"The BEAST" of AP GOV

What does the separation of powers ensure?

Each branch has its own job, and checks and balances force the branches to compete, bargain, and sometimes block each other.

What is Federalist No. 70 about?

It argues for a single, 'energetic' executive, stating that unity produces decisiveness, speed, and accountability.

What does Federalist No. 78 defend?

It defends judicial review and life tenure as protections for judicial independence.

What landmark case established judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison (1803).

What did Baker v. Carr (1962) establish?

Federal courts can hear challenges to legislative district maps, making redistricting justiciable.

What principle did Shaw v. Reno (1993) address?

Districts drawn primarily on the basis of race are subject to strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause.

What is the structure of Congress as established by Article I of the Constitution?

A bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

What compromise created the current structure of Congress?

The Great (Connecticut) Compromise.

What is the term length for members of the House of Representatives?

2 years.

What is the term length for Senators?

6 years, with staggered elections.

What is the minimum age requirement to be a member of the House of Representatives?

25 years old.

What is the minimum age requirement to be a Senator?

30 years old.

What unique power does the House of Representatives have regarding revenue?

Revenue (tax) bills must originate in the House.

What is the role of the Speaker of the House?

Presides over the House, refers bills to committees, and controls the floor agenda.

What is the role of the Majority Leader in the House?

Schedules floor action and builds support for party priorities.

What is the role of the Majority Leader in the Senate?

Sets the Senate agenda and schedules legislation.

What is gerrymandering?

Drawing district lines to benefit a party or group, often through techniques like packing and cracking.

What does the term 'majority-minority districts' refer to?

Districts in which a racial or ethnic minority group makes up a majority of voters.

What is the primary function of the House Rules Committee?

Sets time limits and amendment rules for bills in the House.

What is the significance of the 17th Amendment?

It requires the direct election of Senators by the people.

What is the role of Whips in Congress?

Count votes, keep party members informed, and pressure members to vote with the party.

What is the role of the Vice President in the Senate?

Presides formally but votes only to break a tie.

How often is the U.S. Census conducted?

Every 10 years.

What is apportionment in the context of Congress?

The process of dividing the 435 House seats among the states based on census data.

What is redistricting?

The process of redrawing the boundaries of congressional districts after apportionment.

Who presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President?

The President pro tempore, usually the longest-serving senator of the majority party.

What is the primary function of committees in Congress?

Committees hold hearings, revise bills, and decide which bills move forward.

What type of committee is permanent and subject-specific?

Standing committees.

What is a discharge petition?

A House procedure that forces a bill out of committee and onto the floor if a majority of members sign it.

What is a filibuster?

A tactic used in the Senate to block or postpone a vote by allowing unlimited debate.

What is cloture?

The Senate's formal way to end a filibuster, requiring three-fifths of the Senate (60 votes).

What is the difference between authorization and appropriation?

Authorization establishes or continues a program and sets a spending ceiling; appropriation allocates actual funds.

What is mandatory spending?

Spending required by existing law that is 'locked in' to the budget.

What defines discretionary spending?

Spending that Congress decides on each year through appropriations, including defense and education.

What is the federal fiscal year?

It runs from October 1 to September 30.

What is the incumbency advantage?

The tendency for members already in office to win reelection at high rates due to name recognition, fundraising, and other factors.

What does divided government refer to?

A situation where one party controls the presidency and another party controls one or both houses of Congress.

What is the purpose of a joint committee?

To include members from both houses of Congress for specific purposes, such as investigations.

What is the Committee of the Whole?

A procedure in the House where all members meet under relaxed rules to consider complex bills.

What is the national debt?

The total amount of money the federal government owes, accumulated from years of budget deficits.

What is the role of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)?

To provide Congress with nonpartisan estimates of the costs of bills and analyze the President's budget.

What is a unanimous consent agreement in the Senate?

An agreement among all senators that sets the terms for considering a bill, including debate time and amendments.

What is the significance of the House's strict debate limits?

They allow a determined majority to pass a bill more easily than in the Senate, where debate is unlimited.

What is the primary reason for the slower legislative process in the Senate?

The Senate allows unlimited debate, enabling a minority to block most bills.

What is a budget deficit?

The shortfall that occurs when the government spends more money than it takes in during a single year.

What are entitlement programs?

Programs that provide benefits to anyone who qualifies under the law, such as Social Security and Medicare.

What is pork barrel spending?

Funding for specific projects in a member's district or state, used to demonstrate delivery to constituents.

What is the lame-duck period?

The time near the end of a term when an official has less influence because a successor will soon take office.

How does partisanship affect congressional behavior?

Members increasingly vote along party lines, making compromise more difficult.

What was the constitutional questions in Baker v. Carr (1962)?

Can federal courts hear cases challenging how a state draws its legislative districts? and Does a state’s failure to redraw legislative districts violate the Equal Protections Clause?

What was the holding of Baker v. Carr (1962)?

Redistricting challenges are justiciable; federal courts may hear them under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

What principle did Baker v. Carr establish?

