POSC 1010 Final Study Guide | Political Science Terms

How is the legislative branch elected?

Congress-

HOR:

-elected every 2 years (popular)

-25 years old,

-2 per state, appointed by legislature

-staggered 6-year terms

Senate:

30 years old, citizen for 9 years, resident of state

-Vice President is president of the Senate (only tie-breaking vote)

How is the judicial branch elected?

appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate

How is the executive branch elected?

by the Electoral College--Indirect Election

Commerce Clause

Clause stating that Congress can regulate interstate and international commerce.

Necessary and Proper Clause

constitutional authorization for Congress to make any law required to carry out its powers

Supremacy Clause

Constitution is the supreme law of the land

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Dual sovereignty

a system of government in which ultimate governing authority is divided between two levels of government, a central government and regional governments, with each level having ultimate authority over different policy matters

Reserved powers

Powers given to the state government alone

Concurrent Powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

What is the current Presidental election process?

Every four years, popular vote and then electoral college ultimately decides

What is the current Presidental nomination process?

begin with precinct meetings where voters have the opportunity to become delegates to county convention, country convention elects to state convention, state conventions nominate candidates for national convention, primary is in each state

How is congressional districting conducted?

Has to be equal in population

Hard money

campaign contributions donated directly to candidates

Soft money

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal

How is the executive branch structured?

All legislative authority is in Congress, divided between House and Senate

Bureaucracy Oversight

Done by the President and Congress by holding hearings and appointments, and setting budget allowances

Presidental's Constitutional Powers

Power to approve and veto bills, commander in chief, represent the U.S. at a foreign level

Presidental's Inherent Powers

Allow a president to respond during a crisis

Where does a bill go first?

Has to be sponsored by a Congressman, then to a committee in the House of Representatives

Criminal Law

A law that defines crimes against the public order.

Civil Law

A law that governs relationships between individuals and defines their legal rights.

Public Law

law dealing with the relationship between government and individuals

Governer's Powers

Local, more than the Presidents,

How is a state legislature structured?

Just like the National Legislature it is bicameral and consists of a House of Representatives and a Senate.

What is the relationship between state and local government?

States have both shared and reserved powers, states are modeled after the federal government, each state has a constitution

What does local government finance look like?

Primary source is property tax, in some states sales tax

The Great compromise settled the dispute between _ and _ at the Constitutional Convention.

Large and small states

Can a federal judge impose a federal sales tax on items that are only in certain states?

No

What train of thought did Plato have believing that only certain philosopher kings should be able to rule?

Elitism

Who was a major contributor to the Federalist Papers?

Hamilton and Madison

What did Rosseau believe?

People give up some natural freedoms for civil freedom

Are policies better tried out at the state before the federal level?

Yes

All federal grant programs run from Washington directly

True

In the view of the Framers, rights are protected but not created by the government

True

The 3/5 compromise came about due to the division between _ an _

Northern and Southern states

If federal and state law conflicts, which wins?

Federal overrules

Which court decision overturned Plessy v. Fergueson

Brown v. Board of Education

Does the constitution require there to be nine Supreme Court justices?

No

Dual federalism

Federal and state government gov kept most seperate

What is the most important amendment

Freedom of speech and press

The US economy is...

Mixed, but mostly capitalist

Which houses of the government came under vote in 1789

Both House and Senate

Article III lists one of the powers of the judical branch is judicial review

False

Tort Law

Law that deals with harm to a person or a person's property.

Germaneness

The relevance or appropriateness of amendments, no rule for this in Senate

Filibuster

a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches

Federalist 78

written by Alexander Hamilton; talks about the federal judiciary; judiciary must depend on other two branches to uphold its decisions, implies judicial review

Where does most of the revenue for local government come from?

Property taxes

Where does a Bill go after being passed by both houses?

President to sign or veto

Contract law

set of laws that specify what constitutes a legally enforceable agreement

Apellate court

a court with the authority to review lower court decisions and hand down new decisions when appropriate.

Who is third in line for President?

Speaker of the House

What court decision created the necessary and proper clause?

Mculloch v. Maryland

What does the Presidnet Pro Temporate do?

Preside over Senate

What is the "Nuclear Process" in legislature?

A Senator calling for a close of debate by simple majority vote

Pork Barrel

the use of government funds for projects designed to please voters or legislators and win votes

Conference Committee

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

Executive Office of the President

Agencies that perform staff services for the president but are not part of the White House

The Cabinet

group of officials who head government departments and advise the President including the Mint, US Attorney, FBI, Attorney General, Secret Service

Independent Regulatory Agencies

Federal regulatory agencies that are independent, thus not fully under the power of the president. Ex. Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission.

Government Corporations (Examples)

Government agencies that perform services that might be provided by the private sector ; ex: Amtrac, post office

Imperial Presidency

President is seen as emperor taking strong actions without consulting Congress or seeking its approval

The President's delegated powers

Enumerated powers shared with Congress such as coining money

Bureacracies

secondary groups designed to perform tasks efficiently, examples include rulemaking, enforcement, distribution of services, regulated by Congress

How do conservative vs. liberal judges view the Constitution?

Conservatives view it as it was meant at the time, liberals interpret how it would mean now

How do cases come into the Supreme Court

Need 4/9 justices in favor of hearing

Statuary Interpretation

methods judges use to interpret written laws

How are state constitution's amended

Referendum