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1040
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63
Political Studies
Undergraduate 3
04/07/2010

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Writ of certiorari (cert)
Definition

Documents by Supreme Court stating that the court will review a decision made by lower court

 

Most are rejected

 

Requires vote of 4 justices

 

 

 

 

Term
Role of Solicitor General
Definition

Government official responsible for presenting before the court the postion the position of the presidential administration

 

signals that the president and attorney general have strong views on subject

 

Employed by Justice Department

Term
Judicial Review- Marbury case
Definition

Power of courts to declare null and void laws of Congress and state legislatures that are unconstitutional

 

Marbury vs. Madision

asserted court's authority and lack of authority

invoked power of Judicial review for the 1st time

Term
Stare Decisis
Definition

"let the decision stand"

 

in court rulings, reliance on consistency with precedents

Term
Precedent
Definition
previous court decision or ruling applicable to a particular case
Term
Requirements for Office
Definition

Senate- 30 years old/ citizen of state (resident)

7 yrs in U.S

state constintuency

100

 

 

House- 25 years old/ citizen of state (resident)

9 yrs in U.S

district constintuency

435

Term
Census
Definition

form given out every 10 years, gives demographics of the nation. (age, maritial status, age, education)

 

Importance:

  • giving funds to districts with low SES
  • Apportionment

 

Term
Apportionment
Definition

decide on destricts

 

Based on:

population

demograhics

 

Importance: gov't cuts up poor areas into districts to apportion the area.

Term
Bicameral
Definition

"2 chambers"

 

In the U.S we have Congress

House and Senate

 

Term
Committee System
Definition

Standing Committee: Permanent; fixed membership/jurisdiction. (sub committee)

 

Select Committee: temporary, deals with specific issues (also a sub committee) After the bill has been passed, committee no longer exists.

Term
What does the Constitution say about Rules, Committees, and parties?
Definition

NOTHING

 

Except Rules Committee- found in the House.

Term
Leadership- who are selected and how?
Definition

In Congress: Speaker of the House- usually does not vote unless there is a close call between the republican & democrats

 

Recognize people to the floor, if someone wants to debate on an issue or bring up bill for debate, she will let you talk, otherwise you are not allowed to speak

 

Always from the majority party

 

Right hand man: cheif lutendent, majority leader.  

Term

Majority leader

(House)

Definition

member with most senority (most experienced, been there the longest)

 

Function: organize the communication and committees for the party

Term

Vice President

(Senate)

Definition

Vice President- "President of the Senate"

 

Purpose:

Tie breaker- casts deciding vote.

Barely present- President por tempore is.

Term

President "pro tempore"

(Senate)

Definition
Takes the spot of the vice president, senior member of majority party. Honoarary position, doesn't have to go to the senior member.
Term
Whips
Definition

Every 435 members of House get their own staff, called Whips

 

Purpose:

File paper work

Keep up convos among Congressmen

 

Term
Filibuster
Definition

(Senate)

 

unlimited debate that occurs to stop a bill from happening.

No restriction on time and topics

Delays voting, if they are still debating- no one can vote.

Term
Cloture
Definition

Agreement among senators to get the person performing the filibuster to stop talking.

 

2/3 vote stops debate

Term
Incumbency
Definition

running for a position you have already been in.

generally will get reelected.

Term
How have senate elections changed over time?
Definition

Federal gov't appoints senators

 

State population (and the gov't) appoint senators

Term
Role of Parties
Definition

Democratic/ Republican

 

Influencial on policies

 

Represent the people

 

Much more extreme than constituency

Term
Differences between House and Senate
Definition

House: 435 members, more committees, specialization usually happens here

 

Senate: 100 members, less committees, less specialization

Term
Logrolling
Definition

trade of favors

 

 

example: if I'm trying to pass a democrat bill, I would have to bribe a republican to help vote for it

Term
Why is committee membership so critical for members? What checks are there on Congress?
Definition

Critical: influence... able to write earmarks. (main reason reps want to be on committees)

 

Checks: Biggest- veto

Term
Earmarks
Definition
Revise Bill to get something for your state to help it out. A provision of the Bill
Term
How to pass a bill
Definition

1. introduction (sponsor, co sponsor)

