Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Political Science Final Exam
N/A
100
Political Studies
Undergraduate 2
04/30/2012

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Action-Reaction Syndrome (and example)-
Definition
The action-reaction syndrome in the idea that for every government action, there will be a reaction by the public. The government then takes a further action to counter the public’s reaction – and the cycle begins again.
i.e.- the expansion and complexity of the tax system.
Term
Adjudication
Definition
is the legal process by which a judge reviews evidence and argumentation including legal reasoning set forth by opposing parties to come to a decision which determines rights and obligations between the parties involved. Three types of disputes are resolved through adjudication:
1. Disputes between private parties, such as individuals or corporations.
2. Disputes between private parties and public officials.
3. Disputes between public officials or public bodies.
Term
Apportionment
Definition
is the process of allocating the political power of a set of constituent voters among their representatives in a governing body.
Term
Attitudinal Model of Judicial Decision making
Definition
a judges behavior can be predicted largely by his or her policy attitudes. Thus, they decide cases according to ideological preference rather than by the meaning or intention of legal texts or by precedent.
Term
Certiorari
Definition
is a type of writ seeking judicial review by a higher court that was previously reviewed by a lower court.
Term
Concurring Opinion
Definition
A concurring opinion sets forth the justice’s own reasoning. This opinion may be by one or more justices whom agree with the result of the majority opinion, but disagrees in some way with the legal reasoning of the other justices. Note: Justices who write concurring opinions are still counted in the majority.
Term
Delegate/Trustee/Politico
Definition
Delegate: Directly representing their constitutes.
Trustee: Acting upon ones knowledge.
Politico: Mixture of Delegate and trustee
Term
Dissenting Opinion
Definition
Is an opinion in a legal case written by one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court. Used to dispute the majority opinion.
Term
Executive Departments (and examples)-
Definition
• Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Department of Commerce (DOC)
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• Department of Education (ED)
• Department of Energy (DOE)
Term
Filibuster (process and cloture)
Definition
or right to an unlimited debate. A senator or group of senators may speak for as long as they want on any topic they want. To bring the debate to a close senators must vote to bring the debate to a close by invoking cloture. Usually 60 out of 100 senators are needed for a cloture or closure.
Term
Fiscal Policy
Definition
is the use of government expenditure and revenue collection (taxation) to influence the economy
Term
Gerrymandering
Definition
may be used to achieve desired results for a political party, or may be used to help or hinder a particular demographic, such as political, racial, linguistic, religious, or class group.
Term
Government Corporations (and examples)
Definition
created by the government to undertake commercial activities. Examples:
• Fannie Mae- National mortgage association
• Freddie Mac- Home Loan Mortgages
• Federal Housing Finance Agency-
• United States Postal Service- Mail delivery
• AmTrak- Rail Road
Term
Independent Executive Agencies (and examples)
Definition
agencies that exist outside of the federal executive departments. These agencies are constitutionally apart of the executive branch, however the president has limited control, unable to dismiss the agency head.
• CIA
• NASA
• Federal Communications Commission
Term
Independent Regulatory Agencies (and examples)
Definition
Exist outside of the federal executive departments.
• Federal Election Commission
• Social Security Administration
• US Internal Trade Commission
Term
Judicial review
Definition
power of the courts to examine the actions of the legislative, executive, and administrative branches of government to determine whether such actions are consistent with the constitution.
Term
Jurisdiction (generally)
Definition
the authority to formally constitute a legal body by a political leader. The term is also used to describe the denoted geographical area to which the authority applies.
Term
Legal Model of Judicial Decision making
Definition
Three levels:
Attitudinal Model ^ More Autonomy (personal beliefs relied on more)
Strategic Model
Legal Model Less Autonomy
Term
Majority Opinion
Definition
is a judicial opinion agreed to by more than half of the members of a court. A majority opinion sets forth the decision of the court and explains the rationale behind the court’s decision.
Term
Marbury v. Madison
Definition
John Marshall of the Supreme Court declared section 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional. This was the first Supreme Court case to turn over legislation. Power of judicial review.
Term
Medicaid
Definition
A federal system of health insurance for those requiring assistance.
Term
Medicare
Definition
A federal system of health insurance for people over 65 years of age.
Term
Monetary Policy
Definition
Is the process by which the government controls the supply of money, often targeting rate of interest for the purpose of promoting economic growth and stability. The goal is to have relatively stable prices with low unemployment.
Term
Original vs. Appellate Jurisdiction
Definition
Original: the power to hear a case for the first time.
Appellate Jurisdiction: power of Supreme Court to review decisions and chance outcomes of decisions of lower courts.
Term
Oslo Accord
Definition
or the Declaration of Principles, was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This was the first face-to-face agreement between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). This was intended to be the frame work for future negations and relations between the two countries.
Term
Per Curiam Opinion
Definition
An opinion issued in the name of the court rather than specific judges. Reflects the opinion of the court, and usually tends to be short. Usually non-controversial.
Term
Plurality Opinion
Definition
