US Government & Politics Constitution Study

What are the three branches of government and what do they do?

Legislative branch makes laws, Executive branch enforces laws, and Judicial branch interprets them

How long is a term for the House of Representatives?

2 years

How many members are in the House of Representatives and how is it determined?

435 - Based on population (larger population -> more representatives), but every state is guaranteed at least one representative

Who is the most powerful member of the House of Representatives?

Speaker of the House

How are the House of Representatives elected?

Directly by the people

What are the qualifications to be apart of the House of Representatives?

1. At least 25 years old

2. At least 7 years as a US citizen

3. A resident of the State they want to represent

How long is a term for the Senate?

6 years (elections every 2 years for 1/3 of the Senate)

How many members are in the Senate and how is it determined?

100 - 2 Senators per State (50 states x 2 Senators = 100 Senators)

Who is the President of the Senate?

Vice President of the US

Who decides a tie vote in the Senate?

The Vice President typically does NOT vote, unless there is a tie in which they are the tie breaker

What are the qualifications to be apart of the Senate?

1. At least 30 years old

2. At 9 years as a US citizen

3. A resident of the State they want to represent

What are the 4 powers of Congress?

1. Levy and collect taxes

2. Regulate interstate commerce

3. Declare war (raise and army, national defense, etc.)

4. Make laws

Define a bicameral legislature

A legislative body with 2 separate and operating houses

What needs to happen before a bill is passed to the President?

It must be approved by vote (majority) by both houses of Congress, as well as edited and revised by both Houses

Each house must pass a bill by __________ vote to override a Presidential veto

At least a ⅔

How long is a term on the Supreme Court?

A lifetime term

Who appoints (nominates) the judges?

The President

Who approves the nominated judges?

The Senate

How many Supreme Court justices are there?

9 justices

What is the head judge called?

Chief Justice

Why is the Supreme Court known as the highest court in the land?

There are two lower courts now and the Supreme Court is the top one, not to mention it’s the only one mentioned in the Constitution

Who does the Electoral College Elect?

The President

How many electoral votes are needed to win an election?

270

How are electoral votes determined per State?

# of Senators + # of Representatives = # of Electoral Votes

What is the purpose of the Presidential cabinet and who appoints its members?

The President nominates members but needs Senate approval, and the purpose of the cabinet is to advise the President on key national matters

What are the qualifications to be President of the United States?

1. Must be a natural born citizen

2. At least 35 years old

3. A resident of the US for 14 years

What is the Presidential term length?

4 years

What are the Presidential term limits?

2 terms maximum

Who are the Top 3 people in the line of succession (top 3 substitutes for the President)?

1. Vice President

2. Speaker of the House

3. President pro tempore of the Senate (2nd most powerful member of the Senate)

When was the Constitution written?

Summer of 1787

What does the Supreme law of the land mean?

The Constitution is the Supreme Law, meaning no federal courts, legislature or other government body can overrule the foundations of the Constitution

What is the Preamble of the Constitution and why is it important?

The Preamble is the introductory paragraph of the Constitution beginning with the famous phrase “We the People…”. The major point is that power in the US stems from the People not the government, and outlines the principles of the document.

What does the Elastic Clause mean?

The Elastic clause is the nickname for the Necessary and Proper Clause in Article 1 of the Constitution, and states that Congress may draft any laws they seem fit for keeping the country stable that aren’t directly addressed in the Constitution

What is federalism?

The shared powers between the National and State governments

What are 2 examples of federalism?

State governments are in charge of supporting Public Education funding while the National government is in charge of regulating interstate commerce (powers that are reserved to each government)

What is Impeachment?

The accusation and initiation of an investigation on the President to see if they violated Presidential power/the Constitution

Who brings the charge of impeachment?

The House of Representatives

Who tries the case (acts as judge and jury) of impeachment?

The Senate

What is the importance of separating powers?

It provides our government with checks and balances that keep any branch of government from becoming too powerful

What is Judicial review?

The Judicial branch’s power to declare a law unconstitutional

The refusal to approve an appointment would be a(n) _______________ check on the _______________ branch

Legislative; Executive

Declaring a law made by Congress unconstitutional would be a(n) ________________ check on the ______________ branch

Judicial; Legislative (called Judicial Review)

Approval of a Presidential appointment of the Supreme Court would be a(n) _______________ check on the _______________ branch

Legislative; Executive

Nominating federal judges to the Supreme Court would be a(n) _______________ check on the _______________ branch

Executive; Judicial

How do we separate powers in the US?

Have 3 branches of government that operate independently

State Government or Federal Government: Make and enforce laws

Federal

State Government or Federal Government: Establish Public Schools

State

State Government or Federal Government: Negotiate Treaties with other countries

Federal

State Government or Federal Government: Pass Ex post Facto laws (punishment for crimes before it was illegal)

State

State Government or Federal Government: Regulate commerce WITHIN a state

State

State Government or Federal Government: Regulate commerce BETWEEN states

Federal

State Government or Federal Government: Declare war

Federal

State Government or Federal Government: Coin money

Federal

State Government or Federal Government: Issue Marriage Licenses

State

What are Amendments?

Changes made to the Constitution

What is needed to change the Constitution?

1. ⅔ of both Houses of Congress need to approve

¾ of the States need to approve

(very difficult to obtain both of these)

What are the first 10 Amendments called?

The Bill of Rights - Protect individual and states’ rights against a potentially too powerful government

What does the 1st Amendment protect (5 key elements)?

Freedom of

1. Religion

2. Speech

3. Press

4. Assembly

5. Petition

What does the 2nd Amendment protect?

Right to bear arms (aka have guns)

What does the 5th Amendment protect?

Right to remain silent (no self-incrimination)

What does the 14th Amendment protect?

Equal protection under law and birthright citizenship

What is the Illinois Legislative body called?

The General Assembly

How are State Senators chosen in the present day and how does this contrast how they were originally chosen?

Present day: Elected by the People

Originally: Elected by State legislators

General qualification factors for Illinois Senators/Representatives

1. Age

2. Citizenship

3. Residency in the State

What is the majority needed to override a Governor’s veto?

⅗ (not ⅔ like Congress)

What is a line-item veto?

The governor can veto one part of a bill, not just the entire bill (not like President)

How do the Secretary of State and Attorney General get into office?

Elected by the people of the State (not like the federal government)

What is the highest court in Illinois?

State Supreme Court

How is vacancy (absent) in the Senate taken care of?

Appointment of a new official from the same political party

What does the Illinois Bill of Rights guarantee?

1. Freedom of speech

2. Right to assemble

3. No discrimination against individuals with disabilities (different from US Constitution)

What do the 50 stars on the US flag represent?

All 50 states

What do the 13 stripes on the US flag represent?

The original 13 colonies

How do we respect the US flag?

1. All stand when the flag passes in a parade

2. All stand and face the flag during the National Anthem

3. Removal of hats during National Anthem

How do we fly flags of other countries?

The same height as our own flag

How is the US flag taken care of?

1. Not allowed to touch the ground

2. Keeping it illuminated at night otherwise taken down at sunset

3. Being disposed of properly

What was the “Great Compromise” (also known as the Connecticut Compromise)?

Established the bicameral legislature in the US to appeal to the Virginia Plan as well as the New Jersey Plan

What was the ⅗ Compromise?

Allowed slave states more representative power by incorporating ⅗ of enslaved populations into their state population in return that they had to pay taxes for their “property” (slaves)