Unit 2 Flashcards
What is Dunbar’s Number?
It is 150, the number of people that the human brain can keep track of and be considered part of their tribe.
What is each article doing in the Constitution?
- Explains Congress and Legislative Branch
- Executive Branch Explained
- Judicial Branch explained
- Article IV of the U.S. Constitution outlines the relationships between states and with the federal government, covering topics like interstate relations, admission of new states, and the guarantee of a republican form of government
- Amenment process
What majority does the Senate need to ratify treaties and to approve appointments?
2/3 for treaties, 1/2 for appointments. For lower offices, Congress can allow the executive branch to do it themselves
Where is a jury required?
- In Federal Court
What has happened to presidential power in the last 100 years? Why has this happened and where does it come from?
- A lot of the executive’s informal powers have expanded
- Informal powers that come from the nature of the power of the office of the president.
- Some things are procedural, and some are about respect
What are the informal powers of the president?
- Executive Agreement: Agreement between the president and other head of government (not official) Ex: Cuban Missile Crisis
- Bargaining: negotiating personally with Congress
- Signing Statement: Non-binding statement the president gives on how they’re going to enforce the law
- Bully Pulpit: Speaking to the American people about an issue
What is entitlement spending?
- It is spending that the executive is legally required to spend due to a law passed by congress
What does the bureaucracy do?
- The buracracy writes and enfores regulations using the rulemaking authority given to it by legislation
- Issues fines for noncompliance (compliance monitoring)
- Create iron triangles: long term allianes of bureaucratic agency, Congressional committee, interest groups
Define Bicameral
A lawmaking body, like Congress, that is divided into two houses.
Define Bully Pulpit
One of the informal powers of the president. It is the power of the president to speak directly to the American people and influence public opinion.
Cloture
A cloture motion is a procedure in the Senate to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote. It requires a 3/5 majority.
Committee of the whole
When the House of Representatives or senate meets together and follows the rules of a committee. It is used to expedite the decision of certain details in legislation.
Compliance Monitoring
One of the roles of the bureaucracy. Ensuring that companies/people adhere to federal regulations.
Congressional oversight
The power of Congress to monitor and supervise federal programs and agencies.
Delegate
A representative
Discharge petition
A movement in the House to get a bill out of committee and into the House floor. Prevents a committee from killing a bill. Majority of house
Discretionary Spending
Spending that is up to the discretion of Congress.
Divided government
When one party controls the executive and another party controls one or more chambers of Congress.
Entitlement spending
Spending from federal programs like Social Security, medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and pensions that the government is legally required to pay
Enumerated Power
The powers explicitly given to congress in the Cosntitution
What are the five most important enumerated powers
- Raising revenue (taxes)
- Regulate interstate commerce
- Coin money
- Declare war
- Organize and make rules for army
Executive Order
Informal power. They are orders by the president that the executive branch follows.
Filibuster
When a senator delays voting on a bill by speaking.
Formal Power
Powers of the president outlined in article II of the Constitution
