gov

impeachment

A formal accusation of wrongdoing brought by a majority vote in the House of Representatives. It does not automatically remove a present from office.

what role does the House of Representatives play in the impeachment process?

The House of Representatives act as a prosecuting attorney after introducing articles of impeachment and voting with a simple majority to impeach the president

what role does the Senate play in an impeachment trial?

The Senate acts as a jury and requires a 2/3 vote to convict and remove the president

Who provides over a presidential impeachment trial?

The chief justice of the Supreme Court provides over a presidential trial

impeached presidents:

Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump twice (none were convicted or removed by the Senate)

executive agreement

an international agreement made between the president and a foreign leader that does not require Senate ratification

what is an executive order?

A presidential directive of how a policy will be enforced that has the force of law does not require congressional approval and can be just done by the president

executive privilege

The ability of the president to keep communication and information of the White House to themselvef (ex: watergate)

United States V Nixon

supreme Court ruling establishing that executive privilege is not absolute and cannot be used to withhold evidence relevant to a criminal investigation

Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon

President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon before Nixon was ever convicted of a federal crime following the Watergate scandal

chief executive

enforces, federal law, treaties and court decisions, appoints cabinet, members, commissions, judges, etc. issues executive order, issues presidential pardon for federal crimes

Commander in chief

The President’s constitutional role as head of the US armed forces, including consulting with the joint chief or staff on major military decisions

chief legislator

The President’s constitutional role in shaping lawmaking by recommending legislation, appealing to the public and using or threatening the veto

chief diplomat

The president’s constitutional role as the main architect of American foreign policy, including negotiating treaties, making executive agreement and recognizing foreign governments

Head of state

The president’s constitutional role as the ceremonial figure head of the nation, such as greeting distinguished foreign visitors

Head of political party

an extra constitutional role in which the president leads their political party chooses the national party chair and guides the national committee

extra constitutional presidential rules

Head of political party and chief economist roles, not explicitly written in the constitution, (unlike other roles like commander in chief)

presidential qualifications

must be a natural born US citizen at least 35 years old and a US resident for at least 14 years (same apply for the vice president)

Vice president’s constitutional duties

preside over the Senate (voting only to break a tie) and succeed to the presidency if the office becomes vacant

22nd amendment

limit a president to two elected terms (with a maximum possible service of 10 years if they took over a predecessors term for two years or less)

25th amendment

allows the vice president to become the acting president if the president declares their temporarily unable to perform their duties (also sets the process for filling a VP vacancy)

electoral college and total majority

538 total electoral votes 400 (435 house + 100 Senate +3 for DC) 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency (270 to win!)

minimum state electoral votes

three electoral votes (every state plus Washington DC have at least one house rep and two senators)

winner take all system

The electoral colleges feature in which the candidate who wins states popular vote, receives all of that state electoral votes, making it difficult for third-party candidates to win the presidency

contingency presidential election

if no candidate receives a majority in the electoral college (270 votes), the House of Representatives selects the president and the Senate selects the vice president president

war powers, resolution of 1973

limits the president’s ability to commit US troops overseas to eminently hostile areas without congressional authorization to a maximum of 60 days plus the 30 additional days to withdraw troops

top five presidential line of succession

1. vice president

2. speaker of the house

3. president pro tempore of senate

4. secretary of state

5. dceretary of treasury

House of Representatives qualifications

must be at least 25 years old a US citizen for at least seven years and a resident of the state they represent

senate qualifications

must be at least 30 years old, a US citizen for at least nine years and a resident of the state they represent

three reasons for a bicameral legislature

1. historical precedent (british parliament)

2. practical reasons (great compromise)

3. philisophical (checks and balances)

speaker of the house

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, who assigned bills to committees after the first reading

senate Majority Leader

The Chiefs spokesperson and legislative strategist for the US Senate (true leader of the Senate, not the VP)

census and reapportionment

taken every 10 years, the Census Bureau uses the results to determine how many house seats each state receives

gerrymandering

The process of drawing congressional district lines by state legislators to favor one political party over the other

constituents

The people a congressman represents

The fate of most bills

The majority of bills introduced in Congress are killed in committee

vote needed to pass a bill in Congress

A simple majority vote in both houses of Congress is required to pass a bill (must be the same exact bill in both houses)

Veto override

Congress can override a presidential veto with a 2/3 vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate

pocket veto

an indirect veto that occurs when Congress adjoins within 10 days of sending a bill to the president and the president does not sign it. Congress cannot override a pocket veto

conference committee

A temporary joint committee formed to iron out differences when a bill passes in the house in Senate in different versions (because it must pass the rxact same in both houses)

fillibuster

A Senate tactic used by majority senators to delay or block of vote on a bill through extended debate, (constitutional under senate rules)

cloture rule

The Senate procedure required to end a filibuster requiring a 3/5 vote (60 senators) cloture brings closure

discharge petition

A tool used in the House of Representatives requiring a majority of members signatures to force a bill out of committee onto the floor for vote

junket

A trip taken by members of Congress at congressional expense to conduct official investigations or research. supposed to be about investigation, but often turns out to be more of a vacation

logrolling

Trading votes in Congress “if you vote for my bill, I’ll vote for your bill”

pork barrel legislation

Federal funding that members of Congress secure for their district

legislative veto

when Congress passes a resolution notifying an executive action. the Supreme Court has held that this is unconstitutional because Congress must present the bill to the present to sign or veto