AP GOPO Midterm Review

What are some things the US wanted to be before the war?

• Natural Rights

• Social Contract

• Popular Sovereignty

• Republicanism

How does the Declaration of Independence fit into our understanding of the government?

• Has a conversation with George III to “break up”. 

• What our government aspires to be. 

• The constitution will determine the processes and intuitions of government. 

Participatory Government:

• Policymaking institutions are influenced by citizens directly. 

• Less filtered, more personal. - Able to advocate for yourself. 

• HOA, voting, jury duty, testifying. - Representing Yourself. 

Pluralist Government: 

• Somewhere in the middle. 

• Policymaking institutions are influenced by non-governmental groups. 

• Voting, joining a civic group. 

Elitist Government

• Policymaking institutions are influenced by the wealthy and powerful.

  • More filtered, less personal.

  • Meeting with Policymakers.

  • Bundling campaign donations.

What was John Locke’s Social Contract theory? 

Humankind surrenders most extreme rights to self-preservation. 

What are the principles of government?

• Natural Rights

• Social Contract

• Popular Sovereignty

• Republicanism

British Constitutional System

Magna Carta

English Bill of Rights

Political Philosophy and Historical Influences: 

• History that the founders knew of 

• Greek Direct Democracies

• Iroquois Confederation

• John Locke

• Baron de Montesquieu

Colonial Traditions:

• Colonial Legislatures

• Local Courts

• Free Market Traditions

• Changes in Population

• Economic Recessions

Natural Rights

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: Thomas Jefferson, influenced by John Locke

Popular Sovereignty

If all members are equal, then no one can be governed by others. 

Republicanism

Consent to be governed is expressed by elections.

What are the two main goals of the Articles of Confederation?

• Prevent Tyranny

• Protect individual rights

What were the four key Constitutions that made the Articles of Confederation? 

• Virginia Constitution: 1776

• South Carolina Constitution: 1776 

• Pennsylvania Constitution: 1776

• Massachusetts Constitution: 1780

  • More Elitist

What is the difference between a treaty and a constitution?

A treaty is a contract in writing, and constitution has basic principles.

What were the basics of the Articles of Confederation?:

• One vote per state

• Powers would be retained by the state

• Congressional pay is paid by the government

• One year is office

• Strong concern about a tyrannical society. 

• No executive branch to carry out laws. 

• Cannot regulate international relationships. 

What were some worries about the Articles of Confederation?

People wanted a republic, they wanted structural barriers, and that it was insufficient in protecting natural rights.

Great Compromise

• Representation by population

• Bicameral Legislature

House of Representatives: 

• Composed of a select number of people from the populations. 

• People can be voted out every two years. 

Senate

Has two people per state.

Electoral College

• A single executive is necessary

• These people vote on the president and vice president.

• The House breaks the tie for the President and the Senate breaks the tie for the Vice President.

Three-Fifths Compromise 

Every 5 enslaved people were present, only three would be represented. The deep south was very reliant on slavery, and they believe that enslaved people are property. In the north, they are worried about insurrections. 

Amendment Process

• Both chambers of Congress need a 2/3 vote.

• Either a national convention or it goes through Congress

  • Usually goes through Congress.

• Goes to the chief archivist

• They will have state conventions or state legislature. 

  • 3/4ths of the states MUST agree for it to pass. 

What does the Chief Archivist do?

Delivers instructions and new amendments to state governors, and will put them in the constitution. 

Legislative Branch:

• Makes laws

• Coin Money

• Declare War

• Regulate Commerce

• Collect Taxes

Executive

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces

Grant Reprieves and Pardons

Commission Officers

Fill Vacancies during Senate Recess

Judicial Branch

Adjudicate all cases in law and equity arising under the Constitution

Can override presidential veto with a 2/3 vote of both houses. 

How does Congress Check the Executive Branch?

• House: Sole power of Impeachment

• Senate: The Power to try any impeachment (Interbranch Check), may approve / disapprove the president’s nominations for Federal Offices, Justices and Judges of Supreme and Federal Court, and treaties that the president has negotiated.

How does the Executive Branch check Congress?

• Can veto legislation approved by both houses

• As civilian Commander in Chief, exercises supreme control in the operations of the Armed Forces as a counter to Congress’s power to declare war.

How does the Judicial Branch Check Congress and the President?

• Can determine if the laws that Congress passes are unconstitutional.

• Can determine that the actions of the president are unconstitutional.

What are some opportunities or places where stakeholders and institutions can interact with parts of the government?

Voters, interest groups, state and local officials, businesses, and non-profit organizations have an interest in the policies that the government creates. 

Congress Access Points

Meet with a member to discuss the impact of congressional actions/ inactions on your people or group. Elect members of congress who share your interests, join an interest, donate money to the reelection campaign of a member of Congress, or get the attention of Congress through dramatic actions captured by the media: protests and marches.

Executive Branch Access Points

Meet with the president to express your interests or concerns/ Donate money to the reelection campaign of a president.

Judiciary Branch Access Points

• Submit amicus curiae briefs to influence court’s position

• Stage large protests in front of the the supreme court building. 

Federalism:

The relationship of power between the national and state governments.

10th Amendment:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”

State Powers

• Education

• Health

• Marriage

• “Morality”

  • Gambling

  • Legal Drinking Age

• Police Powers

Concurrent Powers

• Levy Taxes

• Maintain Roads

• Create Courts

• Borrow Money

Federal Powers

Immigration, and National Defense.

Expressed Powers

Powers given to the NATIONAL government

EX: Coining Money

Reserved Powers

• 10th Amendment

• For the STATES

• Any power not given to the national government is given to the States.

