Final Exam/State Test Prep Set

Bicameral Legislature

Legislature with two separate chambers

House of Representatives

Lower house with 435 members based on population

Gerrymandering

Redrawing district boundaries for political gain

Packing

A method of gerrymandering that concentrates opposition voters in few districts

Cracking

A method of gerrymandering that spreads opposition voters thinly across districts

Senate

Upper house with 100 members, 2 per state

Impeachment Proceedings

Process to remove officials for misconduct; begins in the House with the writing and adoption of impeachment charges, and then goes to the Senate for trial.

Presidential Appointments

Congress confirms or rejects key executive branch positions

Declaration of War

Congress has authority to declare war

Regulation of Commerce

Congress can regulate trade between states and nations

(This is often in reference to international trade)

Necessary and Proper Clause

Nicknamed "The Elastic Clause", it allows broad interpretation of Constitution for implied powers.

Permits Congress to do things on the path to carrying out their expressed powers.

Impeach

To accuse or bring charges against a government official

Expressed Powers

Powers specifically granted to Congress in the Constitution

Continuous Body

Senate with staggered terms for stability

17th Amendment

Changed election of Senators to popular vote

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution, but necessary for carrying out Congress' expressed powers

Nonlegislative Powers

Powers of Congress beyond lawmaking

Oversight Investigations

Congress seeks information for informed decisions, especially on bills

Jim Jordan

Represents Ohio's 4th congressional district in the House of Representatives

Jon Husted & Bernie Moreno

Represent Ohio in the Senate

House of Representatives Terms and Qualifications

2 years - 25 years old - 7 year US citizen - resident of the district they wish to represent

Senate Terms and Qualifications

6 years - 30 years old - 9 year US citizen - resident of the State they wish to represent

Main Goal of Gerrymandering

To create as many "safe" districts as possible- districts almost certain to be won by the party in control of the line-drawing process

Laissez Faire Capitalism

This was the style of capitalism in which the government has no interference with the economy, except to ensure fair competition.

Public Goods

a good provided by the federal government that everyone can use; there is no cost for the good or service. Ex: military defense of the nation, a highway road that has no tolls, pubic parks & police and fire protection.

Graduated Tax

the structure of the federal income tax; the more money you make, the higher percentage of taxes you pay

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

the federal government's agency with a mission to protect human health and the environment; its regulations are mandatory laws that corporations, businesses, and individuals must abide by.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

a federal agency charged with enforcing regulations against selling and distributing contaminated, misbranded, or hazardous food and drug products;

Taxes

money people pay to the government; the biggest revenue source for the federal government

Bonds

a source of revenue income for the federal government; a certificate issued by the government which promises to pay back with interest the money borrowed from the citizen who purchased the certificate

Fiscal Policy

the spending and tax policy of the federal government that help to make changes to the economy

Expansionary Policy

a fiscal policy used to stimulate the economy and encourage economic growth; often done through increased government spending or tax cuts

Contractionary Policy

a fiscal policy used to slow economic growth; often done through decreased government spending or higher taxes

Economic Depression

is a period when business activity slows, prices and wages drop, and unemployment rises

Government Depression Actions

...spend more than it makes in taxes. This will lead to more workers being hired because of the demand for goods. This means more products will be bought by consumers. The effect - the government creates more jobs. The newly hired workers will spend more money. This increased spending will increase demand and stimulate production.

Economic Inflation

is a period when business activity (production of goods and services available) soars, prices and wages increase, and there is low unemployment

Government Inflation Actions

...collect more in income taxes than it spends. This will lead people and businesses to become conservative in their spending habits. When there is less spending by consumers, producers are forced to lower their prices of goods and services. This decrease in spending breaks the inflationary cycle.

Monetary Policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply to promote economic growth and stability.

Federal Reserve Act - 1913

1. created 12 district Federal Reserve Banks.

2. allows the Federal Reserve to regulate money supply by controlling the amount of money banks can lend.

Federal Reserve Banks

referred to as "the Fed", they have 3 ways to regulate the supply of money in the economy: changing the reserve requirement, setting the discount rate, and buying or selling bonds on the open market.

Reserve Requirement

portion of money (deposits by citizens) that banks have to keep on hand at the Fed in case depositors want to withdraw their money

Discount Rate

the interest rate on the loans that the Fed makes to banks

Open Market Committee

the branch of the Federal Reserve Board that determines the direction of monetary policy

Ratify

sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making it officially valid.

9/13 states needed to approve the newly proposed Constitution in order for it to be adopted.

Anti-Federalists

people who opposed the Constitution

Included people like Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, & Patrick Henry

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution

Included people like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

Anti-Federlist Papers

collection of articles written and published in newspapers presenting dangers of the newly proposed constitution and explaining the flaws in the proposed system of government.

Reasons for the Anti-Federalists Rejection

- fear of tyranny & no Bill of Rights

- national government was too powerful

- supremacy of the federal government meant that States would become less important than the federal government, and would therefore lose power

- necessary and proper clause made congress too powerful

- the nation was geographically too large to govern

- chief executive could act as a dictator

- slavery was not abolished by the constitution

Reasons for the Federalists Acceptance

- a strong national government was needed to hold the states together

- a large nation was needed to optimize democracy and prevent self-interests from destroying the government

- governmental power was divided among 3 branches

- congress would need the necessary and proper clause in order to carry out their written powers and respond to needs of the time period

-supremacy of the federal government meant the the State would lose some power

- The inclusion of a Bill of Rights was added to appease Anti-Federalists

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express/written powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

Importance of the Federalist Papers

one of the most important sources for interpreting and understanding the original intent of the Constitution.

