SDSU POLS 102 Ingram study guide Test #2

65

How many members of the House of Representatives could have been elected to the first Congress in 1789, if all thirteen states had ratified the Constitution by that time?

700,000

Each member of the U.S. House of Representatives now represents approximately how many people?

Appointment by the state's legislature.

How were U.S. Senators originally selected?

33.3% (1/3)

What portion of the U.S. Senate is subject to re-election every two years?

With approval by a simple majority in both houses, subject to presidential veto and a two-thirds vote by both houses to override.

How can Congress declare war?

By equal representation from each state.

How is membership from each state in the U.S. Senate determined?

Declare war, provide and maintain a navy, raise and support armies.

In terms of war powers, what can only the U.S. Congress constitutionally do?

Conference committee.

To reach consensus on bills, what type of committee do the two chambers of Congress create?

After a two-thirds majority vote by the House.

How can members of the House of Representatives be expelled from the chamber?

One-third of the seats in the U.S. Senate is up for election during each federal election year.

Which one of the following statements about U.S. Congressional authority is false?

100% (all of them)

What portion of the U.S. House of Representatives is subject to re-election every two years?

Presidential Coattails

What do we call an election where the U.S. President is on the ballot and is elected along with many Congress members who are from his/her own party?

Midterm Referendum

What do we call an election where the U.S. President is NOT on the ballot and many Congress Members who are from his/her own party lose re-election?

True

Are there term limits for members of the U.S. Supreme Court?

Seniority gives their fewer members more power.

Why might term limits be unpopular in small states?

False

Are the seats on each of the standing committees equally divided between the parties?

Congress

Who holds the authority to establish all of the rules for the conduct of Congressional elections?

Sole power to try all impeachments

What power does the Senate have in relation to impeachments?

The statement: 'Congress shall have power . . . to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States.'

What is the source of implied powers in the United States Constitution?

By two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate

How is a presidential veto overridden?

Legislative veto and line item veto

Which vetoes no longer occur?

Legislative veto and Pocket veto

Which veto was never exercised by the president?

By the U.S. House of Representatives

How is the President selected if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College?

It becomes law

What happens to a bill if the President holds it for ten days while Congress remains in session?

President & Senate

Who appoints cabinet members according to the U.S. Constitution?

All of these.

How are cabinet members removed?

Head of government and head of state.

In a presidential system, the president serves as?

Head of state.

What is the symbol of a country's people and their formal representative in the international community called?

Both houses of Congress approve war declaration and the President signs it.

How are war powers divided between the President and Congress?

By introducing laws.

How can the president legislate?

An expression of the intent of the president to ignore a law.

What is a 'signing statement'?

Help set the lawmaking agenda for Congress.

What is the power of the President as head of state?

One.

How many presidents have voluntarily resigned?

It becomes law.

What happens to a bill if the President holds it for ten days while Congress remains in session?

Pocket vetoes.

Which type of vetoes can be overridden?

Cases affecting ambassadors, involving public ministers, pertaining to consuls, and where a state is a party.

What cases fall under the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court?

Except in cases of impeachment, a jury trial is required for all crimes, and the trial is held in the state where the crime was committed.

Which statement about the U.S. court system is false?

Secretary of State.

What office did John Marshall hold for the first three weeks of his tenure as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?

Twice.

How many times did the U.S. Supreme Court use judicial review to overthrow federal laws (or parts of them) up to 1858?

The president has the power to remove such an appointee without Congressional approval.

In Myers v. United States (1926) the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the issue of a president's power to remove an appointed official from office. In the case of Cabinet members such as the secretary of state, what power does the president have in removing him or her from office?

Affecting ambassadors, involving public ministers, pertaining to consuls, where a state is a party, all of these.

The original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court includes all cases:

Standard operating procedures.

Most organizations have a common set of rules for carrying out functions that characterize the operations. These formal rules are called:

Cabinet departments.

The federal bureaucracy is made up of a variety of agencies. The 15 major administrative organizations within the bureaucracy that report directly to the president are called:

The bubble.

What did Labor Secretary Robert Reich call his tightly constrained schedule and the limitations on his office?

Congress gives an agency the effective power to make laws related to the agency's particular sphere of influence.

What is meant by 'delegated congressional power'?

The M-1 Abrams tank.

What problematic piece of military equipment was explained in 'The Pentagon Wars'?

Useless.

Clinton Administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich thought that cabinet meetings were:

N/A

Which of the following can be superseded by U.S. laws?

Directives issued by the President to manage operations of the federal government.

What are executive orders?

Dred Scott v. Sandford.

What was the second case in which the U.S. Supreme Court employed the power of judicial review to overthrow a federal law?

1803.

When did the U.S. Supreme Court first use judicial review to overthrow a federally-enacted law?

Twice.

