Contempory America/Gov H Midterm

Government

The institution through which a society (or state) through elected officials makes and enforces its public policies.

Legislative Branch

the branch of government that makes the laws

Executive Branch

the branch of government that carries/enforces out laws

Judicial Branch

the branch of government that interprets laws

Salutary Neglect

an English policy of relaxing the enforcement of regulations in its colonies in return for the colonies' continued economic loyalty

Declaration of Independence

The founding document of the United States was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain.

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)

Constitution

A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society

Federalist

\--- Art. of Confederation was too weak
\--- In favor of a new Constitution
\--- Wants a stronger central gov't with stability

Anti-Federalists

people who opposed the Constitution because they wanted a stronger state gov't

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution
1. Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly and Petition.
2. The right to bear arms
3. No troops shall be quartered in people's homes
4. No unreasonable search and seizure by police
5. A person can only be tried for a serious federal crime if they have been indicted or charged for that crime by a grand jury. No person can be tried for the same crime twice. No person has to answer any question which may incriminate them.
6. A person accused of a crime has the right to be tried in court in a speedy manner.
7. In civil trials (a dispute between two groups or one group and the government) the people in question have a right to a trial by jury if the amount of money exceeds $20.
8. The amount of bail required must be equal to the seriousness of the crime. Also the punishment must be equal to the crime committed
9. The rights for people established in the Constitution are not the only rights that people have.
10. Powers not given to the National or Federal Government, and are not denied to the States, belong to the States

Popular Sovereignty

A government that ultimate power resides in the people.

Limited Government

No government is all-powerful. It may only do the things that the people have given it the power to do. Government is subject to the law it is not above the law.

Seperation of Powers

The Constitution of the US distributes the powers of the National Government among the Congress, the President and the courts (Articles I, II, III).

Checks and Balances

Each of the 3 branches of government is subject to a number of constitutional "checks" or restraints by the other two branches.

Judicial Review

The power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a governmental action (This power is held by all federal courts and by most State courts as well).

Federalism

\--- System of gov't in which a written constitution divides the powers of gov't between a central and regional gov'ts.
\--- Allows regional (i.e. states) to deal with local concerns and the nat'l gov't to deal with broader topics.

Supremacy Clause

It says that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

Cash and Carry Act

The US would sell weapons, and equipment to England as long as they could pay cash and carry them across the Atlantic Ocean on their own ships

Lend-Lease Agreement

The US would lend or lease items to any country whose defense was vital to the United States (GB had run out of $)

Holocaust

The mass slaughter of European civilians and especially Jewish people by the Nazis during World War II -- usually used with the b: mass slaughter of people; especially genocide.

Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht owes its name to the shards of shattered glass that lined German streets in the wake of the pogrom—broken glass from the windows of synagogues, homes, and Jewish-owned businesses plundered and destroyed during the violence.

Isolationist

(disillusioned, Great Depression, the war in Europe distant) The national policy of avoiding political or economic entanglements with other countries.The national policy of avoiding political or economic entanglements with other countries.

Interventionalist

Someone who wants to join the actual war.

Anschluss

reunification of Austria & Germany

Munich Conference

\--- Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler to discuss the Sudentenland.
\--- The Munich Agreement was reached at the Munich Conference.

Non-Agression pact

\---Would not attack each other
\---Divide Poland up between Germany and the Soviet Union.

Blitzkrieg

\--- Lightning war
\--- Airplanes, Tanks, artillery, and soldiers moving by trucks instead of foot
\--- Rapidly strike deep into enemy territory before the foe has time to react.

Selective Service Act

Draft required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. The US had the Selective Service Act,

Nisei Battalion

Decorated Japanese American Battalion, after Pearl Harbor. Worked their tail off to prove themselves in Europe. They interrogated Japanese prisoners, translated captured Japanese documents, and even saw combat alongside regular troops.

Atlantic Charter

The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration released by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on August 14, 1941, following a meeting of the two heads of government in Newfoundland. The Atlantic Charter provided a broad statement of U.S. and British war aims.

Mein Kampf

Adolf Hitler's Book which he wrote while he was in prison. It was about extreme nationalism, Racial purification, and National Expansion. Laid out his plan

Causes of WWII

Treaty of Versailles, Rise of Fascism in Italy, Japanese Expansionism, Economic Depression, Anti-Communism, Appeasement, Militarism, Nationalism, Rise of Hitler

Joseph Stalin

Dictator of Russia who gained power following Lenin's death in 1924. Rapidly industrialized Russia throughout the 1930s

Adolf Hitler

Like fascism, Hitler's party was called Nazi. Wrote the book Mein Kamph which was loaded with nationalistic topics and his hatred of people he thought weren't superior, non-Aryan Jewish people specifically.

Benito Mussolini

He seized power in Italy in 1921. Fascism was glory promise, economic problems, and fear of communism. Mussolini used this to his advantage.

Hideki Tojo

Imperialistic Gov't where the military was in control. He invaded China for raw materials

Franklin D. Roosevelt

32nd president of the US who served for 3 terms from 1933-1945.