Includes information such as:

- the structure of the new government

- the philosophy and motivation behind the writing of the constitution

- logic to persuade Americans of the benefits of the Union

- details that help shape the interpretation of the constitution

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to support the ratification of the Constitution and explain its contents to the American public

Federalist Quote

"the proposed Constitution, far from abolishing state governments, makes them an essential part of the national government by allowing them a direct representation in the Senate, and leave in their possession certain important government powers. This fully corresponds, in every way, with the idea of a federal government."

Anti-Federalist Quote

"This government is to possess absolute power, legislative, executive, and judicial...It is declared 'that the Congress shall have power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper'...from this there is no need of any intervention of the state governments...and that the Constitution and laws of every state are nullified and void..."

Federalists Opinion About Size of the Country

"A strong national government with power of the states is needed to protect the states from excessive competition and fighting with one another. Let the thirteen states, bound together in a permanent Union, agree in erecting one great American system, superior to the control of all foreign influences."

Anti-Federalists Opinion About Size of the Country

"It is the opinion of the great writers, that a very extensive country cannot be governed on democratic principles, on any other plan than a confederation of several small republics, possessing all the powers of government, but united in the management of their foreign and general concerns."

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.

Political Party

A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy

Constituents

the people who are represented by elected officials

Petition

a document, signed by many people, that asks the government to take some type of action

Party Platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.

Democrats

views the government in the best position to resolve the nation's problems; often referred to as "liberals" or "the left"

Republican

believes in small or little government intervention; often referred to as "conservatives" or "the right"

Interest Groups

organization of people who share political, social or other goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals. examples: the NRA (National Rifle Association) or the Sierra Club (environmental protection group)

Lobbying

A strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature.

Holding Power

Run for public office

Influencing Power

Campaigning for candidates or communicating with elected officials

Persuasion

The process of convincing others to accept a different point of view.

Compromise

Each side must be willing to give something up, in hopes of getting something in return.

Consensus Building

A process in which a dispute of conflict involving several parties is resolved through discussion with a mediator.

Negotiation

Discussion aimed at reaching an agreement that all parties are happy with.

Persuasion

the process of convincing other to accept a different viewpoint on an issue through logic or reasoning.

Compromise

an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side being willing to give something up.

Mediator

A neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using reasoning, persuasion, and suggestions for alternatives.

Consensus Building

process of working toward achieving unanimous agreement within a group

Negotiation

discussion aimed at reaching an agreement that typically goes back and forth between parties suggesting possible solutions that make both feel as if they have "won"

Majority Rule

the side that gets the most votes wins, whether in an election, votes in Congress, decision in a Supreme Court case, etc.

Minority Rights

protections in the Constitution of the rights of all citizens by ensuring that the majority does not abuse its power and works for the betterment of all citizens.

Brown v. Board of Education - 1954

a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson by declaring state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional.

Little Rock High School, Arkansas - 1957

nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, faced intense opposition while attempting to integrate into the previously all-white school; President Eisenhower ordered federal troops to Little Rock to ensure that Africa-American students could safely attend school.

Civil Rights Act - 1964

prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, or ethnic origin in all public places and employers that did any business with the federal government; it also ended funding to schools which were still segregated.

Voting Rights Act - 1965

ended poll taxes (payment in order to vote in an election) and suspended literacy tests (test required to vote in an election) which led to a large increase in African American voters in in upcoming elections.

Affirmative Action Programs - 1965

President Johnson passed an executive order requiring all employers that dealt with the federal government to raise the number of their minority employees, this included race and gender. This increased minority representation in colleges, businesses, and many other professions.

Fair Housing Act - 1968

Prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race

Equal Pay Act - 1963

required companies to pay women the same wages as men for the same work

Title IX - 1972

banned sex-based discrimination in higher education

The Civil Rights Movement

a social movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, in which people organized to demand equal rights for African Americans and other minorities. People worked together to change unfair laws. They gave speeches, marched in the streets, and participated in boycotts.

The Women's Rights Movement

influenced by the momentum and success of the Civil Rights Movement, an organized campaign to win property, education, and other rights for women

U.S. Constitution

"The supreme law of the land." Written in 1787 at Philadelphia Convention to replace Articles of Confederation and create stronger central government.

Outlines structure & power of 3 branches of national government. Oldest written constitution still in use (but amended 27 times plus many informal amendments).

Federal Republic

A union of states the where power rests with the people who elect their representatives. These representatives then make decisions in the best interest of the entire nation.

Popular Sovereignty

A government in which the people rule by their own consent. "We the people..."

Limited Government

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens. The U.S. government can only exercise powers listed in the Constitution. The Bill of Rights in a list of freedoms that the government can not take away from the citizens.

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments. Powers are also sometime shared. This settled the dispute between the Federalists & Anti-Federalists and combine the Virginia and New Jersey plans.

Delegated Powers

Powers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution, for example, the authority to print money.

Reserved Powers

powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept for the states to exercise.

Concurrent Powers

powers shared by the national and state governments; both levels of government can exercise these powers.

Separation of Powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive carrying out the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law by applying it to specific situations.

Checks & Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power. This is done by the specific delegation of powers to each branch.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional; they hold all laws, actions, treaties, etc that come before them side-by-side with the U.S. Constitution.

Legislative Branch Positions

N: Congress

S: General Assembly