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AP Government & Politics > Unit 4 Study Guide > Flashcards

Unit 4 Study Guide Flashcards

study for unit 4! (54 cards)

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1
Q

House of Representatives Info

A

435 members
2 Year Terms
Faster, Efficient process

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2
Q

Senate Info

A

100 Members
6 year terms
Slower, Deliberative process

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3
Q

How a Bill Becomes a Law

A
  1. Introduction
  2. Committee + Subcommittee Action
  3. Rules Committee (House)
  4. Floor Action
  5. Conference Committee (House vs. Senate versions of bill)
  6. Presidential Action
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4
Q

Twenty Second Amendment

A

(1951) Presidents cannot serve more than 2 terms/more than 10 years

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5
Q

Twenty Fifth Amendment

A

The Vice President succeeds the president (if something happens); president nominates and Congress confirms new vice president

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6
Q

White House Office/Staff (WHO)

A

Immediate Staff of the President
- Circular & Pyramid Methods
- Appointments do NOT require Senate consent

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7
Q

Treaties vs. Executive Agreements (Foreign Policy)

A

Treaties
- require Senate ratification
Executive Agreements
- do NOT require Senate ratification
- deals between President and a foreign nation’s leader

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8
Q

Signing Statements

A

Written comments a president attaches to a bill he’s signing
- Controversy: can be his interpretation of the law or intentions on enforcing it (critics say it’s too similar to line item veto)

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9
Q

Executive Privilege

A

the right of the president to not disclose conversations between himself and his advisers

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10
Q

Presidential Vetoes & Overrides

A

Veto (subject to override by Congress 2/3 majority)
Pocket Veto (president doesn’t sign bill within 10 days but Congress adjourns during this time)

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11
Q

Sources of Presidential Power (Constitutional & Informal)

A

Constitutional
- Chief Legislator, Executive, Commander, Diplomat, & Jurist
Informal
- Mass Media attention
- personality/character
- Unity of the office
- Delegation by Congress (ex. they bow to him in times of crisis, executive agencies fill in holes of broadly worded legislation)re

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12
Q

Congressional Redistricting & Gerrymandering

A

States required redrawing district lines every 10 year census due to population changes
Gerrymandering: redistricting that purposefully favors 1+ groups of people in voting

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13
Q

Executive orders

A
  • Have the power of laws
  • do Not need congressional approval
  • can be struck down by Supreme Court
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14
Q

Most Important Senate Committees

A
  • Finance: tax bills
  • Foreign Relations: foreign affairs (highly prestigious)
  • Judiciary: screens judicial nominees
  • Appropriations: spending
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15
Q

Most Important House Committees

A
  • Rules Committee: sets calendar, debate rules (most powerful)
  • Ways and Means: tax bills
  • Appropriations: spending
  • Committee of the Whole: issues on H or R Union Calendar (more open & relaxed exchange of views, includes all members, 100 member quorum, dissolves upon examining a bill)
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16
Q

Representatives vs. Senators

A

Representatives (435)
- 2 year terms
- 25+ years old
- 7+ consecutive year residency
- Closer to public
Senators (100)
- 6 year terms
- 30+ years old
- 9+ consecutive year residency
- More removed from public

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17
Q

Committee & Subcommittee System

A
  • analyze legislation
  • investigates executive branch as needed
  • investigates exec. branch agencies on-going
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18
Q

Iron Triangle

A

policy making relationship between Congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups

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19
Q

Casework

A
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20
Q

Impeachment

A

personal work done by a member of Congress for his constituents

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21
Q

House of Representatives Leadership

A

Speaker (partisan)
- presides over House
- appoints committee member (including Rules Committee + chairman)
Majority/Minority Leader (partisan)
- right hand man of speaker
- floor leaders & legislative strategists
Majority/Minority Whips
- ensure party unity & discipline
- links party members & leaders
Rules Committee
- sets legislative calendar (agenda
- issues rules for debate and amendment

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22
Q

Senate Leadership

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A

Vice President
- ceremonially presides over Senate
President Pro Tempore
- most senior majority member
- ceremonially presides over Senate when VP is gone

23
Q

Congressional Chairpersons & Seniority System

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A

Committee Chairmen are selected by secret ballot; Seniority System is generally followed (oldest gets position/most power)

24
Q

Piegonholing

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A

postponing a bill in committee indefinitely; requires 218 House votes to discharge

