state?
Truman --> National Security Act 1947
172
Which President is attributed for the creation of the modern Republican party?
Reagan
173
Date the limited presidency
1789-1932 --> Congress dominant branch
174
Date the Modern Presidency
1932-45
175
3 Presidential management style and their associated presidents
1. Competitive - FDR
2. Formal - Truman
3. Collegial - Kennedy
176
Academic that talks about Presidential character type
James David Barber
177
Academic that writes on effective leadership qualities for president
Fred Greenstein
178
6 qualities for effective presidential leadership - Greenstein
1. Public communication
2. Management skills
3. Political skills
4. Policy vision
5. Cognitive intelligence
6. Emotional intelligence
179
Open primary
Voters can vote for either party
180
Closed primary
Only open to recognised party members
181
How are democratic delegates assigned
Proportionally
182
How are republican delegates assigned?
Winner take all
183
Measures of presidential success (3)
1. Public approval ratings
2. Economy
3. Foreign policy
184
What is a rescission
When a president impounds congressionally allocated funds
185
Monroe Doctrine
1823
186
Roosevelt Corollary
1904
187
Vietnam War
1950-1975
188
Cuban Missile Crisis
1962
189
Korean War
1950-53
190
Significance and date of NSC-68
basis for the militarisation of the Cold War - 1950
191
NATO founded
1949
192
Truman Doctrine
1947
193
Escalation of Vietnam war
1965-68
194
Détente
1971-79
195
Bush Doctrine
Unilateralism and preemptive war
196
From whom was Alaska purchased? When?
Russia - 1863
197
Peak amount of troops in Vietnam - when?
500,000 - 1968
198
How much was spent by US during Cold War?
$3.7 trillion
199
3 types of foreign a defence policy
1. Strategic
2. Crisis management
3. Logistical/structural
200
What makes intelligence?
Information that has been collected and PROCESSED
201
Intelligence cycle (5)
1. Management
2. Data gathering
3. Interpretation
4. Analysis/reporting
5. Distribution
202
6 types of data source
1. Signals intelligence
2. Human
3. Imagery
4. Measurement and signature
5. Geospatial
6. Open-Source (publicly available)
203
Biggest intelligence agency
CIA
204
6 types of intelligence failures
1. threat warning
2. threat response
3. opportunity warning
4. opportunity response
5. vulnerability identification
6. vulnerability amelioration
205
4 types of covert ops
1. propaganda
2. political
3. economic
4. paramilitary
206
What is the average turnout for presidential elections?
60%
207
2 ways to calculate turnout
1. total of all voting age adults (includes those who aren't eligible)
2. voting eligible adults? (difficult to calculate number of non-citizens)
208
What did the motor voter bill do?
Make it easier to register to vote (1993)
209
What is the Australian ballot?
ballot produced by the state and has all the candidates names on
210
What is a states 'electors' allocated by?
Number of congress members the state has
211
How many votes are needed in the electoral college to secure presidency?
270
212
Who redraws electoral districts?
independent commissions
213
What was the Hunt Commission?
1982 - Democrat party recommend superdelegates --> more party involvement in election
214
What is it called when primaries are held early on in the season?
Frontloading
215
Spending per head in the US on campaigns
£11.50
216
what is a 501 group?
Social welfare organisations that can spend on campaign activity - must disclose spending but NOT donors
217
what is a 527 group?
Super PAC
218
How much did conservative 501 groups spend in 2012 election?
$263 million
219
How much did liberal 501 groups spend in 2012?
$35 mil
220
What must super PACs disclose?
Both SPENDING and DONORS
221
Significance and date of Buckley v Valeo
1976 - money = free speech
222
What is a delegate?
Individuals who represent the state at the national party convention
223
What were the aims of the Fraser-McGovern reforms?
Limit party corruption - led to growth of primaries
224
What is a superdelegate?
Representative of elite, un-committed voters
225
How many elected posts does the US have?
530,000
226
What is the average turn out for congressional elections?
50%
227
What is it called when the non-majority party gets voted in even when the other is still the natural 'majority party'
Deviating election
228
What type of election is it when the majority party is kept in office?
Maintaining election
229
What does the 'American voter' thesis argue?
That the psychological majority party are the Democrats
230
Requirements of Super PACs
INDEPENDENT and UNCOORDINATED from campaign
231
What is a binding primary/caucus?
all or a portion of delegates are bound to vote according to the results at the national convention
232
What can Super PACs spend on?
Forms of SPEECH - cannot spend during invisible primary
233
Goal of interest group
INFLUENCE government NOT win office
234
How many interest groups were there in 2014?
30,000+
235
Which is the academic that talks about the 'free rider' problem?
Olson 1967
236
What is 'Disturbance Theory'? (1951)
David Truman theory on how interest groups are formed --> collective action of like-minded individuals
237
What are the 3 types of incentives/benefits that interest groups can offer?
1. material benefits
2. social benefits
3. purposive benefits
238
Types of interest groups (5)
1. economic
2. labour
3. professional
4. single-issue
5. public
239
Interest group resources (3)
1. members
2. information/expertise
3. money
240
How many official registered lobbyists are there in DC?
12,000
241
What is the solution to Olson's free rider problem?
selective incentives
242
Interest group functions (5)
1. representation
2. participation
3. education
4. agenda setting
5. programme monitoring
243
What can interest groups NOT do with their money?
directly contribute to campaigns
244
What CAN interests groups do with their money?
create PACs --> $15,000 to party/year
| $5,000 to candidate
245
How much are individuals limited to spending on elections?
$2,700
246
Examples of outside lobbying (3)
1. media
2. protests
3. court cases
247
What does the Iron triangle describe?
the relationship between:
1. interest group
2. bureaucracy/ relevant executive department
3. relevant congressional committee
248
What is the central assumption of the iron triangle concept?
That bureaucracies seek to create and consolidate their own power base
249
What are the policy implications of iron triangles?
porkbarrel politics --> benefitting narrow interest
250
methods used to stop African americans voting (4)
1. poll tax
2. literacy test
3. grandfather clause
4. white primary
251
Types of congressional committees (5)
1. standing - meets regularly
2. select - special purposes
3. joint - both senate and reps
4. conference - disagreements on legislation
5. subcommittee - subdivision of main committee
252
What did the 2002 electoral reform act do?
banned soft-money contributions to political parties except in 30 days before primary and 60 days before general election
253
Formation of Democratic party
1828
254
Formation of Republican party
1854
255
What is framing?
power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted
256
What is jamming?
overloading viewers with the belief that objectivity is a myth --> don't believe anything
257
How much faster does fake news spread than truth?
x6 quicker/further/deeper
258
2 types of criticism
1. procedural
| 2. substantive
