AP US Government and Politics Unit 2

checks and balances

each branch is subject to restraints by the other two branches

judicial review

Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive, states, or legislature; established in Marbury v. Madison

List the qualifications to run for the House of Representatives

must be at least 25 years old-You must also have been a United States citizen for the past seven years that you have lived in the United States-you must live in the state that you are running to represent.

What factor determines how many members a state receives in the House of Representatives?

population

List the qualifications to run for the US Senate.

Be at least 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for nine years, and a resident of state when elected
Be at least 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for nine years, and a resident of state when elected

What is a filibuster? Why do filibusters only happen in the Senate, but not the House? How can a filibuster be broken?

Filibusters do not occur in the House because House rules provide for limited amounts of time for each Representative to speak. In the Senate, there are no rules regarding how long a Senator may speak, so a filibuster may be used, unless three-fifths of Senators agree to invoke cloture, that is, end debate on an issue.

Bill

Proposed law

Identify and explain the four options the president can take after Congress has passed a bill.

1. Sign it into law
2. Veto the bill
3. Hold on to the bill without signing or vetoing
4. Send the bill back to the last House that past it with recommendations for changes

List the constitutional qualifications needed to become president.

Article Two Section 1(5) of the Constitution sets the qualifications required to become president. Presidents must be: natural-born citizens of the United States at least thirty-five years old must have been resident in the United States for at least fourteen years

Describe the expressed role of the vice president

The primary responsibility of the Vice President of the United States is to be ready at a moment's notice to assume the Presidency if the President is unable to perform his duties.

Why is the chief of staff an important asset to the president?

The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President. The Chief of Staff is often nicknamed 'The Second Most Powerful Man in Washington' because of the influence and access to the President

Why is the beginning of a president's term considered to be the "honeymoon" phase?

refers to a period of time at the beginning of the president's term in office. This is a time when the president is still quite popular.

What is the role of the president's press secretary

The Press Office is responsible for providing support and information to the national and international media regarding the President's beliefs, activities and actions. It works alongside the Office of Communications in crafting and espousing the administration's message

Pros of Bureaucracy

specialization yields efficiency, rules lead to constant decisions.

Cons of Bureaucracy

workers lose touch with constituents, fixed procedures become ends unto themselves.

How were most jobs in government filled before the 1880s? What tragic event took place that changed the staffing of the federal bureaucracy?

the spoils system. the shooting of James Garfield

departmant of the state

responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries

Department of Defense

charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government concerned directly with national security and the United States armed forces

Department of the Treasury

It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue.

Department of Homeland Security

a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the United States of America and U.S. Territories (including Protectorates)[vague] from and responding to terrorist attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disasters.

Department of Justice

responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice,

Who must confirm any leader of a cabinet department

The Senate

Describe the responsibilities of a cabinet leader

The executive branch of the government is divided into 15 cabinet departments that set policies and oversee programs affecting every American. These agencies' myriad responsibilities require thousands of skilled professionals working in offices nationwide.

List and describe the powers Congress can use to limit bureaucratic agencies.

For many decades, Congress made increasing use of the legislative veto to control bureaucratic or presidential actions by vetoing a particular decision within a thirty- to ninety-day period. However, in June 1983, the Supreme Court declared the legislative veto unconstitutional (the Chadha case). This decision's exact effect on congressional oversight of the bureaucracy is still uncertain. Finally, congressional investigations are the most visible and dramatic form of oversight.

Describe how checks and balances plays a role in naming federal judges. Why do presidents often follow the unwritten rule of senatorial courtesy when nominating state-level judges?

The senate can veto the appointment of a justice by the President.

In what types of cases does the US Supreme Court hold original jurisdiction?

143. In what types of cases does the US Supreme Court hold original jurisdiction?
1. Cases involving ambassadors

2. Disputes between the states

How many cases are appealed to the Supreme Court each year? How many cases does the court usually hear? How many justices is necessary for a case to be granted writ of certiorari?

4500 and less than 200

Why does the Supreme Court often refuse to hear certain cases?

Already been taken care of by a lower court decision...sent back

Describe the meaning of the principle stare decisis.

Let the decision stand...precedent

Majority Opinion

The majority opinion is an explanation of the reasoning behind the majority decision of a supreme court.

Concurring Opinion

an opinion that agrees with the court's disposition of the case but is written to express a particular judge's reasoning

Dissenting Opinion

an opinion that disagrees with the court's disposition of the case

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Judicial Review, Case in which the Supreme Court first asserted the power of judicial review by finding that the congressional statue extending the Court's original jurisdiction was unconstitutional.

Scott v. Stanford (1857) à "Ðred Scott decision"

1. Persons of African descent cannot be, nor were ever intended to be, citizens under the U.S. Const. Plaintiff is without standing to file a suit.
2. The Property Clause is only applicable to lands possessed at the time of ratification (1787). As such, Congress cannot ban slavery in the territories. Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional.
3. Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment prohibits the federal government from freeing slaves brought into federal territories.

judicial activism

A doctrine holding that the Supreme Court should take an active role by using its powers to check the activities of governmental bodies when those bodies exceed their authority.

judicial restraint.

Philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect what the framers intended and what its words literally say.

Why does the Supreme Court try to avoid political questions?

The political question doctrine holds that some questions, in their nature, are fundamentally political, and not legal, and if a question is fundamentally political ... then the court will refuse to hear that case. It will claim that it doesn't have jurisdiction. And it will leave that question to some other aspect of the political process to settle out.

—John E. Finn, professor of government, 2006

List the qualifications to be a justice on the Supreme Court.

none

Job of the Legislative Branch

make laws

Job of the Executive Branch

enforce laws

Job of the Judicial Branch

interpret laws

The title of the leader of the House of Representatives

Speaker of the House

Current Speaker of the House of Representatives

Nancy Pelosi

Current Senate Leader

Mike Pence

Bureaucracy

A system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials

Current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

John Roberts

Cabinet Departments

The fifteen largest and most influential agencies of the federal bureaucracy (e.g., Department of State, Treasury, Justice...) made up of the presidents top advisors

bill

a proposed law

Amendment

A change to the Constitution

PA Senators

Pat Toomey and Bob Casey

P.A. House of Rep

Dwight Evans & Robert Brady