Econ Midterm

Legislative formal qualifications

1. Resident of the state they’re elected to

2. 25+ yrs old & U.S. Citizen for 7+ yrs (House of Reps)

3. 30+ yrs old & U.S. Citizen for 9+ yrs (Senate)

Legislative informal qualifications

1. Well spoken & likeable

2. Able to fund election campaign

Speaker of the House (Congress)

• Most powerful position

• Nominated by maj. party

• Assigns bills to committees

• Appoints members

• Decides bills to be debated by the full house

Congressional committees

• Groups of legislators that divide up work to share time/knowledge

Standing committee

• Permanent

• Handles most types of business

• Gather info through investigations

Sub committees

• Review proposed legislation

Select/special committeees

• To investigate specific problems

Joint committees

• Deals w/ issues in House & Senate

Conference committees

• Temporary joint committees

Caucus

• Informal group of congressional members

• Shared values/interest

• To advocate/share info/introduce legislation

Congressional legislatures

• U.S. Congress makes laws & represents voters on federal level (bicameral)

• National issues

• House: 2 yr terms

• Senate: 6 yr terms

State legislatures

• Make laws & represent voters on the state level (bicameral)

• Less staff/lower pay/less responsibilities

• State issues

Bureacracy

• Large organizations run by officials that follow rules/authority

• To get different responsibilities done (delegated by Congress)

Chief executive

• Presides over federal bureaucracy

• Appoints officials

• Can make executive orders

Chief of state

• Ceremonial leader of the government

• Represents nation @ home/abroad

• Req. good personality/education

Commander in chief

• Responsible for overall national security/military operations

Chief diplomat

• Oversees foreign policy/treaties

Chief policymaker

• Makes policies (depending on their political party)

Chief manager of the economy

• Can work w/ Congress to write a federal budget/set tax policy

• No formal power over economy

• Can appoint ppl to federal reserve board

Chief of party

• Represents their political party

• Helps in congressional elections/campaigns/fundraising

Chief citizen

• To set an example as an ideal citizen w/ the nation’s values/help morale

Presidential checks

• Can check legislative branch w/ vetoes

• Can nominate Supreme Court justices (judicial branch)

Executive privilege

• Implied power to withhold information from the public

Judicial branch

• To resolve conflicts peacefully and follow the law

Criminal law

• Legal measures passed by a legislative body

• To protect the welfare of society

• Deals out punishments to the guilty

• Gov (prosecutor) vs. defendant

Civil law

• Plaintiff (prosecutor) vs. defendant

• Resolves disputes/enforces agreements

• Contract/injury/family law/property

Judge

• Controls the courtroom

• Deals w/ jury/sentencing/legality of the case

Defendant

• One being accused

Prosecution

• The accuser

Plaintiff

• In a civil trial

• Represented by an attorney before a jury

Guilty beyond reasonable doubt

• Must be 100% sure of guilt

• No evidence to contradict it

Preponderance of evidence

• Burden of proof is lower in civil cases

• More likely guilty than not

Court of last resort

• U.S. Supreme Court in the federal system

• State Supreme Court before going to the U.S SC

Trial courts of general jurisdiction

• Handle the most serious criminal cases and major civil disputes

• Can specialize (family/juvenile/etc…)

Trial courts of limited jurisdiction

• Aka magistrate/municipal/city/county/traffic/justice of the peace courts

Dual court system

• Bc Judiciary Act (1789) by Congress

• Work independently of eachother

• Geographic/case type/hierarchy level

Jurisdiction

• Determines which courts can try certain case types

Court level hierarchy

• Trial courts=original (1st) jurisdiction

• Appeal courts=appellate (2nd) jurisdiction

Appeals (appellate) courts

• Where cases are sent to be appealed

• Because of error of law in th ecase

Geographic reach

• Where cases are heard

• City/county/state/region/federal

Type of case

• Different court specialities

• Or level of severity/content

Precedent

• Judicial decision that serves as authority for lower courts

Gerry mandering

• Process of drawing legislative districts to favor a political party

• Weakens politician accountability

REDMAP

• Redistricting majority project

• To control state legislatures

Packing

• Packs many voters into few districts to waste votes

Cracking

• Splitting a party of voters across many districts to waste votes

Oregon

• Highest court=Oregon Supreme Court

• 7 justices

• District #9

U.S Supreme Court (SCOTUS)

• 4 justic maj. required to hear a case

• Parties submit written docs/briefs

• Attorneys get 30 min each (no witnesses/evidence)

Chief Justice

• On SCOTUS

• John G. Roberts Jr.

Disinformation

• False info to mislead voters

• Videos/articles/pictures

Voter ID laws

• Prevent voter fraud (rare)

• Targets/harms minorities/elderly/porr

Voter registration purging

• Filtering out ineligible voters

• Can be used to purge eligible voters

• Targets minorities

Felon voting

• Prevented from voting due to past actions

Electoral college

• 538 electors (a states house+ 2 senate members=#)

• 270 required to win

• Winner takes all system