Gov test 2 GPT

What are the constitutional qualifications for House members?

25 years old, 7-year citizen, resident of state

What are the constitutional qualifications for Senators?

30 years old, 9-year citizen, resident of state

What is incumbency advantage?

Advantages current officeholders have in reelection

What is constituent service?

Helping voters to gain political support

How does fundraising help incumbents?

They raise more money and deter challengers

What is redistricting?

Redrawing district lines after census

What are pitfalls of incumbency?

Complacency, scandals, voter backlash

What is gerrymandering?

Drawing districts to benefit a party

What are cracking and packing?

Cracking splits voters, packing concentrates them

What role do parties play in Congress?

Organize leadership, control agenda, assign committees

How is leadership determined in Congress?

Majority party selects leaders

What are standing committees?

Permanent committees handling specific policy areas

What are select committees?

Temporary committees for specific issues

What are joint committees?

Members from both chambers

What are conference committees?

Resolve House-Senate differences

Why are committees important?

They control which bills advance

How does a bill become a law?

Introduced, committee, floor debate, vote, other chamber, president

What role do committees play in lawmaking?

They review, amend, and often kill bills

What are the 3 functions of Congress?

Lawmaking, representation, oversight

What is representation?

Acting on behalf of constituents

What is oversight?

Monitoring executive branch

Presidential qualifications?

35 years old, natural-born citizen, 14-year resident

What are formal presidential powers?

Commander-in-chief, veto, treaties, appointments

What is the limited presidency theory?

President has only constitutional powers

What is stewardship theory?

President can act unless prohibited

What is the strong presidency argument?

Modern problems require strong executive

What is the Executive Office of the President?

Advisory agencies supporting president

What is the Cabinet?

Heads of executive departments

What is the Vice President’s role?

Advisor and successor

What is the White House staff?

Close advisors to president

What problems exist with presidential staff?

Lack of control, conflicting advice

What is agenda setting?

President shaping policy priorities

What is the president as chief legislator?

Proposes laws and influences Congress

What is the president as party leader?

Leads political party

What are executive orders?

Directives with force of law

What are executive agreements?

International agreements without Senate approval

How can Congress limit the president?

Impeachment, legislation, budget control

What is the War Powers Act?

Limits president’s military power

What factors determine presidential success?

Economy, crises, timing, Congress support

What is the federal bureaucracy?

Agencies that implement laws

What are cabinet agencies?

Departments led by cabinet members

What are independent agencies?

Operate outside cabinet

What are regulatory agencies?

Create and enforce regulations

What are government corporations?

Provide services like businesses

What are presidential commissions?

Advisory groups. They investigate, analyze, and provide recommendations on complex public policy issues, scandals, or crises.

What is the merit system?

Hiring based on qualifications

What is the patronage system?

Hiring based on political connections

What is the president’s role in budgeting?

Proposes budget

What is Congress’ role in budgeting?

Approves and allocates funds

What is rule-making?

Process agencies use to create regulations

Steps of rule-making?

Proposal, public comment, revision, final rule

What are sources of bureaucratic power?

Expertise, size, discretion, continuity

How is bureaucracy held accountable?

Congress oversight, courts, budget control

What are the 3 levels of federal courts?

District, appellate, Supreme Court

What is original jurisdiction?

Case starts in Supreme Court

What is appellate jurisdiction?

Review of lower court decisions

What is a writ of certiorari?

Request for Supreme Court to hear case

What is the rule of four?

Four justices must agree to hear a case

What are majority opinions?

Official ruling of the court

What are concurring opinions?

Agree with outcome, different reasoning

What are dissenting opinions?

Disagree with majority

How are Supreme Court justices appointed?

President nominates, Senate confirms

What constrains the judiciary?

Constitution, laws, precedent

What is precedent?

Following past decisions

What is judicial restraint?

Courts avoid policymaking

What is judicial activism?

Courts actively interpret and shape policy

What role did Congress play in civil rights?

Passed laws like Civil Rights Acts

What role did the President play in civil rights?

Enforced laws and used executive power

What role did the courts play in civil rights?

Declared laws unconstitutional

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

Granted citizenship to former slaves

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1875?

Banned discrimination in public places

What were the Civil Rights Cases (1883)?

Struck down 1875 Act (Cant regulate private discrimination)

What is the Equal Protection Clause?

14th Amendment requires equal treatment

What happened in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?

Established separate but equal

What happened in Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Missouri (1938)?

States must provide equal education

What happened in Sweatt v. Painter (1950)?

Separate law schools unequal

What happened in Brown v. Board (1954)?

Segregation unconstitutional

What happened in Brown II (1955)?

Ordered desegregation with “all deliberate speed”

Key components of Civil Rights Act of 1964?

ending segregation in public accommodations (Title II) and schools (Title IV), banning employment discrimination (Title VII), prohibiting discrimination in federally funded programs (Title VI), and strengthening voting rights

Key components of Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Protected voting, banned literacy tests

Key components of Civil Rights Act of 1968?

Fair housing protections

What is affirmative action?

efforts to ensure equal opportunity in hiring, promotion, and university admissions

De jure vs de facto segregation?

Legal vs social segregation

What happened in Regents v. Bakke (1978)?

Race can be a factor, no quotas when picking to admit into universities

What happened in Adarand v. Pena (1995)?

Strict scrutiny for race policies

What happened in Fisher v. Texas (2016)?

Upheld limited use of race

What was busing?

Transporting students to integrate schools

What happened in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg (1971)?

Approved busing

What is strict scrutiny?

Highest level of review for race

What is intermediate scrutiny?

Used for gender cases

What is rational basis?

Lowest level of review

What is suspect classification?

Groups receiving highest protection, race, national origin, or religion, strict scrutiny

What was the women’s movement?

Fight for gender equality

What did the 19th Amendment do?

Gave women the right to vote

What is the Equal Rights Amendment?

Proposed gender equality amendment

What is Title IX?

Bans gender discrimination in education

What is the Family and Medical Leave Act?

Provides job-protected leave

How did Hispanic groups fight for rights?

Used legal challenges and activism

How did Asian Americans fight for rights?

Court cases and advocacy

How did Native Americans fight for rights?

Sovereignty and legal action