Government Test 2

Progressive income tax

Created by FDR, where tax increases when income increases

Conference Committee

A temporary committee that is formed to bargain over the differences in the House and Senate only happens when they need to find a common ground 

Gerrymandering

 Process by which the party in powers draws election district boundaries in a way that enhances the reelection prospects of its candidates

Incumbent

Professional Politician

Jurisdiction

The policy area in which it is authorized to act. Works like a court

Congressional Oversight

Monitoring federal agencies

Redistricting

Redrawing the boundaries for an electoral 

14^th amendment

Grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the U.S. and guarantees equal protection under the law and due process

Standing Committee

Permanent committee that handles various areas of public policy

1. Handles areas of public policy

2. Have a lot of sup committees

Legislative authority 

Joint Committee

report back to the standing committees, don't mark up the bill, give research back 

Open-Seat election

No current officeholder is running so the position is open to new candidates

Executive Agreements

Formal agreements that presidents make on their own with foreign nations (agreement between US and another country)

Executive Order

A directive issued by the president that manages how the federal government operates and has the force of law without needing congress’s approval.

Whig Theory

Limited Theory- the presidency is a limited office; the president ought to execute the laws Congress makes. (The president can only)

Stewardship Theory

 The president is limited, not by what the constitution allows, by y what it prohibits (Teddy Roosevelt)    

Original Jurisdiction

District courts (94)

Courts that can hear a case for the first time 

Handle criminal and civil case

Legal Precedent

The principle that a court’s decision on a case should be consistent with previous rulings on similar cases

Appellate Jurisdiction

Court of Appeals (13)

1. They only appeal the decision 

2. Review the decisions of the lower courts records

Judicial Review

 The authority to declare executive or legislative action as unconstitutional

Multilateralism

(1990-2001)- US seeks work with other countries to reach common goals

Isolationism

Before World War 2 we were an isolationist

Internationalism

A foreign policy approach where countries cooperate and work together with other nations to solve global problems

Judicial Activism

The idea that judges should actively interpret the constitution, statutes, and precedents in light of fundamental principles and should intervene when elected representatives fail to protect these principles

Judicial Restraint

The idea that policy decisions, in nearly every instance, should be made by elected lawmakers rather than judges.

Senate Majority/Minority Leader

Most powerful person in the Senate 

Speaker of the House

Most powerful individual within the house

Rider Amendment

Any senator can add to a bill  

22^nd amendment 

Limits a president to two elected terms in office, added by FDR

The 1996 Welfare Reform Act

Passed by Bill Clinton, it eliminated AFDC and replaced it with TANF, reducing how many people who could be on Welfare.

FDR’s New Deal

And the Great Society expanded the presidency 

Impeachment

US senate has impeachment power

Party Caucus

They get to pick their candidate for the party

District Courts

Original jurisdiction (94) 

Pork Barrel

Government spending on local projects in a politician’s district

Unit Rule

Every state has a certain amount of electoral vote, depending on the color of the state every vote goes to the respected party. Nebraska and Maine don’t have this

Unified Government 

The situation where one party controls the presidency and both houses of

Congress 

Divided Government

The situation in which one party controls the presidency and another controls congress

Missouri Plan

The merit system, discussed those that are hired in federal bureaucracy need to have the skills to do that job  

Administrative Law

The body of law that governs the actions of government agencies, including the rules they make and how they enforce them

Ripeness

a case that is ready for litigation and does not depend on hypothetical future events

Merit System

Based on skill. Promotes, rewards and retains on the basis of individual ability and fitness for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, or age.

Spoils/Patronage System

politicians reward a friend or relative by giving them a position

10^th amendment

States any powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution, or denied to the states, are reserved for the states or the people

Council-Manager

Most popular in Texas, rose during the progressive era, made because of concern about corruption. Amarillo first city to adopt, and Houston is the only city to not use it 

Mayor-Council

More traditional, there is a weak and a strong. Houston is the largest city using a mayor-council government

County Government

The oldest type of government in the United States. Came from the British, Weak plural executive system

Special Districts

We have seen the biggest increase in Texas in this area,

• 1 function or multiple purposes functions

• Some have single function like prone to wild fires so they have a lot of fire stations and that's all they do

America's world position from the pre to post–World War II eras went from

isolationism to internationalist

What are the two theories describing the power and authority of the President? How do they differ? (Whig Theory and the Stewardship Theory)

Whig- the presidency is a limited office; the president ought to execute the laws congress makes. (the president can only)

Stewardship-the president is limited, not by what the constitution allows, by y what it prohibits (Teddy Roosevelt)

What are the different levels of the federal court system?

