Unit 2: Electoral College + Judicicial Branch Flashcards
(32 cards)
Slate
Winner-Take-All (leads people to?)
group of electors in each party (loyal party mem.)
Candidates campaign in larger, competitive states
Safe State
Ex:
Swing State
Ex:
states w/ Consistent pattern of voting for a certain party
California, Oregon, Alabama,
States without a distinct pattern of voting
florida, arizona, georgia
Faithless electors
Judiciary (3)
Jurisdiction aka?
No law requires electors to vote the way the people of the state voted.
Settles disputes
Administers justice
Interprets and applies the laws
Authority of a court to hear/try/decide a case
power to “say the law”
when do federal courts rule over state courts? (3)
when it involves? (3)
when it involves a fed. question
interpreting constitutional law
admiralty law
U.S.
ambassadors
issues b/w 2 states
Judicial Review
Electoral College (What is the Electoral College? How does it work?)
power of SCOTUS to deem an action by either the executive/legislative branch unconstitutional.
group of people (electors) chosen from each state and the district of Columbia to select the pres. + V.P.
How are votes allocated?(3)
allocated among the States based on Census
Every State gets # of votes equal to # of Senators and Representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation
2 senators plus a # of thor votes
How are electors chosen? Who are the electors?
2 part process
but?
First, the political parties in each State choose slates
Second, during the election, voters in each State select their State’s electors by casting ballots.
state’s don’t choose electors directly candidates do
How do you win the election? What happens in the event of a tie?
Win by the # of electoral votes, NOT popular votes.
If a tie, each state has 1 vote and u need 26 votes to win.
What are some criticisms of the electoral college? (2) Solutions? (3)
small states (overrepresented), faithless electors
Direct election: the people vote
District System: winning a congressional district, wins their vote Proportional system: (same % of popular votes as electoral votes)
Why did the Founding Fathers create the Electoral College? (2)
compromise by?
- common people would not be able to make wise choices
(Founders wanted best people selecting the Pres.)
compromise b/w directly electing the President and Congress electing the President
Does the Electoral College facilitate or impede democracy?
facilitate:
impede:
asks for the voice of the people
allows wise people to vote rather than uneducated
not direct election of President by voters.(Elitism)
faithless electors
Why did the Founding Fathers find it necessary to create a national judiciary?
bc during the time of the AOC, there was no court system to settle disputes
What are the qualifications needed to be a SCOTUS judge? Term length?
3 steps to become a judge?
No specific qualifications
Term length: lifelong
In order to become a SCOTUS judge, you have to:
presidential nomination
senate approval
presidential appointment
Judicial Restraint Vs. Activism
Judges decide cases based on the original intent of the framers
Judges decide cases in light of the ongoing changes in conditions and values
Bureaucracy
Independent Regulatory Commission (ex)
Independent Executive Agencies (ex)
teams of exec. branch that help pres. carry out exec. agenda + congressional mandates
Make + enforce rules to protect public interest (Fed. Communications Commission)
The rest of the government (NASA)
Government Corporations
Issue Network (4)
do?
Hybrid of gov’t agencies + private companies
Delivering a service that could be delivered by a private sector (USPS)
Committee members, academics, interest groups, members of the media
collaborate to create policies
Iron Triangle
3 entities?
task?
An agency, congressional committee, and an interest group
Lawmakers + bureaucrats work together
How is the process of becoming a SCOTUS judge an example of checks & balances and how can the judicial branch be checked?
Chosen by the executive branch, approved by the legislative branch
What are the differences between judicial restraint and judicial activism?
more conservative vs more liberal perspectives
What is the organization of the bureaucracy? What three organizations are included in the bureaucracy?
15 main depts. in order of pres. succession
(each w/ own head and agencies)
interest groups
agency
subcommittee
What are the 5 main tasks of the bureaucracy? What do they do (2)?
Writing and enforcing regulations
Imposes fines to companies + industries make them follow standards
Testifying before Congress
Iron triangles and issue networks
Each organization uses it’s discretion to carry out laws
field experts provide testimony before Congress
What are ways in which other branches of government can ‘check’ the bureaucracy?
Legislative(2):
Executive (3):
Congress has power of the purse
Committee hearings
Power of persuasion
hire and fire members
Exerts authority
Freedom of Religion
Establishment Clause
Free Exercise Clause
Freedom of Speech does? (2)
limit line for freedom of religion? (2)
gov’t cant prohibit free exercise of religion
prohibits establishment of religion for gov’t institutions
gov’t can’t interfere w/ practicing religion
protects unpopular speech (balances gov’t power and civil rights)
can’t be endorsed by a state or harm/violate laws/others
Why aren’t judges elected?
causes them to not be affected by politics and use their lifelong term limit to apply the laws fairly
