Federal Government and Elections Study Guide

Testimonial

“Political candidates and advertisers often seek endorsements from famous people. Advertisers often pay famous athletes and celebrities to say that they use and like their products.

Bandwagon

“This method appeals to people’s desire to do what their friends and neighbors are doing. It takes advantage of the “peer pressure” factor. “Everybody’s doing it! Jump on the bandwagon!”

Name Calling

“Name calling is using an unpleasant label or description to harm a person, group, or product.

Glittering Generalities

The glittering generalities technique is the use of “words or vague statements that sound good, but have little real meaning.”

Plain-Folks Appeal

“During election campaigns, many candidates describe themselves as being just plain, hardworking citizens. They stress that they understand the problems of average Americans. This plain-folks appeal is designed to show that, as one of them, the candidate can best represent their interests.” In advertising campaigns, plain-folks appeal is used to try to convince that this product is the product used by honest, “real”, everyday people.

Card Stacking

“Card stacking uses facts that support only one side of a particular product, idea, or candidate.” This technique is used to focus on the advantages (real or imagined) on one product, idea, or candidate over another without paying any attention to the possible disadvantages.

What are the 3 parts of the local government? How many members and how long are the terms?

Mayor (1 person, 4 year term), Borough Council (6 members, 3 year terms staggered), and Board of Education (7 members, 3 year staggered terms).

State Government: Term limit for Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Serve 4 year terms with a limit of two consecutive terms in office.

State Assembly?

We live in District 21 (40 total in NJ). 1 state senator (4 year terms) and 2 members of the general assembly (4 year terms).

Requirements for NJ Governor

At least 30, U.S. citizen for at least 20 years, NJ resident for at least 7 years, current governor is Mikie Sherrill (Democrat)

President + VP terms

President and Vice President both serve 4 year terms with a limit of two terms in office (10 years officially if a vice president succeeds a president mid-term).

Federal Government: Senate (term + people)

2 U.S. Senators (6 year terms staggered, Andy Kim and Cory Booker, both democrats)

Federal Government: House of Representatives (term + people)

We live in district 7 of the 12 federal districts in NJ. Our member in the house is Thomas Kean Jr. (Republican). Terms are 2 years long.

What 3 branches of government does the Constitution establish? Explain.

Legislative Branch - law-making branch of government, Executive Branch - carries out/enforces laws, and Judicial Branch - Interprets laws and applies them to the facts in a particular dispute.

What is the legislative branch also known as? What are the two houses of the bicameral legislature? Where do they meet?

The legislative branch is also known as Congress. The two houses are the Senate and House of Representatives. Congress meets in the U.S. Capitol Building in D.C.

How are Senate seats decided?

Each state is represented equally in the Senate. Each state has 2 Senators, regardless of population.

Eligibility Requirement for Senators

Must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, and live in the state they represent

How are senate elections detirmined?

The U.S. Senate is divided into three classes, one class for one election, every two years one class is up for election, which is 1/3 of the seats.

What is the current session of Congress

119th Congress, 2nd Session

Current Makeup of Senate?

53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two “indpendents” (Bernia Sanders of Vermont, Angus King of Maine)

What position does the vice president have in Congress?

The vice president is also the president of the Senate. They only vote if there is a tie.

How many seats is there in the House of Representatives? How is this decided?

Representation in the House is decided by each state’s population. There is currently 435 representatives, each representing a Congressional district.

How are Congressional districts made, and what do they represent?

Congressional district borders are drawn within a state. Each district today has roughly 770,000 people.

What is the decennial census?

Article 1 of the Constitution requires a census every ten years in order to reapportion the House of Representatives. The census is take by the Census Bureau. It is a census of housing and population.

How does reapportionment work?

Seats in the House are reapportioned based on population in the states. The total number stays at 435, but based on population growth rates, it may change among states.

How are Congressional districts drawn?

They are drawn by the state. Congressional districts can also stay the same number in a state, but still move because of population shifts within the state.

How many seats are up all election every 2 years in the House of Representatives?

all 435 seats

What is the current Makeup of the House of Representatives?

218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, and 5 vacancies.

Eligibility requirements for House of Representatives

At least 25 years old, U.S. citizen for at least 7 years, and live in the state he/she represents.

Who and what is the Speaker of the House?

The current speaker is Mike Johnson, Republican. The speaker of the house is the presiding officer and the leader of the majority party in the House. They are second in line to succeed the president.

Who and what is the Senate Majority Leader?

John Thune (Republican) is the current Senate Majority Leader. The Senate Majority leader is elected by the majority party to serve as party leader in the Senate. The Senate majority leader controls Senate action on bills and other matters addressed by the chamber.

Why is a majority in Congress important?

The majority party controls the most significant leadership positions and the makeup of the committees and subcommittees. This allows them to impact the type of bills and actions each house will and will not take.

What is the executive branch comprised of?

All the people, agencies, and organizations that help the president carry out the laws.

Who and what is the president?

The current president in Donald J. Trump, Republican, who is the 45th and 47th president. The president is the chief executive of the federal government.

What established the president term limit?

The 22nd Amendment (1951).

What are the eligibility requirements for president and vice president?

A natural born US citizen, at least 35 years old, and live in the US for at least 14 years.

What are the two main duties of the vice president?

Replace the president if they die, become disabled, or are impeached, and president of the Senate, only voting if there is a tie.

What are power specifically given to the president in the Constitution?

Carry out and enforce federal laws, make treaties with foreign nations, nominate certain important government officials, act as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and veto laws passed by Congress.

What are presidential executive powers assumed over time?

Run the executive branch(federal bureaucracy), direct actions of cabinet members, approve or disapprove department or agency regulations, and hire and fire key administrators.

What is the presidential emergency power assumed over time?

Authority to make decisions during times of war, rebellion, crisis, or threat of terrorism.

What is the presidential budgetary power assumed over time?

Create a budget for the federal government (presented to Congress for approval or disapproval)

What are presidential policy-making powers assumed over time?

Congress gave the power voluntarily to the executive branch to add details to the general laws passed by Congress. Also, the president can set goals for the nation and decide to carry them out.

What is the cabinet? Who do they serve?

The cabinet is an important group of policy advisors who make suggestions to the president about how to run the government and what actions to take, and they also include the heads of the departments of the executive branch. All cabinet departments report directly to and serve at the pleasure of the president.

What are the origins and founding dates of the Democratic Party?

Origins date back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and others as early as 1789, but officially 1824.

What are general Democratic Party Beliefs?

Democrats are generally more liberal in their views, they support an active role for government in society, believe that government can/should improve the quality of life and help achieve opportunity and equality. Also support for civil rights (minorities, abortion rights, assistance for the poor) as well as tolerance for political and social change.

Republican Party Origins

The republican party was founded in 1854 by abolitionists, strong supporters of US expansion, and those who favored new ideas and technologies to help business and society. Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president in 1860.

General Republican party beliefs

Republicans are generally more conservative in their view. They support a limited role for government in society, believe relying on the private sector (business and individuals) can/will improve economic productivity and support freedom and self-reliance. Also support traditional values and lifestyles, as well as a cautious response to change.

What are the 2 types of presidential elections?

Primary and general elections

What is a primary election?

Primary elections take place first, usually in spring or early summer, and allows voters to choose the party candidates who will run in the general election.

What is a general election?

Voters choose from the candidates offered by the political parties.

What is a closed Primary? What are some examples?

Only voters registered in a particular party can vote to choose the party’s candidates. Examples - NY and Oklahoma

What is a open Primary? What are some examples?

Voters can can vote for any candidate they choose, regardless of the voter’s political party affiliation.