polisci test 2

What are the 4 types of committees?

Standing Committees, Joint committees, select committees, and conference committees

Standing Committee?

permanent committees with responsibility for a particular areas of public policy

Role:

They are the most common type of committee and are where most of the detailed work on bills takes place.

joint committees?

composed of members from both houses, which perform advisory functions

Role: They focus on specific policy areas like taxation or economic issues, or handle housekeeping tasks for Congress

select committees?

Temporary committees created for a specific purpose, often to investigate a particular issue or event, but, unlike the standing committees, do not create legislation

Role:

They usually have a limited lifespan and are disbanded once their task is complete

conference committee?

formed temporarily for the sole purpose of negotiating a particular bill

Role:

They work to create a single, compromise version of the bill that can be sent back to both chambers for a final vote

mark up of a bill

to change its content

filibuster

tactic in US Senate where legislators prevent a bill from coming to a vote by holding the floor and talking until the majority gives in and the bill is withdrawn, "talking a bill to death"

cloture

a parliamentary maneuver that, if a three-fifths majority votes for it, limits Senate debate to 30 hours and has the effect of defeating a filibuster..

Think of it as the vote to end a debate

pork

when a politician uses government money to fund a local project in their home district or state. It is often attached as an "earmark" to a larger, unrelated bill.

How to override a veto

to become a law 2/3 vote in both house and senate is required

how many people are in congress

535 members: Representatives-435 Senate-100

what affects a presidents power

Checks and balances

How the president's role from the founding to today has changed

evolving from a figure with limited, constitutionally defined powers to the head of a massive and influential executive branch. This development owes largely to the legacy of strong presidents and to domestic and international developments that have increased the need for executive leadership

What did Hamilton argue in Federalist #69 about war?

the U.S. President's power regarding war is strictly limited and inferior to that of the British monarch. He made this case to assure anti-Federalists that the new executive would not become an "elected king" with unchecked military power.

whig theory and stewardship theory

The Whig theory advocates for a limited, constrained presidency, while the stewardship theory supports a strong, assertive presidential role.

Formal requirements for President

35 years old, lived in country 14 years, natural born U.S. citizen

Five roles of the president

chief of state, chief executive, chief administrator, chief diplomat, commander in chief

the parts of the executive office of the president

-White house office which serves the president most directly and includes the communication office, office of the press secretary, and officde of legislative affairs

• office of Management and budget

-national security council

-national economic council

Plum book

United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions is a book that lists positions in the United States government that are subject to political appointment.

When is the census taken?

every 10 years

What do we do with the census

used to determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives and to guide federal funding

honeymoon period

the time following an election when a president's popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive

what factors drive the success of a president

The backing of the american people

How does impeachment work?

The House: votes on whether the accused ought to be impeached

If a simple majority votes for the impeachment the matter proceeds to the Senate

The Senate: hears evidence and votes to convict and forcibly remove the person from office (2/3rds vote required to convict)

War Powers Act

federal law intended to restrict the U.S. president's power to engage in military conflict without congressional approval

citizens united case

established that corporations and unions have the same free speech rights as individuals and that the government cannot restrict their independent political spending

requirements for judges

No age, residency, or citizenship requirements. Nor do they require legal training, although by tradition they do have it

how are judges selected

nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate

original jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of courts that hear a case first, usually in a trial. These are the courts that determine the facts about a case.

writ of certiorari

a request to lower court to submit to the court a record of the case.

ie. legal order from a higher court, most commonly the U.S. Supreme Court, to a lower court, requesting all the records for a case so the higher court can review it

how many cases does SCOTUS hear a year

70-100 cases

Majority Opinion/Opinion of the Court

The official decision of the court, agreed to by more than half of the judges.

It explains the court's rationale and sets the legal precedent for future cases.

Can be unanimous, meaning all judges agree, or just a majority.

concurring opinion

Written by a judge who agrees with the majority's outcome but for different reasons.

Allows a judge to express their own legal reasoning

dissenting opinion

Written by a judge or judges who disagree with the majority's decision.

It does not create binding precedent but can be cited as persuasive authority in the future.

plurality opinion

Agreed to by the largest number of judges, but not enough to be a majority.

Often arises when the court cannot agree on a single rationale for a decision, even though there is a majority in favor of the outcome.

Per curiam opinion

A decision issued by the court as a whole without identifying an individual author.

Often used for routine or summary cases and may be issued without oral argument.

district courts

the lowest federal courts; federal trials can be held only here

courts of appeals

federal courts that hear appeals from district courts; no trials

Supreme Court

the highest federal court in the United States

stare decisis

means courts should follow precedents—decisions made in previous cases—to

Precedent (stare decisis)

a previous decision or ruling that, in common law tradition, is binding on subsequent decisions

ages for congress

House of Representatives: Members must be at least 25 years old.

Senate: Members must be at least 30 years old.

amicus curiae

A Latin term meaning "friend of the court." Refers to interested groups or individuals, not directly involved in a suit, who may file legal briefs or oral arguments in support of one side.

second most powerful to the president

vice president

who should hold the administrative state accountable

congress

Federalist 78 (Hamilton)

Judiciary branch isn't too powerful because it doesn't have the power of the purse or sword; can't tax, enforce laws, or bring the nation to war

Tinker v. Des Moines

Students have the right to symbolic speech at school as long as it is not disruptive

Engel v. Vitale

banned formal prayer in schools, government would not make any religion the 'official' religion.

Abington School District v. Schempp

(1963) Prayer in classrooms was determined to be in violation of the First Amendment.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Amish children do not have to go to school until they are 16---they may stop after the 8th grade

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale

A private organization may ban gays from its membership

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe

students may not lead prayers before the start of a football game at a public school

Kennedy v. Bremerton School District

supreme court sided with a public-school football coach who demanded the right to pray with his players after games at the 50-yard-line. The decision significantly erodes the separation of church and state in public schools

Carson v. Makin

travel aid for students attending religious schools