The principle of 'one person, one vote' which requires districts to have roughly equal populations.

What was the constitutional question in Shaw v. Reno (1993)?

Does a district drawn primarily on the basis of race violate the Equal Protection Clause?

What was the holding of Shaw v. Reno (1993)?

Race-based districting is subject to strict scrutiny; race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing district lines without a compelling justification.

When does congressional oversight tend to increase?

Under divided government.

What are the qualifications for the President according to Article II?

At least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.

What is the term length for a President?

4 years, with a limit of two elected terms due to the 22nd Amendment.

What does the 25th Amendment provide?

It provides for the Vice President to become President if the President dies, resigns, or is removed, and sets procedures for transferring power.

What is the line of succession after the President?

Vice President → Speaker of the House → President pro tempore of the Senate → Cabinet secretaries.

What are formal (constitutional) powers of the President?

Commander in Chief, veto bills, negotiate treaties, appoint officials, grant pardons, and convene Congress.

What are informal powers of the President?

Executive orders, executive agreements, signing statements, executive privilege, and agenda setting.

What is a regular veto?

Returning a bill to Congress with objections; Congress can override with a two-thirds vote.

What is a pocket veto?

Doing nothing while Congress has adjourned at the end of a session, causing the bill to die.

What is the significance of signing statements?

They let a President communicate an interpretation of a law or signal political intent.

What is executive privilege?

The claimed right to keep certain communications confidential.

How can the President deploy troops?

As Commander in Chief, the President can send troops into action without a declaration of war, subject to the War Powers Resolution.

What appointments require Senate confirmation?

Cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, federal judges, and senior agency officials.

Why are Supreme Court nominations often contested?

Because justices serve for life and can shape policy for decades.

What is the Executive Office of the President (EOP)?

A collection of offices within the White House created to give the President information, advice, and policy support.

What is the role of the White House Office?

It consists of the President's closest personal and political advisers, including the chief of staff and press secretary.

What does the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) do?

It prepares the President's annual budget proposal, sets budget priorities, and reviews agency regulations.

What is the function of the National Security Council (NSC)?

It advises the President on foreign and military policy and includes the Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, and the national security adviser.

What is the purpose of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)?

It advises the President on economic policy.

What is the role of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative?

It negotiates trade agreements.

Why might a President sign a large bill that contains provisions he or she opposes?

To ensure the passage of other provisions that are more important to the President's agenda.

What is one advantage of an executive agreement compared to a treaty?

An executive agreement does not require Senate ratification.

What is one disadvantage of an executive agreement compared to a treaty?

An executive agreement can be easily revoked by subsequent presidents.

What is required for Congress to override a presidential veto?

A two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.

What is the power of the purse?

Congress's ability to refuse funding for the President's priorities or attach limits to appropriations.

What is the Senate's role in confirming appointments?

The Senate requires a majority vote to confirm appointments.

What is the impeachment process?

The House impeaches by majority vote, and the Senate holds the trial requiring a two-thirds vote to convict and remove.

What is judicial review?

The power of courts to strike down executive orders and actions that violate the Constitution.

What does the 22nd Amendment state?

It limits a President to two elected terms.

What is the War Powers Resolution of 1973?

It requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops and limits troop deployment to 60 days without congressional authorization.

What was the significance of United States v. Nixon (1974)?

The Supreme Court ruled that executive privilege is not absolute and that Nixon had to turn over the Watergate tapes.

How have Presidents interpreted their powers over time?

They have interpreted Article II broadly, especially regarding the Commander in Chief and 'take care' clauses.

What are unilateral actions by the President?

Actions such as executive orders and agreements that allow the President to act without waiting for Congress.

What is the concept of the 'Imperial Presidency'?

It refers to the idea that the presidency has grown beyond its constitutional limits, threatening the separation of powers.

What is the 'bully pulpit'?

The presidency as a platform to speak directly to the public and rally support for policies.

What is the significance of the State of the Union address?

It is a constitutional duty that has become a major televised event for setting the President's agenda.

What is the honeymoon period in presidential approval?

The initial phase of a President's term when they typically enjoy high approval ratings and goodwill.

What effect does high presidential approval have on Congress?

Higher approval gives the President more political capital to persuade Congress; low approval makes it easier for members of Congress to oppose the President.

What is the rally-around-the-flag effect?

When presidential approval spikes during a national crisis or attack.

What does Article III of the Constitution establish?

Article III creates 'one supreme Court, and such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.'

What is the original jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court?

The U.S. Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving ambassadors and cases in which a state is a party.

How many justices are on the U.S. Supreme Court?

There are 9 justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.

What is the role of U.S. Courts of Appeals?

To review decisions of lower courts for errors of law.

What is the primary function of U.S. District Courts?

U.S. District Courts have original jurisdiction and serve as the trial courts of the federal system.

What is life tenure for federal judges?

Life tenure means federal judges serve during 'good behavior' and can only be removed through impeachment.

What did Hamilton argue about the judiciary in Federalist No. 78?

Hamilton called the judiciary the 'least dangerous' branch because it has 'neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment.'