AP Government Checks and Balances + Bureaucracy + Majority & Supermajority

Legislative checks on Executive

1. Overrides veto with 2/3 vote in each house

2. Oversight hearings

3. Change president budget

4. HOR can impeach president

5. Senate is impeachment trial jury, and convicts or acquits president

6. Senate ratifies treaties by 2/3 majority

7. Senate approves president appointments by ½ majority

Legislative check on Judicial branch

1. Change # and jurisdiction if fed courts

2. Change # of justices on SCOTUS

3. Sets lower fed court jurisdiction

4. Senate approves fed judge

5. HOR impeaches fed judges

6. Senate is impeachment trial jury, and convicts or acquits fed judges

7. Initiates amendments

Executive check on Legislative branch

1. Vetos bills

2. President can decide not to enforce law

3. Executive orders

4. Executive agreements

5. Bully pulpit

6. Convening congress

Executive check on Judicial branch

1. Appoints federal judges

2. Choose not to enforce court decision

3. Pardon power

Judicial check on Legislative

1. Judicial review

Judicial check on Executive

1. Judicial review

Bureaucratic discretion

• power given to agencies by congress to implement laws using their judgement

Bureaucratic rule making

• process where agencies create regulations needed to carry out laws

Executive checks on Bureaucracy

1. Opposing and remove agency heads

2. Reorganize bureaucracy

3. Change agencies budgets

4. Adjust policies to alter bureaucracies activities

5. Issue executive orders

Legislative check on Bureaucracy

1. Pass laws to alter bureaucracies activities

2. Abolish existing programs

3. Reduce funding to bureaucracies

4. Congressional oversight

5. Senate approves bureaucratic appointments

Judicial checks on Bureaucracy

1. Judicial review

Override veto vote

2/3 house, 2/3 senate

Ratify treaty vote

2/3 senate

Impeach president vote

½ house (simple majority)

Convict President vote

2/3 senate

Elevate President nominee vote

½ senate (simple majority)

Elect President votes

½ electoral votes (270) (simple majority)

Pass a law vote

½ senate, ½ house (simple majority)