Neville Chamberlain

Prime Minister of GB from 37-40

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister of GB from 40-End of war

Neutrality Acts

America was not allowed to loan any money or trade war material to countries in conflict

Japanese Internment

Executive order following the Pearl Harbor attack that stated that all Japanese Americans were to be put into internment camps. Reasoning at time was that it was vital for the safety of Americans to do this

A. Phillip Randolph Order

No racial discrimination in defense plants and gov't offices

Soviet Order 207

Stalin's order during the German invasion saying to fight until the last man and that if you surrendered you were an outlaw in the eyes of the law

Soviet Order 227

Not one step backward order said that you couldn't retreat otherwise you were to be liquified on the spot/cowards would be shot down by blocking detachments

Appeasement

Pacify someone by acceding to their demands

Hitler's Progression of movement

Remilitarize the Rhineland, Invasion of Austria, Invasion of Sudetenland, Invasion of rest of Czechoslovakia, Invasion of Poland

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Nazis and Soviets werent allies, but rather wouldn't engage in conflict with each other. They would split Poland in half with Nazis taking left half and Soviets taking right half

Official Start of WWII

Invasion of Poland, 9/1/1939

Phony war

A time where no land was taken by the Germans or undertaken by the Allies after the invasion of Poland. Very little actual fighting

Battle of Britain

Air raids were over London for 57 days. British people were forced to hide in the subways

Evacuation at Dunkirk

When the nazi forces pushed 300,000 allied forces to Dunkirk, the prossess of evacuating all of them using every boat that was there for evacuation purposes.

Tripartite Agreement

Agreement signed between Germany, Italy, Japan that was presumed to keep US out of war because they didn't want to fight a 2 ocean war

1941 Turning point

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Japanese Sneak attack in Hawaii, introduced america into the war and lead to the defeat in the pacific front.

Rape of Nanking

Invasion on China by Japanese that was extremely brutal, henceforth the name Rape of Naking because of how many Chinese people were raped

Double V Campaign

Equality in america for african americans and equality for Jews through victory against hitler

Office of Price Administration

Froze prices on consumer goods, raised taxes, war bonds, rationing all had to do with this office.

War Production Board

Supervised the conversion of factories for wartime production and building of new plants. Created Office of War

Final Solution

To remove 11 million Jews from Europe by whatever means necessary

Jewish Question

What to do with the Jews

Stages

Shootings, Vans, Camps

Nuremberg Laws

Excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having relations with persons of "German or German-related blood."

Operation Torch

Operation to secure victory in North Africa while engaging in Germany limitedly

Operation Husky

US invaded Sicily and took it from Axis Powers

Operation Overlord

D-Day, Invasion of Normandy

Operation Barbarossa

failed german invasion of russia. Main factor of german defeat in europe

VE Day

Day Germany Surrendered

Implied Powers

Powers that are not explicitly written in the Constitution.

Expressed powers

powers written in the constitution

What is the first step for how a bill becomes a law?

Idea for a bill comes from a member of Congress (Senate or the House)

What is the second step for how a bill becomes a law?

Bills are assigned to a committee and studied

What is the third step for how a bill becomes a law?

Bill is debated and then voted on the House floor

What is the fourth step for how a bill becomes a law?

Approved bill is then sent to Senate where they can debate it (filibuster)

What is the fifth step for how a bill becomes a law?

Then Senate approves the bill

What is the sixth step for how a bill becomes a law?

Once bill passed both Houses of Congress, different versions are made one by Conference Committee

What is the seventh step for how a bill becomes a law?

Bill is sent to President where he either signs it into law or vetoes it.

What happens if the bill is vetoed

If veto, ⅔ both House and Senate need to override veto.

Veto

The power of the president to refuse to approve a bill.

Pocket Veto

If Congress adjourns during the 10 day period that President has to sign the bill, then President does not have to return the bill to Congress, it automatically dies. Congress doesn't get the power to override this veto.

Filibuster

The attempt to hold the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill This is an effective means to block passage of legislation. It generally involves a politician talking about random things until the meeting is over.

Who has immunity or legal protection?

Congress Members

What is that protection

Cannot be sued for anything they say or write while carrying out their duties.. Cannot be arrested for minor offenses while Congress is in session.

How many days does the President have to approve a bill?

10

bicameral legislature

Upper and Lower

Upper

Senate

Lower

House of Reps

Reps in House of Reps

435

Qualifications for House of Reps

25 years old, citizen for 7 years, resident of state

Compensation for House of Reps and Senate

174,000

Term lengths for House of Reps

2

Our representative

Madeline Dean

Powers of House of Reps

-- Start Revenue Bills
-- Impeach Government Officers
-- Can decide who the president is in case of an electoral college tie or if their is no majority.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing states district lines to give one group a political advantage or weaken another group

Racial Gerrymandering

District lines are drawn to prevent racial minorities from electing their preferred candidate (Voting Rights Act of 1965 made this illegal)

Speaker of the House

Nancy Pelosi

What does the Speaker of the House do?

Decides the committees each member will serve on and Decides the order of bills.

How many senators are there

100

Qualifications for senate

\--- 30 years old
\--- 9 years a citizen of the U.S.
\--- Resident of the represented state

Senator term lengths

6 years no limits