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Pols test 3
LIpsmeyer
141
Political Studies
Undergraduate 2
04/27/2011

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
main representative constitution
Definition
congress
Term
how is congress elected?
Definition
directly
Term
strongest of the 3 branches
Definition
congress (legislative)
Term
the 4 ways that make our congress unique
Definition

1. possibility of divided government between parties

2. frequent elections 

3. powerful congress

4. upper house has a lot of power (senate)

Term
house of rep elections happen every
Definition
2 yrs
Term
Madison's view on the house and senate
Definition

house- larger, less refined than senate, more representative of the people, heavily partisan

 

senate- smaller and more majestic, less partisan, senate checks the house

Term
senate elections are held every
Definition
6 years
Term
why was madison's idea of the house and senate different from what we see today?
Definition

the 17th amendment

direct election of senators

Term
how representative is congress?
Definition

1. Do they look like us (descriptive)- yes in religion, but smarter, richer, older than average amercan

(paine)

 

2. Do they do a good job?- who is best suited for the job

(madison)

Term
delegate model of representation
Definition

representatives should solely represent the ideas of the people, regardless of his own views

 

in stride with Paine's ideals

Term
trustee model
Definition

elect representatives and once in office trust these representatives to decide what is best 

(less concerned with what the people think, more concerned with what they think is best)

Term
constituency service 
Definition

case work

 

personal request that people call upon you for help

Term
bicameralism
Definition
split houses
Term
example of constituency 
Definition

social security check doesn't come in in time

so you tell your rep

they go and hunt down where the money is

Term
percentage of time reps and their staff spend on constituencies
Definition

rep- 25%

 

staff-67%

Term
voting the district
Definition

when a rep's party and district are on different sides of an argument 

 

the party releases the rep from having to vote for the party side, so they can get re-elected by their district

Term
pork barreling 
Definition
wealthy people give money torwards a rep's campaign in exchange that they do a service for them (ex- fix potholes) 
Term
what is the typical approval rate of congress?
Definition

below 50%

 

ie they don't trust congress very much

Term
why do people mistrust congress?
Definition
they don't understand how congress works, it's very complex
Term
president of senate
Definition
vice president
Term
other leaders of the senate
Definition

pro-tempore

(temporary president)

longest serving senator, mostly ceremonial

Term
when is the VP in the senate?
Definition
as a tie breaker
Term
leadership in house vs leadership in senate
Definition

house = political

 

senate = ceremonial

Term
the majority party has an extra office of leadership that is...
Definition
majority leader
Term
who always wins the speaker of the house?
Definition
majority party
Term
where does  congress do most of it's research?
Definition
committees 
Term
standing committee
Definition

made up of people from the house or made up of people from the senate (all house or all senate committees)

 

The true LAW-MAKING committees

 

Term
joint committees
Definition

members from both houses 

 

very few- on policies

 

ex- committee on taxation

Term
conference committee
Definition
consolidate a house and senate bill into one bill
Term
select committee
Definition

very temporary don't last long at all

 

ex- watergate investigation

Term
perecent of bills that don't make it past committee
Definition
95%
Term
mark up
Definition

where either a committee or sub-committee goes through a bill line by line and marks up the bill/revises it 

 

(this is open to the public)

Term
rules committee
Definition

only in the house

 

decides what rules the bill will  hit the floor with 

 

it decides the amount of debate and the amending process for the bill on the house floor

Term
open rule
Definition

can have lots of debate on the house floor

 

people pushing for the bill are not very happy about this ruling

 

and the amendments don't have to be relavent to the topic of the bill (non-germane amendments)

Term
non-germane amendments
Definition

amendments to a bill that don't really have anything to do with the topic of the bill

 

reps just trying to get their ideas passed

Term
closed rule
Definition

limited debate on the house floor

 

must be germane amendments (on topic)

Term
rules committee is overseen by
Definition
the speaker
Term
filibuster
Definition
when a senator talks a bill to death 
Term
longest filibuster
Definition

24 hs 15 mins

 

Strong thurmond

Term
cloture vote
Definition

how to stop a filibuster

 

need 60 votes for this

Term
president and civil service jobs
Definition

staff is hired based on merit (pres doesn't pick them)

 

head of departments are picked by the pres

Term
President's informal resources
Definition

1. Perception of pres (does he seem powerful, respected?)

2. president's political assests (does his party like him)

3. personal skills (good at negotiating? can connect with people?)

Term
2 roles of pres
Definition

1. head of state- symbolic/ceremonial role

 

2. head of gov- more domestic role, daily activities as pres

Term
head of state powers
Definition

1. military power- commander and chief of armed forces 

2. Judicial powers- can pardon and reprieve

3. diplomatic power- pres has power to recieve ambassadors and other foreign ministers (used to acknowledge countries) AND can sign executive agreements

Term
head of government powers
Definition

1. executive power

2. military power

3. legislative power

Term

executive power 

of the head of government

Definition

has power to make sure laws are faithfully executed (appoints executive officers and federal judges) 

 

the cabinet and department heads 

 

Term

military power 

of the head of government

Definition

 

 military power- has power to protect every state against invasion and internal/domestic violence (chooses wether to send troops into a state if a state requests them)

 

 

Term

legislative power

of the head of government

Definition

1) state of the union

 

2) veto power- president can veto or pocket bills

Term
Washington's contribution to the presidency
Definition

-presidential cabinet

-legislative leader

-cooperative relationship with congress

-foreign policy

Term
jefferson as president
Definition

-wanted to limit power of national gov

-louisiana purchase (all his doing)

-successful as a party leader

 

