U.S. Government – Weeks 1-4 Lecture Review

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering key concepts from Weeks 1–4 lecture notes on U.S. Government.

Which philosopher’s ideas of natural rights influenced the U.S. government?

John Locke

According to John Locke, what three natural rights must government protect?

Life, liberty, and property

What is the agreement called in which people give up some freedom to form government for protection of rights?

The social contract

What principle states that ultimate political power rests with the people?

Popular sovereignty

What is the term for electing representatives to make decisions for citizens?

Republicanism

How is power shared between national and state governments in the U.S.?

Through federalism

Name the three branches created by the U.S. Constitution?

Legislative, Executive, and Judicial

What constitutional principle prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful by giving each branch ways to limit the others?

Checks and balances

What document was replaced by the Constitution because it created a weak central government?

The Articles of Confederation

What are the three main parts of the U.S. Constitution?

Preamble, Articles, and Amendments

Which article of the Constitution establishes Congress?

Article I

Which article establishes the presidency?

Article II

Which article establishes the federal court system?

Article III

What clause makes the Constitution the highest law in the land?

The Supremacy Clause

Which clause gives Congress flexibility to pass laws necessary to carry out its powers?

The Elastic (Necessary and Proper) Clause

Which amendment reserves undelegated powers to the states?

The 10th Amendment

What clause requires states to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states?

The Full Faith and Credit Clause

Which group supported a strong central government during ratification debates?

Federalists

Which group feared centralized power and favored stronger state authority?

Anti-Federalists

What are the two chambers of Congress?

The House of Representatives and the Senate

How is representation in the House determined?

By state population

How many senators does each state have?

Two

List four major powers of Congress?

Make laws, declare war, tax and spend money, regulate interstate and foreign trade.

What is the first step in the process of a bill becoming law?

Introduction in either the House or the Senate

Before floor debate, where is a bill sent for study and revision?

A committee

Which chamber has 2-year terms and where must tax bills originate?

The House of Representatives

Which chamber approves treaties and presidential appointments?

The Senate

What Senate tactic is used to delay or block a vote on a bill?

Filibuster

What vote is required to end a filibuster?

Cloture (60 senators)

Name two constitutional roles of the president related to lawmaking and the military?

Chief Legislator (suggests/vetoes laws) and Commander-in-Chief (leads the military)

What are directives from the president that have the force of law without Congressional approval called?

Executive orders

What advisers and departments help the president carry out executive duties?

The Cabinet and the Executive Office of the President (EOP)

What term describes the network of federal agencies and employees that implement and enforce laws?

The bureaucracy

What type of rules do agencies issue that carry the weight of law?

Administrative laws

What is the president’s power to reject a bill called?

Veto

What process allows Congress to remove a president from office?

Impeachment

What power allows courts to declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional?

Judicial review

What term describes a government or entity with popular acceptance of its right to use coercive power?

Legitimate

In simple terms, what is a government?

An institutional arrangement for making and implementing collective decisions (i.e., doing politics)

What factor can influence political outcomes, as exemplified by a global pandemic affecting an election?

Realities

What concept helps explain current events by recognizing that the present is a product of

Historical Roots

What concept describes a system where a leader exercises unrestrained power, not bound by laws?

The Rule of Man

Why did the U.S. framers insist on a written constitution?

To establish a rule of law with clear limits, rules, and guidelines for government decision-makers.

Where in the U.S. Constitution is the idea of a social contract, as an agreement among society members, primarily found?

The Preamble of our Constitution

In a confederacy, from what source does the federal government derive its authority to make laws?

The States

Which amendment is often seen in conflict with the Elastic (Necessary and Proper) Clause because it reserves powers to the states?

The Tenth Amendment

What is the primary purpose of a legislative committee?

To make an initial assessment of legislation and prepare it for consideration by the chamber at large

What happens to a law when the Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional?

The law is nullified

What is the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction?

Original jurisdiction is the authority to make an initial ruling in a case, while appellate jurisdiction is the ability to review and either uphold or overturn that ruling

What primary constitutional principles are challenged by the modern bureaucracy?

Madisonian Government, Republicanism, the social contract, and limited government.

What is the 'kitchen cabinet'?

An informal panel of trusted friends and relations that help advise the president on issues of politics and policy.

What system describes giving jobs in the federal bureaucracy to political friends and allies in exchange for electoral support?

The spoils system.

When the president mobilizes federal troops to enforce a law or court order (e.g., school desegregation), what presidential role is being exercised?

Chief Executive.

Which presidential entity provides the president with a 'political team,' and which provides an 'administrative team'?

The White House Office provides the 'political team,' whereas the Executive Office of the Presidency (EOP) provides the 'administrative team.'