U.S. Govt Test 3

What is the primary function of Congress?

To make laws.

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

2 Years

How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?

435 Members

How long is a U.S. Senator’s term?

6 years.

How many Senators are there in total?

100 Senators.

What does bicameral mean?

A legislature with two chambers: House and Senate.

Who is the leader of the House of Representatives?

The Speaker of the House.

Who presides over the Senate when the Vice President is absent?

The President pro tempore.

What is a filibuster?

A Senate tactic to delay a bill by extending debate.

What is cloture?

A vote to end a filibuster (requires 60 votes in the Senate).

What is the purpose of congressional committees?

To divide and specialize legislative work.

What are standing committees?

Permanent committees that handle specific policy areas.

What is a select committee?

A temporary committee for a specific issue or investigation.

What is a joint committee?

A committee with members from both the House and Senate.

What is a conference committee?

A joint committee to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill.

What is oversight?

Congress’s monitoring of the bureaucracy and executive branch.

What is a bill?

A proposed law.

What is the first step for a bill to become a law?

Introduction in either the House or Senate.

What happens after a bill passes both chambers?

It goes to the president for approval or veto.

What is the president’s veto power?

The power to reject a bill passed by Congress.

What is a pocket veto?

When the president does nothing and Congress adjourns before 10 days.

What is reapportionment?

Redistribution of House seats based on the census.

What is redistricting?

Redrawing congressional district boundaries.

What is gerrymandering?

Drawing districts to favor one party.

What is the role of the Vice President in Congress?

President of the Senate and tie-breaker vote.

What are expressed powers?

Powers specifically listed in the Constitution.

What are implied powers?

Powers not stated but necessary to carry out expressed powers.

What are the president’s main roles?

Commander-in-Chief, Chief Executive, Head of State, and Chief Legislator.

What is an executive order?

A rule or regulation issued by the president with the force of law.

What is an executive agreement?

An agreement with another country that doesn’t require Senate approval.

What is the Cabinet?

The heads of the executive departments who advise the president.

What is the National Security Council (NSC)?

A group that advises the president on national security.

What is the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?

Helps the president prepare the federal budget.

What is the role of the White House staff?

Provide support, advice, and manage the president’s schedule.

What is going public?

When the president uses media to gain public support.

What is the War Powers Resolution?

Limits the president's ability to deploy troops without congressional approval.

What is the State of the Union Address?

The president's annual message to Congress on policy goals.

What are signing statements?

Comments by the president when signing a bill, often about interpretation.

What is the bureaucracy?

The system of agencies and departments that implement government policies.

What is the spoils system?

Appointing government jobs as political rewards.

What replaced the spoils system?

The merit system.

What is the Pendleton Act?

Established a merit-based system for federal jobs.

What is an independent agency?

A federal agency not part of a department (e.g., NASA).

What is a regulatory commission?

An agency that sets rules for a specific economic activity (e.g., FCC).

What is a government corporation?

A government-run business (e.g., USPS).

What are iron triangles?

Relationships among agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees.

What are issue networks?

Looser, more complex relationships than iron triangles.

How does Congress oversee the bureaucracy?

Through hearings, funding, and investigations.

How can the president control the bureaucracy?

By appointing agency heads and issuing executive orders.

What is the federal judiciary?

The system of federal courts that interprets and applies the law.

What are the three levels of federal courts?

District Courts → Courts of Appeals → Supreme Court.

How are federal judges selected?

Nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate.

What is judicial review?

The power to declare laws unconstitutional.

What case established judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison.

What is original jurisdiction?

The authority to hear a case first.

What is appellate jurisdiction?

The authority to review decisions of lower courts.

What is a writ of certiorari?

A request for the Supreme Court to review a lower court’s case.

What is the Rule of Four?

Four justices must agree to hear a case.

What is a majority opinion?

The official ruling of the Court.

What is a dissenting opinion?

A justice’s disagreement with the majority.

What is a concurring opinion?

Agreement with the majority, but for different reasoning.

What is judicial activism?

When courts take an active role in policymaking.

What is judicial restraint?

When courts defer to elected branches and avoid policy decisions.

What is stare decisis?

The practice of following precedents.

What is senatorial courtesy?

Tradition of deferring to senators for judicial nominations in their state.

What is the role of the Solicitor General?

Represents the U.S. government before the Supreme Court.

What is public law?

Cases involving the government or rights of citizens.

What is civil law?

Disputes between private individuals or organizations.

What is criminal law?

Cases involving violations of public order.