is the opinion formed by a group of justices in which no single opinion received the support of the majority of the court. The plurality opinion did not receive the support of more than half the justices, but received more support than any other opinion.
Term
Realism vs. Idealism
Definition
Realism (Aristotle): things should be accepted as they are, with all defects or weaknesses.
Idealism (Plato): Reality only exists in ideas. Ideally everything and everyone should be perfect and flawless.
Term
Redistricting
Definition
To give new boundaries to administrative or election districts.
Term
Rule of Four
Definition
is a Supreme Court practice that permits four of the nine justices to grant a writ of certiorari. This is done specifically to prevent a majority of the court from controlling the court’s docket(official summary of proceedings in a court of law).
Term
Rulemaking
Definition
refers to the process that the executive and independent agencies use to create regulations. In general legislatures first set broad policy mandates by passing statutes, then agencies create more detailed regulations though rulemaking.
• i.e.- A legislature would pass a law mandating the establishment of safe drinking water standards, and then assign an agency to develop the list of contaminants and safe levels through rulemaking.
Term
Stare Decisis
Definition
literally meaning: "to stand by decisions and not disturb the undisturbed." is a legal principle by which judges are obligated to respect precedents established by prior decisions.
Term
What are some of the key differences between the House and the Senate?
Definition
_______ uses “proportional representation,” which means that each states gets a number of representatives based on the population of the state.
• Pass federal legislation that effects the whole country.
• Impeach officials
________ uses equal representation, each state gets the same number of senators (2), for a total of 100
Term
How does congress check the president?
Definition
• Congress can override his veto w/ 2/3 congressional vote.
• Congress can check the president on money spent.
• Congress can override president’s veto.
Term
How does congress check the judiciary?
Definition
• Approve and disapprove judges.
Term
How does the President check congress?
Definition
• He can veto a bill.
• President decides how money is spent, shows budget to congress.
Term
How does the president check the judiciary?
Definition
• President can appoint judges.
Term
How does the Judiciary check congress? The President?
Definition
• Judiciary has the power to decide whether a law passed by congress and signed by the president is constitutional.
Term
What are the requirements to become a senator?
Definition
• 30 years of age and U.S. citizen for 9 years.
• Serve a 6 year staggered term.
• Chosen by people of your state.
Term
What are the requirements to become a member of the house?
Definition
• 25 years of age and U.S. citizen for 7 years.
• Serve a two-year term.
• Voted directly by voters in their district.
Term
What are the requirements to become a supreme court justice?
Definition
none
Term
What are the requirements to becoming President?
Definition
• Natural born citizen.
• At least 35 years old.
• Elected by electoral college system.
Term
Which level of the federal courts are the "workhorses" of the courts?
Definition
The US district courts, they handle the majority of federal cases.
Term
Which circuit (U.S. Courts of Appeals) is Washington State in?
Definition
Ninth Circuit court.
Term
What are the primary roles of the president?
Definition
Chief Executive
Chief of State
Chief Administrator
Chief Diplomat
Commander and Chief
Chief Legislator
Term
Chief Executive-
Definition
Executive powers vested by the constitution
Term
Chief of State-
Definition
Ceremonial head of government, symbol of all American people.
Term
Chief Administrator
Definition
Actual head of government , in charge of over 2.7 million civilian jobs
Term
Chief Diplomat-
Definition
Directs foreign policy and nation’s spokesperson to the rest of the world.
Term
Commander in Chief-
Definition
Head of nations armed forces.
Term
Chief Legislator-
Definition
Shapes public policy of congressional agenda.
Term
What does going public mean?
Definition
The president as commander and chief has the power to go public on radio or TV at anytime he wants to.
Term
What did the War Powers Resolution of 1973 attempt to do (and do)?
Definition
Requires the president to notify congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action.
Term
What are the differences between the types of terrorism?
Definition
State Terrorism- acts of terrorism conducted by a state against another state.
Foreign Terrorism- terrorism outside of the United States.
Term
What are Congress’s main powers?
Definition
• Power to tax.
• Regulate Commerce.
• Coin and regulate the value of money.
• Power to create post offices and roads.
Term
What are the stages of the policymaking process?
Definition
1. Agenda building- Problem must exist. i.e.- Immigration
2. Formulation & Adoption- Bill goes before congress or an agency drafts a proposal
3. Implementation- The carrying out of a policy is most often accomplished by institutions other than those that formulated and adopted it. i.e.- Congress mandates improved water quality, but the Environmental Protection Agency provides the details on the standards of measuring compliance.
4. Evaluation & Termination- Cost-benefit analysis: if the government is spending X amount of dollars on this policy, is the policy worth the expenditure. i.e.- congress enacted a national speed limit of 55mph to reduce accident fatalities and gasoline consumption, however the law increased the cost for the trucking industry.
Term
What does Keynesian economics suggest the U.S. should do during times of recession?
Definition
Government should spend money to stimulate the economy.
Term
What kind of tax system does the U.S. have?
Definition
Progressive tax system where the higher your income the more you will be taxed.
Term
Constitutional Law
Definition
in the US and state constitution. Includes fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion etc.
Term
Statutory Law
Definition
enacted by legislature. ie- when Florida passes a bill to make everyone wear seat belts.
Term
Delegate
Definition
Directly representing their constitutes(people).
Term
Trustee
Definition
Acting upon ones knowledge.
Term
Politico
Definition
Mixture of acting upon ones knowledge and representing their constitutes.
Term
Executive Department examples (4)
Definition

