Government Course Review #1

review for the semester, part 1

Interest groups

help to link citizens to the political process & can influence all levels of government

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case; state courts hear state issues & federal courts hear federal issues

Legislative Branch

Makes laws

Executive Branch

Enforces laws

Judicial Branch

Interprets the laws

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials; the executive branch

foreign policy

A nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations

domestic policy

Plans for dealing with national problems

public policy

the course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem

symbolic speech

Using actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea

Declaration of Independence

reflected enlightenment ideas like popular sovereignty & government's job to protect people

9th amendment

Citizens entitled to rights not listed in the Constitution

10th Amendment

Powers Reserved to the States not listed in the Constitution

Shay's Rebellion

inspired Founding Fathers to create the Constitution

U.S. government is a federal system b/c

powers are divided between the State and National Governments

15th 19th and 26th amendments have what in common...

Suffrage (voting) rights were extended to various groups

22nd amendment

the president can be elected to serve for only 2 terms

presidential succession

Vice President, Speaker of the House, president pro tempore of the Senate

21st amendment

repealed an earlier amendment (18th)

impeachment

Congress's ability to "check" the president

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote

Filibuster

prevents action on a bill

Appointment Process

A "check" the executive has on the judicial branch & a way to influence decisions

federalism

the system of government where power is split between a national and state government in order to prevent the abuse of power

14th amendment

defines what it means to be a US citizen, strengthens people's due process, nationalization of Bill of Rights

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

the Supreme Court decided that burning the American flag is covered under the 1st amendment b/c it is a form of symbolic speech

Executive branch

Agencies like the EPA and FBI are part of this branch of government

Bill of Rights

Added to the Constitution to address the concerns of the Anti-Federalists

Presidential Veto

Rejects all sections of the bill

Miranda Rights

represents an attempt to protect criminal suspects against unfair police interrogation

gerrymandering

concept of redrawing districts within a state specifically to benefit one political party

Ohio Supreme Court vs U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court justices are appointed, while Ohio Supreme Court justices are elected

Magna Carta

A charter that provided the basis for the principle of limited government.