Concurrent Powers

Powers that the national and state government share.

Supremacy Clause

The Constitution states that any laws enacted by Congress supersede the state laws

Article IV: Relations Among the States

• Section 1: Full Faith and Credit Clause, 

  • States have to respect one another’s civil laws, records, and court rulings. 

• Section 2: Privileges and Immunities Clause

  • Prohibits states from discriminating against citizens of other states without justification. 

Grants-in-aid

Money given to the states from the federal government.

Categorial grants

For specific items, infrastructure grants cannot be allocated to schools.

Highways- States had to raise their drinking age to 21. There was a string attached.

Block Grants

Block of money is given to the states and they have the freedom on how to spend it. 

Speaker of the House

• Decided this on January 3rd.

• 3rd in line to the president

• Everyone votes for the speaker in their party

• There will always be someone from the majority.

• Mike Johnson: Republican

• Control the calendar and agenda

• Assign pieces of the agenda to different committees.

• Required by the Constitution.

Majority Leader

From the Majority Party

Only that party elects the leader

Responsible for party strategy -  What is important to focus on?

Majority Whip

“Lion Tamer in the Circus”

Make sure all people are voting in the way the party should vote.

Have conversations about voting

Works with representatives and leadership to be sure everyone is on the same page.

Chosen by individual parties.

Majority Winner

Currently, the democrat party.

Responsible for the party’s strategy.

Minority Whip: 

Making sure everyone on their party is on the same page

Works with leadership to solve problems

Chosen by individual parties. 

President of the Senate

• VP of the USA

• Required by the Constitution

• They vote in case of a tie

• Count Electoral Votes

President Pro Tempore

Required by the Constitution

Lead in the Absence of the Vp

More of an honorary position

Typically given to the longest-serving member of the Senate from the majority party.

Majority Leader

REAL power in the Senate is held by this person.

How many members of the House are there?

435 who run every two years.

What is gerrymandering?

Using political motivation to draw congressional districts to favor your party. 

Two strategies: 

• Cracking: Spreading opposition voters among many districts

• Packing: Creating districts that include a large proportion of opposition voters.

How is the Senate made up?

100 members who are broken into 2 classes.

No state has both senators in the same class

Every state votes for senators

NOT broken up by districts

What is the structure, powers and functions of the House?

Speaker and Officers

Power of Impeachment

Topic of Interest

More constrained by rules

What are the powers, structures, and functions of the Senate?

• Officers

• President Pro Tempore (In case of absence)

• VP

• Add amendments on any subject

What clause prohibits Discrimination?

Commerce Clause

What clause allows government to build a highway?: 

Posting a military. 

What clause sets minimum wage?

Regulate Commerce

First Step of a Bill:

• Sponsor(s) and numbered. (Its introduced, then it is numbered.

Second step of a bill

Assigned to a Committee by the Speaker of the house.

• Most Bills DIE here. They are either pigeonholed or have a discharge petition.

• Then it is marked up. An expert will testify and ask questions.

Pigeonholed

A bill is set aside

Discharge Petition

1. Taken it of a committee and asked to vote on it by the whole Congress

2. Usually will not make it.

Third Step of a Bill:

Rules Committee: House

• Open Rule: Can change or amend the bill before closing

• Closed Rule: No debate or amendments

• If there is no debate, it will go to voting. 

4th Step of a bill

Goes to the senate

5th Step of a bill

Assigned to a committee

Will vite forward

Will put it on the calendar to vote

6th Step of a bill

Marking up (again)

7th Step of a bill

No limits to debate.

Filibuster or Cloture motion.

Filibuster

“Talk a bill to death” - Minority party would use this.

A group of people

Just under 24 hours was the longest a single person did this.

12 democrats from the south prevented the Civil Rights bill to be passed - 80 days.

Cloture Motion

• Ends a filibuster.

• Needs 60 senators to sign.

• Not a bill.

8th Step of a bill

Conference Committee: Doesn’t always happen

• Resolves differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill

• Compromises if the differences are drastic

9th Step of a bill

• The house and senate vote on it.

10th step of a bill

Presidential Action. A veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the congress.

OMB

Office of Management and Budget

Part of the Executive branch

Will manipulate budgets as they see fit

Things that are a priority for the president are what get the majority of money.

CBO

Congressional Budget Offices

• Negotiation starts here

• Goes out to standing committees

• Allocation of money

• MUST spend the whole budget

Standing Committees

These people look at budgets

Budget Resolution

• Outlines how much money everyone will get

• Lots of times, agencies will not get what they ask for. 

Mandatory Spending

Medicare and Medicaid: 60%. Part of a law.

White House Office

President’s Confidants. These people do not need to be approved by the Senate.

Executive Departments

15 of these. 

Responsible for informing the president of what they are doing. 

A liason of what they need to be doing. 

Secretary of ____________. 

Independent Agencies

For the most part, they are independent of the president.

Social Security Agency

Regulatory Commission

They regulate SOMETHING

• EPA

• FEC

• President nominates these people.

• Run by a board

• Different terms

• Mix of democrats and republicans.

Iron Triangle

Commision Groups: Make sure they get the proper funding

Bureaucracy: Preferential Agreement in Interest Groups

Issue Groups: Anyone can be in these. 

Appellate

Main purpose of the supreme courts.

Not a traditional trial.

Look at a constitutional issue.

These take many years.

Judicial Review:

The fact that courts, in general, can declare congressional laws and executive actions unconstitutional

Not explicitly stated anywhere.

Jurisdiction

Court’s power to hear a case.