Department of Education

Department of Agriculture 

Department of Defense 

Department of Energy 

 

Term
How many votes are needed to cloture(close) a filibuster.
Definition
3/5 or 60/100 senators
Term
The CIA and NASA are considered a (an)?
Definition
Independent Executive Agency
Term
The Social Security Administration and the Federal Election Commission are considered what type of agency?
Definition
Independent Regulatory Agency
Term
Judicial Activism
Definition
rulings are suspected of being based on personal or political considerations, rather than law.
Term
Judicial Restraint
Definition
encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power. Judges should hesitate to strike down laws unless they are obviously unconstitutional.
Term
Mandatory Jurisdiction
Definition
District and appellate courts must take the case at hand.
Term
Discretionary Jurisdiction
Definition
US supreme court level, only take a certain amount of cases per year.
Term
What landmark court case provided the power of Judicial Review?
Definition
Marbury vs. Madison
Term
Natural Law
Definition
Unchanging moral principles regarded as a basis for all human conduct.
Term
Positive Law
Definition
Man-made laws which bestow specific privileges upon, or remove them from an individual or group.
Term
Original Jurisdiction
Definition
the power to hear a case for the first time.
Term
Appellate Jurisdiction
Definition
power of the supreme court to review decisions and chance outcomes of decisions by lower courts.
Term
The _________ was the first face-to-face agreement between the government of Israel and The Palestine Liberation Organization.
Definition
Oslo Accord
Term
What do the independent and executive agencies do through policy mandates and passing statutes?
Definition
Agencies create more detailed regulations through rulemaking.
ie- a legislature passes a law mandating the establishment of safe drinking water standards, then assign an agency to develop a list of standards through rulemaking.
Term
Strategic Model of Judicial Decision Making?
Definition
Judge seeks to achieve policy goals. Since they cant act directly upon preference, they must act to achieve their goals given and constraints.
Term
Strict Constructionism
Definition
Rules are interpreted solely based on what the constitution says.
Term
Broad(loose) constructionism
Definition
Constitutional rules are looked at more freely.
Term
What type of representation does the House of Representatives use?
Definition
Proportional- each state gets a number of representatives according to the population of the state.
Term
What type of representation does the senate use?
Definition
Equal
Term
How many senators does each state get?
Definition
Two. For a total of 100.
Term
How many votes does congress need to override a presidents veto?
Definition
2/3
Term
What is one of the powers the president has over the Judicial branch?
Definition
President can appoint judges.
Term
What are some ways the president can check congress?
Definition
He can veto a bill. Decides how money will be spent and shows budget to congress.
Term
How long is a senators term?
Definition
6 years, staggered.
Term
How old do you have to be to become a senator? How many years do you have to be a US resident?
Definition
30 years old. Citizen for 9 years.
Term
How are senators chosen?
Definition
People of the state they represent.
Term
How old do you have to be to become a member of the House of Representatives? How many years do you have to have citizenship for?
Definition
25 years of age, citizenship for 7 years.
Term
How long is a House members term?
Definition
Two years.
Term
What is the minimum required age to become president?
Definition
Thirty-Five years old.
Term
Which court of appeals is Washington State in?
Definition
Ninth-Circuit
Term
What branch of government has the power to tax?
Definition
Congress or Legislative Branch
Term
What branch of government has the power to coin money and regulate commerce?
Definition
Legislative Branch
Term
What makes up the Legislative branch?
Definition
House of representatives and the senate. This is know as congress.
Term
What makes up the Judiciary branch?
Definition
U.S. Supreme Court
Term
What makes up the executive branch?
Definition
The president and his advivsors for various federal agencies.
Term
How many votes by congress are needed to override a veto?
Definition
2/3 by both the senate and House of representatives.
Supporting users have an ad free experience!