unit 2 government

what does congress do after the census is taken? Why do they do this?

they redistribute the seats in the house to adjust to the districts and population.

What is gerrymandering? What group usually does it?

gerrymandering is th drawing of electral distrcit lines to the advantage of a party or group, districts that have unusual shapes or defy discrimination

How long of terms office do members of the House and Senate serve?

house- 2 year terms senate- 6 year terms

What are qualifications of the house?

must be 25, must have been citizen of U.S for 7 years, must be inhabitant of the state elected from

What are qualifications of the senate?

30 years old, must be U.S citizen for 9 years, must be important of state elected from

Who is the most important in the House of Representatives? And what functions do they serve?

speaker of the House- names the members of all select and conference committees, and signs all bills and resolutions passed by the house

Who is the most important person in Senate?

President

How were Senators chosen before the passing of the 17th amendment?

Senators were chosen by the state legislatures

What kind of powers are specifically written in the constitution?

inherent powers

Where do implied powers of congress come from?

Implied powers are granted by reasonable deduction from the expressed powers

what court case upheld the doctrine of implied powers?

mcculloch v Maryland 1819

How does the impeachment process work?

the house has the power to impeach, or bring charges against the individual, then trial in senate, 2/3 vote needed, penalty for conviction is removal from office.

name three expressed powers of congress

declare war, make laws, tax

name two non legislative powers that belong solely to the senate

there is a trial in senate and a 2/3 vote of senators present needed for impeachment

what advantage does the majority party possess in the house and the senate in regards to commitees

the majority party has more power

what is the purpose of a filibuster?

“talk a bill to death” senators may speak as long a they would like

name the first step of a bill becoming a law?

bill is introduced

what is the second step of a bill becoming a law?

bill is sent to commitee

what is the third step of a bill becoming a law?

commitee reports back to house

what is the fourth step in a bill becoming law?

debate/changes to a bill

what are steps 5-8 in a bill becoming a law?

repeat steps 1-4

what is the 9th step in a bill becoming a law?

conference commitee

11th step in a bill becoming a law?

presidential action

10th step in a bill becoming a law?

final vote

what law provides for presidential succession upon death or resignation?

the 25th amendment

Who is third in line when president dies/gets kicked out of office?

Speaker of the house

What explains the presidential disability procedure?

Vice president will become president if president is removed from office

What is the purpose of national convention?

To formally nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates by party, unfiy members of the party behind one candidate, set the partys platform for upcoming election

what is the electoral college?

voters dont directly vote for president but vote for electors in electoral college.

what is a flaw in the electoral college?

if no candidate gains a majority in the electoral college, election is thrown into the house

what is the most widely supported plan of reform of the electoral college system

electoral college be done away with alltogether in favor of direct popular election where voters vote directly for president/vice president

what are the qualifications for the president ?

natural born citizen, be at least 35 yo, lived in US at least 14 years

what actions can a president take upon recieving a bill from congress?

sign the bill into law, veto, or ignore bill and let it die

what is the process that cabinet members are appointed by?

appointed by president and confirmed by senate. nominated by president and approved by senate.

what is meant by the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces?

making undeclared war, wartime powers, presidents powers are for greater during a war than they are in normal times.

what are the presidents judicial powers?

reprieve- post ponement of the execution of a sentence

pardon- legal forgiveness for a crime

what are executive agreements?

a pact between the president and the head of a foreign state, or a subordinate

what is the purpose of the united nations?

to promote peace and security across the globe

what type of countries does the united states usually give foreign aid to?

nations regarded as the most critical to the realization of this countrys foreign policy objectives

who decides the presidential election if nobody recieves a majority of the electoral vote?

house of reps

how could someone not recieve a majority of the electoral vote?

if a third party candidate wins the vote

how does concurrent jurisdiction works

federal and state courts can try you at the same time

how do federal judges gain their position

they have to be appointed by congress

what are the terms and qualifications for a U.S supreme court justice?

9 members, 1 chief justice, life term, no qualifications

what are the purposes of U.S court districts?

primary trial court at the federal level; hears civil and criminal cases

what types of courses does the U.S court of appeals hear?

only has appelate jurisdiction; hears mostly contradicting opinions of the district courts

what is judicial review?

refers to the power of the court to determine the constitutionality of a government action

what is the first step in a supreme court case?

writ of certiorari- 4/9 justices agree to hear case

what is the secnond step in a supreme court case

written briefs- legal documents prepared by lawyers on each side

what is the third step in a supreme court case?

oral arguments- lawyers answer justices questions during court hearing

what is the fourth step in a supreme court case?

court in conference- justices hold closed door conference to decide case

what is the 5th and final step in a supreme court case?

opinions writing- majority(sets precedent), concurring (agrees for different reasoning), dissenting(voice of minority justices)