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American National Government > Unit 3 (pt1) > Flashcards

Unit 3 (pt1) Flashcards

1
Q

Separation of Powers

A

The allocation of constitutional authority to each of the three branches of government, each with separate constituency base and term of office.

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2
Q

Checks and balances

A

Each branch has a role in the actions of others

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3
Q

Executive Orders

A

Supercedes slow moving system

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4
Q

Parliamentary and Presidential exist as…

A

Fast parliamentary
Slow presidential

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5
Q

(FAST) Parliamentary System Characteristics

A
  • No direct vote for a chief executive
  • Vote only for one or more members of legislature
  • Legislators choose a prime minister
  • Prime minister designates a cabinet
  • Legislative and executive functions are FUSED
  • “Too fast” for Americans
  • No aspect of blaming other people because they are working together
  • Make quick decisions but can’t turn around and change them as much
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6
Q

(SLOW) Presidential System Characteristics

A
  • Citizens vote “directly” for a chief executive
    -Or at least cast a vote independent of their legislative vote
  • Executive designates cabinet members
    -NOT current members of legislature
  • Legislative and executive functions are separated
    -Divided government
    -Even shutdowns, at least 20 times since the 1970’s
    -Most recently in January of 2019
    -Not fast, but can change
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7
Q

Structure of Congress (characteristics)

A
  • bicameral
  • staggered terms of service
  • committee system
  • leadership
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8
Q

Functions of Congress

A

Representation, oversight, education, lawmaking

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9
Q

Senate Constituency

A

Now elected statewide, 2 per state, regardless of population

Less than 1 Mill to more than 39 Mill in each district

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10
Q

House Constituency

A

Elected out of 435 regional districts, accordin to population

Approx 750,000 people per disrcit

Comparison: in 1790 in a house of about 1/4 the size, it was 34,000 per distrcit

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11
Q

Staggered Terms of Service

A

House: 2 year terms, all at once, even numbered years
Senate: 6 year, 1/3 at a time, even numbered years

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12
Q

Term Limits

A

Most states adopted them, 1990-today. Set limits for exec, legislative, AND state and national.
Notable Case: Inc. v Thornton (1995) He served from 1928-2016

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13
Q

Committee System (major types)

A

Standing
Select
Joint
Conference

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14
Q

Why Committees? (roles/functions)

A
  • Manage workload
  • Arenas for real debate
  • Foster expertise
  • Policy Incubators
  • Notable person: Thomas Brackett Reed, speaker of the house in 1890’s that advocated for committees
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15
Q

House leadership represented by…?

A

Speaker of the house
Majority party leader
Minority party leader
Majority and Minority party whip systems

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16
Q

Senate leadership represented by…?

A

Presiding officer
President pro tempore
Majority and Minority party leaders
Majority and Minority party whips

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17
Q

Representation

A

The process of bringing the people’s voices into government

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18
Q

Approaches to representation (when president is elected)

A

Delegate
Trustee

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19
Q

Delegate Representation

A

View themselves as a mirror of constituents, support constituents and sometimes go against their own values

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20
Q

Trustee Representation

A

Elected official relies on their own judgement when making decisions. Believe their constituents have elected them because they trust their judgement

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21
Q

Politicos

A

Combo of trustee and delegate

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22
Q

Burke’s Dilemma

A

?? Has to do with trustee versus delegate

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23
Q

Tools for Representation

A
  • Caucuses
  • Interest groups
  • parties/party leaders
  • the president
  • staff
  • staff agencies
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24
Q

Oversight

A

The process by which the legislature reviews the activities of the executive agencies repsonsible for implementing the laws it authorized

25
Q

Education

A

The process of informing the citizenry about affairs of government

26
Q

Tools for Education

A

Elections and campaigns
Committee hearings
Government publication/documents
Floor debates (any part of government that is publicized)

27
Q

Lawmaking

A

Draft/introduce legislation
Committee assignment/examination/debate
Floor debate/amendment/passage
Approval of executive
Becomes law

28
Q

Three Themes of Presidency

A
  1. Growth of executive power
  2. Expectations gap “puny giant”
  3. Shift from formal to informal power “imperial presidency”
29
Q

Three Theories of Presidential Power

A
  1. Literalist theory
  2. Stewardship theory
  3. prerogative theory
30
Q

Literalist theory

A

The president can exercise no power which cannot be fairly and reasonably traced to some specific grant of power or justly implied and included within such express grants as proper and necessary to it exercise

Very literal, don’t step out of bounds of power, must be necessary and proper to do otherwise

31
Q

Stewardship theory

A

Steward of the people, bound actively and affirmatively to do all he could for the people
President’s duty to perform the needs that the nation demanded but still following constitution to ensure structure
Quote by ??? During 9/11 maybe

32
Q

Prerogative Theory

A

Abraham Lincoln quote
A limb will be lost to safe a life, but a life will not be lost to save a limb
Measures otherwise unconstitutional might become lawful by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the Constitution through the preservation of the nation.

