Studied by 12 people
After the Revolutionary War, what happened to the national government
It was too weak to deal with growing economic and political problems
Consists mostly of complaints of wrongs done to colonists
Declaration of Independence
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson
What was said in the Declaration of Independence
people have certain natural rights
Government can exist only with the people’s permission
People may change or abolish government
Did not support king’s idea that God gives certain people the right to govern
Set up a legislative branch, consisting of a unicameral congress
Articles of confederation
Written to win support for the constitution in New York
The federalist
Who feared that the new government would have too much power and the people too little power
Anti-Federalists
What was added to the constitution to meet the anti-federalist demands
The Bill of Rights
Has the power to propose constitutional amendments
Congress
Has the sole power to declare war
Congress
Every state is represented by at least one member
House of Representatives
Purpose is to prevent action on a bill
Filibuster
What is a major duty of congressional committee members
Screening bills for floor consideration
Most bills die in
Committee
Comes into play after bills are reported out of committee
House Rules Committee
What is the house rules committee compared to
It is like a traffic cop directing bills through the house
Usually headed by members chosen based on seniority
Standing committees
Used to keep the government from getting too powerful in one branch
Checks and balances
What is an example of checks and balances
President can veto an act of congress
How can the legislative branch check the judicial brancch
By removing judges through impeachment
Made by the president and must be approved by a 2/3 vote of the senate
Treaties
Has sole power to impeach the president
House of Representatives
Appointed by president with senate approval
Cabinet members
Who has the power to make executive agreements without congressional action or approval
President
Who has the power to send armed forces abroad at his/her own discretion
The president
Ordinance of power
Presidents power to issue executive orders
The presidential succession act of 1947 says ________ follows VP in line of presidential succession
Speaker of the house
What spells out broad purposes of the US government
The preamble of the Constitution
What are the purposes spelled out in the preamble
Defending the nation against foreign enemies
Insuring order and domestic tranquility
Promoting the general welfare of citizens
Examples of purposes in the preamble
Provide for justice and people’s general welafre
Once ratified, it can only be changed by another amendment
Amendments
Before it, senators were chosen by state legislatures
The 17th amendment
Ratified in 1870
15th amendment
The ________ did not secure the right of African Americans to vote because federal government did not intervene to uphold it
15th amendment
Framers include _________ in the constitution to empower congress to pass laws needed to carry out the expressed powers
Necessary and proper clause
When the US moved forward through amendments and civil rights act
Expansion of suffrage
Process by which people formulate their political attitudes and opinions
Political socialization
Most accurate indicator in predicting how a person will vote
Family
People who tend to vote a straight ticket should vote in primary elections because
The outcome of the primary determines whom they can vote for in the general election
Average voters
Grass roots
Group of people working to get their candidates elected to political offices
Political party
Required by most states to prevent fraudulent voting
Voter registration
Congress required states to allow voter registration by mail to
Make it easier to register
Doesn’t guarantee woman’s right to vote
The bill of rights
What is a major flaw in the electoral college
The winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed presidency
Only declared party members may vote
Closed primary
Does not select the party’s delegates
National convention
Incumbent president seeking another term will likely
Get his party’s nomination
In the nominating stage which is important in the electoral process,
Nominations set real limits to the choices voters can make in the general election
Tuesday after 1st monday in November of even numbered years
Congressional elections
Power of national government to coin money is an example of an
Expressed powers
Exercised simultaneously by national and state governments
Concurrent powers
State laws and court decisions must generally be honored by other states
Full faith and credit clause
Caused by federal government spending more money than it takes in
Deficit financing
Directs any area desiring statehood to prepare a constitution
Enabling act
Political powers in a state are concentrated at the central level
Unitary from of government
the US doesn’t have a unitary form of government because
The states have powers reserved to them in the constitution
Sovereignty rests with a small group or a single person
Dictatorship
After the __________ the government couldn’t handle things like economic and political problems
Critical period
Note 
Flashcard (34)