District Courts- Lower

Courts of Appeals- Middle

Supreme Court- Top

What is the purpose of a filibuster? Where is it prohibited?

Occurs in the senate they can block or delay a bill by “talking it to death”. Prohibited in the House of Representatives 

How does the Supreme Court select cases?

Ripe, standing, rule of 4, cannot have mootness.

Why is the Speaker of the House seen as the most powerful position in Congress? How are they selected? 

Most powerful because they get to decide what bills are going to be heard, how long, what bills are prioritized and the bills they don’t want heard. They decide who is elected in the house.

How old do you have to be to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the Senate? 

25 years old and 30 years old.

Who do members of Congress represent? How is this determined? 

They represent the people of the United States and they balance the interests of their local constituents with national needs.

How long do members of Congress serve? Which amendment discusses Congress?

Two-years terms and they discuss the 27th amendment.

What power and authority of the Supreme Court has been the reason for debate? What are the arguments for and against this power?

The primary power debate is judicial review. For it balances it out against its too powerful

What is the presidential impeachment process?

First step is the house of rep then the US senate has impeachment power and can remove the president.

What happened in the Tafty-Hartley Act and the Condon-Waldin Act?

Taft is Federal employees -You agree to work no matter what (1947) Ex: TSA agents. Condon Act made it illegal for state employees to go on strike (1947) Ex: Teachers

What is the significance of legal precedent?

Principle that a court’s decision on a case should be consistent with previous rulings on a similar cases

Which presidents have been impeached?

Jackson, Clinton, and Trump

What are the three main sources of the law that the judiciary works within the constraints of?

Constitutions, Statuses, and Case law

Which amendment discusses police powers?

10th amendment

When it comes down to Foreign Aid, the United States spends the _____ in dollar terms, but several countries spend more on a _____

Most, Per Capita basis

What is redistricting, and when does it happen? 

It is when they redraw the electoral district boundaries to help an election

The three current economic centers of the world are ______________ and _______

United States, Western Europe, and Pacific Rim

Which of the following is a race without an incumbent running that typically brings strong well-funded candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties?

Open-seat election

When does Congressional Oversight happen?

A supervisory activity of congress that centers on its constitutional responsibility to see that the executive carries out the laws faithfully

What three primary tasks are performed by Federal Bureaucracies?

1. Implementation- Putting the policies into practice

2. Administration- Collecting fees, issuing permits, giving tests

3. Regulation- policy that they put in place 

What is it called when a court has the authority to hear cases of a particular type?

Subject-matter jurisdiction

What is Original Jurisdiction?

1. 94 of them 

2. Courts that can hear a case first

3. Only 1 judge 

4. Handle criminal and civil cases

Which court is the chief trial court of the U.S. Federal system?

District courts

Voters elect the head of major departments in county government which are? (list them)

Sheriff, County Clerk, County Treasurer, Tax Assessor, District Attorney

What term describes whether the legal claim in a case is real and significant rather than speculative or based on future conditions that might not materialize?

Ripeness- a case that is ready for litigation and does not depend on hypothetical future events

What is a treaty and an executive agreement?

Formal agreements that presidents make on their own with foreign nations (agreement between US and another country)

What policy areas did the federal government power to expand to after WWII?

Tax/federal, income, education 

Education is largely the responsibility of who? Did the federal government play a huge or no role in education back in U.S. History?

State and local governments. Not the federal government as much now but a little back in the 1960’s.

Texas has all of the following types of local government__________

counties, municipalities, school and special

What is the oldest type of local government, adapted from a British unit of government?

County Government

The County Government was designed to meet the needs of who? 

Subdivision of state government to perform state functions at the local level