25
OMB & CBO & Budget
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (Executive) - prepares annual budget and reviews federal programs Congressional Budget Office (CBO) - checks OMB (response to imperial presidency)
26
Senatorial Courtesy
tradition in which the President consults with the senators within a state in which an appointment is to be made
27
Midterms vs. General Elections
Midterms (Decides Congress Party) - 35 Senate seats - 435 Representative seats - Happens midway every 4 year presidential election cycle General Election - Decides the president
28
War Powers Resolution
(1973 - Vietnam War) President can only send troops to hostile lands without Congressional Approval if: - Congress is notified within 48 hours - Troops withdrawn after 60 days (extra 30 for safety of troops) - Congress is consulted if troops are to engage in combat - Congress can pass a resolution (not subject to presidential veto) to withdraw troops
29
Congressional Funding
Congress controls the "purse" and therefore can control the other branches through control of funding
30
Conflicts between the President & Congress
President can veto Congress Congress can ignore President's desired legislation agenda Congress controls funding
31
Legislative Oversight
ongoing process of congressional monitoring of the executive branch to ensure that the latter complies with the law
32
Civil Service System (Spoils vs. Merit)
Spoils system: appointing people as a reward for loyalty Merit system: appointing people based on competitive exams, performance, qualifications, etc.
33
Pendleton Act (1881)
Created a civil service in which a merit system would be used to fill government jobs
34
Civil Service Workers
(AKA public servant/employee) a person employed in the public sector by a government department/agency
35
Bureaucratic/Administrative Discretion
The Bureaucracy has discretionary authority on choosing how to interpret broadly worded laws from Congress
36
Bureaucratic Powers & Responsibilities
- Implementing and enforcing laws - advising White House - helping Congress with legislation drafting & testifying when necessary
37
How the Presidency and Bureaucracy Control Each Other
President: - appoints (and can fire) top level bureaucrats BUT > requires Senate confirmation & most bureaucrats cannot be fired by president - can reorganize executive branch BUT > must go through Congress - proposes agency budgets BUT > must go through Congress
38
Baker v. Carr (1962)
Redistricting counts as a justiciable question under 14th Amendment equal protection clause - opened Supreme Court to more "political" issues
39
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
You can't redistrict based solely on race - created a roadblock for future attempts to create majority-minority voting districts
40
Levels of Federal Courts
1. Supreme Court Almost always Appellate Jurisdiction (but CAN have Original) 2. Court of Appeals Appellate Jurisdiction 3. District Courts Original Jurisdiction
41
Types of Jurisdiction (think: authority)
Exclusive: only Federal court can try a case Concurrent: both federal and state courts can try a case Original: first to hear a case Appellate: can hear the a subsequent appeal (from a lower court)
42
The Justice Department: Attorney General, Solicitor General, & US Attorneys
Attorney General - Pres. Appointment, Senate consent - head of justice department Solicitor General - Pres. Appointment, Senate consent - represents US government in Supreme Court - decides what role the Fed Government's role in these cases - "10th Justice" of Supreme Court due to influence US Attorneys - 1+ for each district court (94 total) - appointed by president for 4 year terms - Senatorial courtesy applies
43
Federalist No. 70
44
Federalist No. 78
45
Supreme Court Opinion Types
Unanimous: everyone agreed Majority: main reasoning for majority opinion Concurring: alternate reasoning for majority opinion Dissenting: reasoning for minority opinion Writing the Opinion: (If Chief Justice is in the majority, he assigns it, if not the most senior majority Justice assigns it)
46
Supreme Court Judge Appointments
Presidential appointment, Senate confirmation - one of the most long lasting impacts a president can have on the government
47
Rule of Four
If at least 4 Supreme Court Justices want to hear a case, then they do
48
Stare Decisis
Latin for “let the decision stand.” Supreme Court policy of following precedent in deciding cases.
49
Writ of Certiorari
allows a lower court to deliver its record of a case to be reviewed by a higher court
50
Judicial Activism
philosophy that the courts should take an active role in solving problems/not be afraid to make landmark to adapt with the times
51
Judicial Restraint
philosophy that the courts should restrain themselves from being involved in political questions and instead focus on interpreting law rather than making law
52
How Congress controls the Bureaucracy
- control over the funding of agencies - legislative oversight - can charge agency employees with stuff - appointment confirmation - Government Accountability Office (GAO) (watchdog ensuring money is spent in accordance with Congressional law)
53
Federal Court Powers & Checks
They can make decisions but can't enforce them
54
Cabinet
Heads of Cabinet Departments & 5 "Cabinet Rank" others - meet irregularly at call of president - divided loyalties (to president and to own departments)

AP Government & Politics (2 decks)

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