How many times did the U.S. Supreme Court use judicial review to overthrow federal laws up to 1858?

Adherents allow too much leeway to make the law from the bench.

What do opponents of judicial restraint argue?

The state's anti-sodomy law.

In the 2003 case of Lawrence v. Texas, what did the Supreme Court overturn?

N/A

Why does Congress routinely get lower ratings in public opinion polls?

N/A

Why does the public frequently re-elect the same representatives despite Congress's low rating?

N/A

Can a democratic republic function if the most democratically elected segment of our government loses public confidence?

Roosevelt believed in an expansive view of presidential power, while Taft believed in a more limited view.

What is the contrast between the Roosevelt and Taft characterizations of legitimate power?

A powerful presidency can lead to decisive action, effective leadership, and the ability to address urgent national issues.

What are the advantages of a powerful presidency?

A powerful presidency can lead to potential abuse of power, erosion of checks and balances, and limited input from other branches of government.

What are the disadvantages of a powerful presidency?

Declining trust in government leads to less positive evaluations of Congress.

How does declining trust in government affect evaluations of Congress?

Declining trust in government leads to reduced support for government action to address domestic policy concerns.

How does declining trust in government affect support for government action?

Declining trust leads to less support for candidates, elections, and policies.

What is the impact of declining trust in government on candidates, elections, and policies?

Trust in government is important for successful outcomes as it ensures confidence in the ability of elected officials to fulfill their promises and accomplish their goals.

Why is trust in government important for successful outcomes?

Growing distrust in government leads to boycotts of elections or decreased voter turnout.

What is the consequence of growing distrust in government?

Voters paying more attention are more likely to vote and serve as a sample of people actually turning out on election day.

What is the relationship between voter attention and voter turnout?

Voters paying more attention are more likely to favorably inclined toward the incumbent, increasing the likelihood of their reelection.

How does voter attention impact the likelihood of incumbent reelection?

A powerful presidency can make the incumbent's reelection more likely.

How does a powerful presidency contribute to the reelection of incumbents?

Declining trust leads to reduced support for government action to address domestic policy concerns.

What is the effect of declining trust in government on support for government action?

Differentiated between 'bad' and 'good' trust of powers.

What is the contrast between the Roosevelt characteristics of legitimate power?

Told the American government not to attack the business corporations as a monopoly.

What agreement did Roosevelt make with U.S Steel?

He believed the company was working for the interests and favors of the American people.

Why did Roosevelt make this agreement with U.S Steel?

Did not pass any legislation or make binding orders.

What did Roosevelt not do as a result of this monopoly scheme?

As a personal weapon to attack himself.

How did Roosevelt view Taft's actions?

Took a more legalistic view of the presidency.

What characteristics did Taft have?

File an antitrust lawsuit against U.S Steel.

What did Taft direct his attorney general to do?

Continued many of them and looked at the situation through evidence.

What did Taft do with Roosevelt's policies?

Their views on what was best for the people and legitimate power.

What was the main disagreement between Roosevelt and Taft?

Checks and balances system, separation of powers.

What advantages does a powerful presidency create?

No branch of government becoming too powerful.

What does the checks and balances system prevent?

Separates legislative and judicial powers.

What does the separation of powers do?

In a strict way to avoid overpowering other branches of government.

How is the presidency system constructed?

Potential gridlock if branches have different agendas.

What is a disadvantage of a powerful presidency?

The potential for abuse of dictatorship during the presidency.

What is another disadvantage of a powerful presidency?

A clip that provides insights into dysfunctional American bureaucracy.

What is the Pentagon Wars clip?

Diary entries that offer insights into dysfunctional American bureaucracy.

What are the Robert Reich diary entries?

Debate between two teams on military reform.

What is the Reformers Challenge of the Old Guard?

Clip illustrating intense debate on military reform.

What is the Pentagon Wars?

A 'Bubble' with no reason or conversation.

What did Robert Reich view Cabinet Meetings as?

He believed it undermined the importance of cabinet members.

Why did Robert Reich despise the term 'Bubble'?

Disagreement with how the Clinton administration handled things.

Why did Robert Reich quit as a Cabinet member?

Inability of Congress and the president to work together on public policy.

What does dysfunctional American bureaucracy refer to?

System where each branch of government has powers to limit the others.

What is the checks and balances system?

The Supreme Court.

Which branch of government seems to have more power?

Dysfunction and alienation in the government and bureaucracy.

What does the lack of communication between units cause?

Too many rules that fail to communicate with one another.

What is an example of lack of communication in the bureaucracy?

Values in lawmaking, may conflict with no priority rule.

What are responsiveness and responsibility in Congress?

Process of a bill becoming a law.

What is bill sponsorship and passage?

Passes in House, goes to Senate, committee consideration, same form for President's signature.

What is the procedure for bill passage?