Ap Gov't Midterm Review

Who is in charge of the budget

Congress and the president work together to create the budget. The president would create a budget plan and Congress would pass it.

Mandatory Spending

Government spending thats not through appropriations. They include entitlements such as Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and the interest on the federal debt.

Discretionary Spending

Spending that’s not mandatory and is through appropriations legislation. The military is one of them.

How can a president disagree with a Sup Court’s decision?

In Cherokee v. Georgia Andrew Jackson disregarded the ruling and didn’t enforce it. A president can also enact a law that revises the statue the Sup Court established.

How can Congress gain oversight and research?

They can gain it through committees.

Oversight Committee

Literally oversees the activities the exec branch agencies are doing and ensure they are adhereing to the law.

Select committee

temporary and to investigate specific issues

standing committee

Permanent committee to which specific bills in that certain area are referred to.

Conference committee

temporarily set up for both houses to negotiate on a compromised bill/negotiate their differences

After a census what usually happens

There is reapportionment to properly represent the population changes after they redistrict to reflect those changes.

Gerrymandering defintion and is it legal or not?

Manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency so it gives the other party an advantage. it is legal but doing it by race is unconstitutional (Shaw v. Reno)

Which group believed in a strong central government

Hamilton was the leader of the Federalists. Jefferson was the leader of the Anti-Federalists. He believed the Bill of Rights was necessary.

Why did Hamilton not want the Bill of Rights

If you write more down you give the government more power to control. He also thought it wasn’t necessary b/c the Articles in the Constitution would protect everyone —> found in the Federalist Papers

What part of Congress uses the Filibuster

Senate uses it and to end it there must be 60 votes to use the cloture.

Who controls the government?

The government is run by elected officials organized into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The president leads the executive branch, Congress (Senate and House) makes laws, and the judiciary interprets these laws. Citizens influence control by voting.

What can the census do besides recounting the population?

They can count the demographics in the country.

article 5

The process to amend the Constitution involves proposing an amendment by a two-thirds majority in Congress or by a constitutional convention, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Dec of Independence summary

A break up letter from the U.S. to GB to explain our moral justification on why we wanted to seperate

Passage from Fed 50

“If Men were angels no government would be necessary” explains that we need a strong central gov’t to be successful

What can Congress do to get a bill out of the Committee?

Congress can use the discharge petition to get it on the floor.

What can the President do to pass a law when Congress is at gridlock?

In cases of emergencies he can pass an executive order.

How are our laws in the U.S. like?

They’re diverse and unique because of the necessity and immunities clause which each state has their own set of laws.

McCulloch v. maryland

established the principle of the supremacy clause and affirmed the Necessary and Proper clause of Congress.

Marbury v. Madison

Established the principle of judicial review. Gave courts the power to declare laws unconstitutional if they violate the Constitution.

Gibbons v. Ogden

Strengthened the interstate commerce clause. Gave Congress the power to pass legislation involving commerce.

U.S. v. Lopez

This case limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause, ruling that the federal government could not regulate gun possession in a school zone as it did not substantially affect interstate commerce.

Miranda v. Arizona

the police must read your rights to you before conviction based on the 5th Amendment to protect against self-incrimmination.

Engel v. vitale

Prohibited in state prayers in public schools as it violated the 1st Amendment.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Amish children did not have to be sent to public schools past the 8th grade b/c it violated the 1st Amendment’s practice of religion.

Tinker v. Desmois

Protected the right to protest as long as the protesting wasn’t disturbing the school’s daily activities.

NYT co. v. United states

Affirmed executive privilege and protected the first Amendment right freedom to the press.

Schneck v. U.S. (1919)

Free speech doesn’t automaticaly grant you the right to create a “clear and present danger”

Gideon v. WainWright

All defendants are entitled to an attorney no matter their financial circumstances in a trial. The 6th Amendment’s right to counsel applies to criminal defendants alongside the 14th Amendment’s due process clause.

Brown v. Board of Education

Overruled Plessy v. Ferguson and ended segregation in public schools.

Baker v. carr

Enforced the “one person-one vote” doctrine and ensured that the urban constituencies were properly represented.

Supremacy clause

Federal laws > state laws

10th Amendment/Reserved powers

Any power that’s not delegated to the fed gov’t is given to the states

commerce clause

Gave power to the Congress to pass legislation on commerce

Necessary and Proper clause

As long as it benefits the U.S. the federal gov’t can use it.

Enumerated powers

grants powers to the federal gov’t

Majority leader

Runs the Senate

Speaker of the House

Runs the House

Divided gov’t

When the Senate is one party and the House is the other party

25th Amendment

When the president is incacipated the majority of his Cabinet removes the president

Cooperative federalism

Fed and state gov’t work together

Dual federalism

Fed and state government work in their own spheres

Mandates

Mandatory but not funded

Categorical grants

used for a specific purpose

Block grant

can be used for general use

Conditions of Aid

they can gain this under one condition of enacting the law

Devolution

Gives the states more pwoer through block grants which is favored by Republicnas

Lobbying

Bureacuratic agencies, interest groups influencing Congress to pass legilstation that works in their favor

National labratory

where a state does one thing to try, and the other sates observe to see if ti works (ex: Colarado legalizing marijuana)

Senatorial Courtesy

Where you ask an opinion on someone from your own party

Rider

where you attach a legislation to a bill since it won’t get passed on its own

Trustee

A congressman who acts on his constituents votes and what the people want

Delegate

A congressman who acts based on what they believe their constituents will benefit from.

Politico

A congressman who balances acting on constituents' votes and beliefs with what benefits their constituents.

Federalism

A division of power between the state and the federal government

Iron Triangle

the relationship between the congressional committee, the interest group and the bureacrats who create the rules and their interactions.