Intro to U.S. Government Midterm

Why can social media platforms legally censor your speech?

They are private businesses

Can the government legally censor your speech? If so, when and how?

Yes. The government prohibits threats of violence against a person or group. Defamation, definedby the rules established by NYT v. Sullivan, may be prohibited by the government.

Other specific instances of obscenity, fraud, and perjury may also be prohibited.

List 3 examples of civil liberties

1. First amendment -- freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc.

2. Fourth amendment -- protection against unreasonable search and seizure

3. Sixth amendment -- right to counsel

List 3 examples of civil rights.

1. Workplace discrimination protections

2. Equal voting rights

3. Housing discrimination protections

What is the ACLU?

American Civil Liberties Union. Other than the Department of Justice, they have appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court more than anybody else.

They are a nonpartisan organization that fights for civil liberties through the court system.

List the presidents who have been impeached.

1. Andrew Johnson

2. Bill Clinton

3. Donald Trump

Who impeaches a president? 

The U.S. House

Which chamber (House or Senate) votes to remove a president if they are impeached?

The U.S. Senate

Why wasn’t President Nixon impeached?

He resigned before the House was able to take an impeachment vote.

Who has been impeached twice

Donald Trump

Who was most recently impeached

Donald Trump

Where was President Bush when he learned about the 9/11 terror attacks? 

Reading to a room of kindergarteners

Give a brief explanation of the PATRIOT Act. 

The PATRIOT act was an effort from the

U.S. government to prevent future attacks like 9/11. The legislation was rushed and

extremely controversial due to the way it dilutes constitutional protections in the name of

homeland security, particularly regarding the fourth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

How many electoral college votes does Kansas have

6

How are electoral college votes decided

U.S. House of Representatives + U.S.

Senate. So, in Kansas, it’s our 4 House members + 2 Senators = 6 electoral college

votes.

What is the electoral college

The mechanism through which presidential votes are cast

and counted. A candidate must win 270 votes to win the presidency. There are 538 total

electoral college votes.

Define gridlock

When two sides cannot come to an agreement that is considered gridlock

What are the three branches of government

1. Executive (president or governor, and their respective agencies like Department of Education or Department of Homeland Security)

2. Judicial (court system, U.S. Supreme Court)

3. Legislative (U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Kansas House of

Representatives, Kansas Senate)

Explain what each branch is responsible for.

1. The executive branch enforces the laws and oversees agencies and the military.

2. The legislative branch makes the laws that the executive branch is to enforce.

3. The judicial branch interprets the laws to ensure they are constitutional.

List three amendments to the U.S. Constitution:

1. First amendment -- Freedom of speech, assembly, etc.

2. Fourth amendment -- Freedom from search and seizure without a warrant

3. Fifth amendment -- Right to remain silent

Who is the current Speaker of the House in the U.S. Congress? 

Mike Johnson

Define “Minority Party” and “Majority Party.”

The minority party holds fewer seats in the legislative branch than the majority party.

How many members are in the U.S. House of Representatives? 

435

How many members are in the U.S. Senate?

100

How is the number of senators in each state decided?

U.S. Constitution -- two per state

Who are the 4 representatives from Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives?

1. Tracey Mann, CD-1

2. Derek Schmidt, CD-2

3. Sharice Davids, CD-3

4. Ron Estes, CD-4

Who are the 2 U.S. Senators that represent Kansas?

1. Jerry Moran

2. Roger Marshall

List 2 examples of a president exercising executive power.

1. Acting in the role of commander-in-chief

2. Vetoing a bill

3. Meeting with a foreign leader

Who is the current Vice President

JD Vance

How old must a person be to run for President

35

Explain Brown v. Board of Education and its relevance to Topeka

This was a court case based on racial segregation in schools -- “separate but equal.” The case determined separate was not equal and resulted in racial integration across schools. The schools in question were located in Topeka and you can still visit them today.

Name the nine members of the Supreme Court of the United States.

1. Chief Justice John Roberts

2. Samuel Alito

3. Amy Coney Barrett

4. Clarence Thomas

5. Ketanji Brown-Jackson

6. Sonia Sotomayor

7. Elena Kagan

8. Neil Gorsuch

9. Brett Kavanaugh

How does a person end up on the Supreme Court? Explain the process.

The president nominates a candidate and the U.S. Senate confirms them.

Explain Citizens United v. FEC. 

This case says the government may not restrict

political spending by corporations, nonprofits, and unions. The majority wrote that

political spending is protected speech. This was an explosive campaign finance ruling

that has drastically changed the modern campaign landscape with the introduction of

super PACs and more.

Explain NYT v. Sullivan.

This court case is about defamation and considered a

foundational free speech case. The court decided that public officials may not sue for

defamation over false statements made about their official conduct, without proving

“actual malice.” Actual malice means a public official must prove the defendant made a

false statement knowing it was false or “made with reckless disregard” for whether it

was true or false.

Explain Trump v. United States.

This case created presidential immunity from criminal

prosecution for acts taken in their official capacity. This means that any president,

previous or present, cannot be prosecuted in a court of law for things they do in their

“official capacity” as president. “Official capacity” was not fully defined in the ruling.

Why is it important to get your news from a variety of sources and platforms? 

A diverse

news and media portfolio ensures you get the best, most robust and rounded

information about a news story. This helps to account for any bias in the coverage

Which chamber in the legislative branch “holds the purse strings?” 

House

What is redistricting

Redistricting is the act of redrawing the congressional district

maps. They are traditionally redrawn every ten years after the U.S. Census., to adjust

the boundaries for population changes.

Explain why redistricting is particularly relevant right now

Recently, this norm has been

bucked and numerous mid-decade redistricting efforts have been proposed and

executed across the country.

What is the significance of the ⅔ threshold in government?

Hint: It extends across

branches of government. The ⅔ majority is a key threshold for a few reasons. It takes ⅔

of a vote to override a veto in the state legislature, and to add a constitutional

amendment to the ballot. This is also called a supermajority.

Define “judicial review.” 

This is the power of courts to overturn legislation that is deemed

unconstitutional.

List the 7 roles of the president

1. Chief of State

2. Chief Guardian of the Economy

3. Chief Diplomat

4. Chief Executive

5. Chief of Party

6. Chief Policymaker

7. Commander in Chief

How long is a supreme court term

Life

What is the Iowa Caucus? 

The Iowa Caucus has been an historically significant point in

the presidential process for three main reasons. It was the first in the season to vote in

the primary and often served as a reliable predictor of who would win the general

election. Due to its small size, candidates are able to spend a lot of time “on the ground”

and meeting voters face-to-face. Additionally, the small size means the media market is

more affordable and as such, a more competitive space for campaigning.

Why is it relevant? 

 It’s a consequential campaign space.

What is the purpose of conventions in the presidential nomination process? 

Historically,

conventions served an important role in the primary nomination process. Now, they are

more ceremonial than anything.