33
Q

Formal Powers of the president

A
  • REQUIRES APPROVAL/NEGOTIATION FROM CONGRESS
  • Come from Article 2
  • Executive power
  • Legislative role
  • commander in chief
  • chief of state
34
Q

Executive Power (Formal)

A

Mainly, the responsibility to carry out the laws
Includes appointment of cabinet secretaries
Appoints thouands of others (not millions)
Text: “chief administrator of the nation’s laws”

35
Q

Legislative Role (Formal)

A

Power to recommend to congress for their consideration
State of the union address
The veto

36
Q

Commander in Chief (Formal)

A

Head of army, navy, etc.

37
Q

Chief of State (Formal)

A

“Shall appoint and receive ambassadors” -diplomat
Treaties
AND EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS

38
Q

Informal Powers of the President

A

DO NOT REQUIRE NEGOTIATION/APPROVAL OF CONGRESS
- Come from Article 2
- Executive power
- Legislative role
- commander in chief
- chief of state

39
Q

Executive power (informal)

A

The responsibility to carry out the laws; includes appointment power of cabinet secretaries and others
but also… EXECUTIVE ORDERS

40
Q

Executive orders

A

desegregation of the military (Truman)
Affirmative action in employment and conracting (Nixon)
Military trials for suspected terrorists (G. W. Bush)
Expanded family leave provisions (Obama)

41
Q

Executive agreements

A

legal contracts with foreign countries that require only a presidential signature.

42
Q

Legislative Role (informal)

A
  • power to recommend to congress for their consideration, just state of union address and VETO
  • Remember executive orders
  • And also, the power to persuade/going public/bully pulpit
  • Signing statements
43
Q

The Power to Persuade (tools)

A

Agenda setting
Surrogates
Spin doctors
Honeymoon period/ approval ratings

44
Q

Agenda setting

A

State of the union
Press conferences and other speeches

44
Q

Surrogates

A

First lady, vice president, cabinet secretaries, past presidents

45
Q

Spin doctors

A

A person who publicizes favorable interpretations of the words and actions of a public figure

46
Q

The Bully Pulpit

A

Associated with teddy roosevelt, perfect place to be able to speak out about issues.

47
Q

Signing Statements

A

A public statement written by the president and attached to a particular bill to outline the president’s interpretation of the legislation

48
Q

Commander in Chief (informal)

A

head of army, navy, etc
congress declares war?
- war powers resolution/ vietnam
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

49
Q

Chief of state (informal)

A

shall appoint and receive ambassadors
treaties
AND… EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS

50
Q

Executive agreements

A

legal contracts with foreign countries that require only a presidential signature

51
Q

Administering the Presidency (The office)

A

Cabinet
White house staff
Executive office of the president

52
Q

Cabinet

A

Heads of executive departments appointed by the President and confirmed by the senate

53
Q

Selecting cabinet members

A
  • serving presidential political goals
  • diversity in the cabinet
  • independent stature and reputation before appointment
  • similar ideological standpoints
  • Team of rivals
    -emphasizing smarts over loyalty
54
Q

White House Staff

A

A group of people whom the president relies on to organize schedules and plot political, legislative, and international strategies.
A different selection process, different priorities
NO SENATE APPROVAL NEEDED
Major difference between cabinet and white house staff
Friends/loyal campaign staff
President’s policies, agenda, political success are main priority

55
Q

Executive Office of the President

A

The collection of nine organizations that help the president with policy and political objectives
- includes the OMB, CEA, and NSC

56
Q

Presidential Character Theory

A

Active positive (FDR, Kennedy), passive positive (GW Bush), active negative (Nixon, Johnson), passive negative (Eisenhower)

57
Q

Psychobiographies

A

Intensive life-span study of an individual of historic significance in socio-cultural context using research

American National Government (4 decks)

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