2. Refer to a committee (give bill to mulitiple committees- multiple refferal

3. give to sub committee (mark up the bill, make changes)

4. Full Committee- (mark up)

5. House Rules Committee- Set rules for how Bill will be debated. (Open: ammendments allowed. Closed: no ammendments)

6. Debate

7. Conference Committee- merge bills, make identicle (house and senate)

8. Send to House and Senate for approval

9 President signs or Vetos

Term
Pocket veto
Definition
Congress session is about to end (10 days) press does not touch bill, it is then vetoed
Term
Requirements for President
Definition

35 years old

natural citizen (born in u.s)

Resident for 14 years

Terms: 4 years long only 2

Term
Honeymoon
Definition

first 100 days

people still like him

most persuasive

Term
President powers
Definition
  • Veto
  • appointment power
  • embassadors/ministries
  • need senate approval (2/3)
  • Inherent powers - powers not writen word for word in constitution
Term
Inherent powers
Definition

powers not written word for word in constitution

 

Executive Order: proclamation made by president- has force of law, not confirmed by congress, ends with term.

Term
Vice President
Definition
  • Right hand man of President
  • Goes to Press conferences
  • Talks to the people
  • foreign affairs
Term
Impeachment
Definition

Done by the House

acknowledging president committed a crime

 

Removal: done by senate, 2/3 vote

 

happened before?: Clinton, he was impeached but not removed from office

Term
Cabinet
Definition
How is it chosen: President so he can trust the people he surrounds himself with
Term
Divided Gov't
Definition

1: party for President

 

1: House, Senate, or both are of a different party

Term
Why does public opinion matter?
Definition
Congress won't want to have legislation passed by that Government if the President isn't favored
Term
Checks on President
Definition
  • Senate approval
  • senate can remove him
  • Congress can override President's vetos (congressional overrides)
  • (2/3)
Term
Presidents options when presented a bill
Definition

Sign

veto

pocket veto

can mark sections out, half gets through (line item veto)

Term
Executive Agreement
Definition
agreement between president and foreign countries-- not law.
Term
Agencies
Definition

Iron triangle

 Bureacracy, Interest groups, and Congress

 

Interest groups --> ask for legislastion to pass law in favor --> Congress --> implement laws --> Bureacracy -->Agencies: little branch of that bureacracy

 

agency < department

Term
Corporations
Definition

independent and exists to deal with business

 

 

 

Term
patronage
Definition
giving jobs/ contracts to friends (type of spoils system)
Term
spoils system
Definition
jobs
Term
Pendleton and Hatch Acts
Definition

creates civil service commission

 

end spoils system

jobs are given out based on merit (qualified)

 

Hatch: federal employees appear neutral, can't tell someone who to vote for

Term
Why is agency inefficient
Definition

red tape- too many restrictions

bureacracy too large

slow to implement

Term
why is patronage important
Definition

bureacracy, congress, and every other job is politicized.

people don't get a job based on qualification.

Term
Dual court system
Definition

Federal and State

 

  • Trial (lots of cases)
  • Appeals: look at procedural issues
  • Supreme (very few)

Fed Supreme Court: 9 justices, 1 cheif + 8 judges

 

 

Term
Solicitor General
Definition
represent the u.s in cases --> presents briefs in cases.
Term
writ of certiorari
Definition

supreme court will look at your case

 

rule of 4

Term
amicus Briefs
Definition
help from an outside source --> breif presented
Term
judiciary review
Definition
court can deliberate based on constitution
Term
stare decisis
Definition
let the law stand
Term
precedent
Definition
case from the past
Term
Maryland vs. Mcculoch
Definition
Maryland wanted to tax mcculoch, couldn't tax because federal is supreme over state laws, so he did not have to pay tax.
Term
original intent
Definition
interpret it based on how the founding father meant it to be interpreted
Term
living constitution
Definition
mold constitution to relevancy of today
Term
plain meaning of text
Definition
strict interpretation word for word
Term
senatorial courtesy
Definition

refer to senators for judge approval

 

informal (doesn't have to be done)

but does so he doesnt nominate someone everyone hates

Term
Judicial restraint
Definition

seperate is equal.

 

instead of make changes, want things to stay the same (precent)

Term
judical activism
Definition
molds laws to contemporary times
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