AP Government midterm study guide!

The ability to create laws is vested in

Congress

HOR Elections happen

Every 2 years

HOR Members must

be 25 y/o, 7 y a citizen, current resident of their district

Census occurs every

10 years

Who has the power of impeachment?

House of Reps

Senate elected every

6 years

Senate must be

30 years old, citizen for 9 years, inhabitant of their state

President of the Senate

Vice President

For an impeachment, ___ of senate must convict

2/3

Congress has power to

collect taxes, regulate commerce, and declare war

There are _ chambers of Congress, which is called a \_____________.

2, bicameral legislature

The Senate

confirms presidential nominations, approves treaties, and acts as Jury on impeachment trials

Filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

Cloture vote

Ends a filibuster, with a 60% of the votes to get it to end.

House of Reps is lead by...

The speaker of the house

coalition

Temporary agreement between reps/senators to achieve a political goal.

Constituents

The residents of a congressional district or state.

Minority Whip

a go-between with the minority leadership whose job mirrors that of the majority whip but without the power that comes from holding a majority in the House of Representatives

Majority Whip

a go-between with the majority leadership and party members in the house of representatives

President Pro Tempore

Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

joint committee

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.

conference committee

Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form.

select committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

committee chairs

The most important influencers of the congressional agenda. They play dominant roles in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house.

Caucus

A permanent group of congresspeople who share some interest or characteristic

Rules Committee

A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house.

Subcommittee

Division of existing committee that is formed to address specific issues

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

politico

An elected representative who acts as a trustee or as a delegate, depending on the issue

mandatory spending

Required govt spending by permanent laws (social security/medicare)

discretionary spending

Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process (Military/New legislations)

deficit

An excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues.

debt

Money owed

log rolling

a legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or hers

Gridlock

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

lame duck

A politician who is still in office after having lost a reelection bid

delegate

A person appointed or elected to represent others

Trustee

A legislator who acts according to her or his conscience and the broad interests of the entire society.

politico

Lawmaker who attempts to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles

partisan

Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause

Baker v. Carr (1962)

case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congresional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws

Legislative Districts

territorial areas partitioned on a map designating areas of representation by a legislative body

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority

Presidential term lasts...

4 years

President must be...

a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old, and must have resided in the United States for at least 14 years

If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

Vice President.

President shall be...

Commander in Chief of Military, Head of the Executive Departments (Bureaucracy) and how the power to grant Pardons and Reprieves, except for impeachment

The president has the power to

veto laws passed by Congress

policy agenda

The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time.

President has powers to

pardon and reprive, make treaties with consent of senate, nominate ambassadors/S.C Justices

State of the Union

An annual speech in which the president addresses Congress to report on the condition of the country and recommend policies.

Presidents receive...

foreign ambassadors and faithfully execute the law. Has 10 days to sign, veto, or leave unsigned a law.

President can negotiate...

formal treaties w/other countries and make executive arguments.

Head of Bureaucracy

President

Signing Statement

Informal declaration issued by the president when he or she signs a bill into law that indicates the president's reasons for signing the bill or plans for implementing it.

What limits the president to two terms?

22nd amendment

All Judicial power of the United States is vested in what

Supreme court

Inferior courts are established by...

Congress

The Supreme Court has judicial power over cases involving...

Constitution, all laws (state and Federal), and treaties

In Fed 78, Hamilton argued in favor of...

an independent judicial branch

Judges are appointed...

for life

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

Majority Ruling

in a democracy, the majority of the people will be right more often than they will be wrong, and will be right more often than will any one person or small group

concurring opinion

An opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning.

dissenting opinion

A statement written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion, presenting his or her opinion

precedent

an example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action

Stare Decisis (precedent)

"Let the decision stand"...courts generally follow the decisions of lower courts in similar cases that set a precedent

Marshall Court (1801-1835)

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall. Chosen by John Adams, a federalist, the Court was a Federalist stronghold during years of Republican administration. Under Marshall, the Court ruled on federal vs. state power and congressional control of interstate commerce. The Court became powerful.

Taney Court (1836-1864)

* many decisions during this Court favored states' rights over federal supremacy
* controversial decisions made during a period of sectionalism - Roger B. Taney, a Democrat and states' rights enthusiast

Nine Old Men Court

in response to the Great Depression, FDR attempted to increase the role of the federal government in the economy. The Supreme Court consistently blocked his programs in the New Deal. In response FDR threatened to pack the court, by appointing new justices that agreed with his ideology. This prompted some justices to switch their rulings on later cases involving the President's programs

Warren Court

the chief justice that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in Brown v. Board of Education (1954); he was the first justice to help the civil rights movement, judicial activism

Burger Court (1969-1986)

strict constructionist but did vote to expand civil rights. Landmark cases: Roe v. Wade, US v. Nixon, NY Times v. US, Bakke v. University of California.

Reingquist and Roberts Courts

Known was "Swing votes", making it hard to predict how the court will decide the case in either a liberal or a conservative outcome. Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy were the recent swing voters on the court

To override a Supreme Court decision...

the President can refuse to implement SC decision, Congress can change take away jurisdiction, and an amendment can be created to override decision.

Activist Court

Uses decisions to promote societal change because they can choose their cases

restraint court

judges adhere closely to precedent and play a minimal role in policy making. They usually try to uphold the laws passed by Congress or allow the Executive the freedom to act as they please