Term
andrew jackson as president
Definition

-representative of the people

-wanted all the power, wanted to take power from congress

-created the democratic party of the democratic republican party

Term
lincoln as president
Definition

-expansion of presidential power

-was more free with money, didn't really get permission from congress

-suspends habeous corpus

 

Term
examples of how lincoln expanded 
Definition

suspended habeas corpus 

closes the mail to treasonous mail

went over congress

 

(did this to save the union)

 

Term
Teddy Roosevelt presidency
Definition

-uses emerging tech to gain support

-bully pulpit

-uses nat gov to regulate economy

-uses every tool that constitution allows him

Term
Woodrow Wilson
Definition

-bold,activist president

-brings back the state of the union as a speach

-

Term
modern presidency
Definition

-1930

-emphasis is that the executive branch is dominant

-institutionalized presidency

-Executive office of the president EOP

 

Term

EOP

executive office of the president

 

definition

Definition

came about from the brown low report during the new deal

 

the president needed help

it centralized the presidents power of the executive branch

Term
bully pulpit
Definition

when pres gets up and lays it all out and says how everything is going to work 

(his attempt to show that he is a true leader)

Term

EOP 

overview

Definition

where you find the white house staff/office

 

hundreds in it

 

depicted as a wagon wheel

Term
imperial presidencies
Definition

Johnson and Nixon

 

want to be very powerful, but doesn't work out that way

Term
no win presidencies
Definition

Ford and Carter

 non anything

 

Term
coattails
Definition

when a president is elected and other members of his party are put in congress because the president has public support

(those put in office are called coattails)

Term
rallying effects
Definition

when your opinion of the president increase when there is a rallyng event

 

-best rally= 911

 

more likely to approve a president during a rally effect

Term
ride circuit
Definition
when supreme court had to go around to the distict courts
Term
when did SC job become a better one
Definition

1890- a SC chief justice was almost killed in a small court

 

Courts of Appeal is created

Term
court of appeal
Definition

congress creates it 

 

allows cases to go to appeals courts and then to supreme court

Term
what power does congress have over the judicial branch?
Definition
it creates the lower courts
Term
judiciary act of 1789
Definition

congress creates the federal district courts

 

makes a distinction between pellet and original jurisdiction

Term
pellet jurisdiction
Definition
has to go through lower courts and appeals courts before going to the supreme court
Term
original jurisdiction
Definition
case goes straight to SC
Term
how long are federal justice's terms?
Definition

lifetime tenure

 

forever on it unless impeached by congress

Term
fed 78 by (blank) is most famous fed paper on (blank)
Definition
hamilton on judicial branch
Term
fed 57
Definition
if a lesser law conflicts with the constitution, the constitution always wins and prevails 
Term
judicial review is used the most on what level
Definition
state/local level
Term
how to get a case to the federal court
Definition

- have to have broken a civil or criminal federal law

-or if you decide to sue the federal gov

-a case between 2 people from different states (involving $75000+)

Term
how to get to the supreme court
Definition

-has to be a federal issue

 

Term
SC power over it's docate
Definition

1975

rule of 4- 4 SC justices have to agree to hear it

Term
SC normally choose (blank %) of cases that come its way
Definition

1%

typically only pick cases that the lower courts can't decide on

Term
solicitor general 
Definition

the lawyer for the federal gov/US in case someone sues the federal gov

 

3rd ranking guy in the justice system

Term
amices curiae briefs
Definition
a document that the solicitor gneral writes up on how the fed gov stands on the particular issue
Term
job of court
Definition
to interpret the law
Term
2 types of interpretation by courts
Definition

1) statutory interpretation- when the court decides what the bills/laws mean. look into history of law

2) constitutional interpretation- judicial review, the court decides what the constitution is saying

Term
limits on judicial power
Definition

1. no self start in SC- have to wait until a case comes to them

2. must be a controversy- no hypothetical cases

3. issue must be right and not moot (cases have a time limit)

4. must be justicable- has to be a legal issue, no political issues

Term
restraints on what court can hear based on 
Definition

1) starting sticisas- means let the decision stand. court tends to build on precedent don't like to overturn itself

2) has limited remedies- can only approve or disapprove of a situation can't really inforce it

3) affected by the pres and congress

Term
how SC is affected/dependent on the pres and congress
Definition

-has to have pres and congress enforce their decisions

-pres enforces (sends in troops (BrownvBoard))

-pres power to choose justices

-congress- can change law

Term
what makes it hard for pres to get agenda passed?
Definition
divided government
Term
why is article one so detailed?
Definition

founders thought it would be the most important branch 

 

legislative branch

Term
US gov elections are (blank)
Definition
staggered- so that only one part of the gov is rotated out every election
Term
who decides how you get on a committee?
Definition
parties
Term
loser of the speaker of the house run becomes the
Definition
minority leader
Term
party whips are about
Definition

organization

 

count up the votes before a big bill 

 

help to figure out if a bill is in favor or not etc etc

Term
where does most law-making happen
Definition
committees
Term
committee on comittees
Definition
each party has one and they decide who goes on each committee
Term
if you want a bill to pass you want a (blank) rule if you want it to fail you want a (blank) rule
Definition

closed- support bill

 

open- don't support bill

Term
who initiates impeachments?
Definition
house
Term
(blank) of the (blank) must vote against the impeached official to remove them from office
Definition
2/3 senate
Term
people's chamber
Definition
house
Term
assisting people in their district with problems
Definition
casework
Term
3 reasons why members of congress disagree with each other
Definition

1. party

2.region

3. socioeconomic background

Term
senators usually sit on (blank) committees congressmen sit on (blank)
Definition

4- senators

 

2-congress

Term
party leadership is chosen by 
Definition
party caucus or conference
Term
defectors punished by
Definition
reduction in funding for elections
Term
party polarization has (blank) in past 30 yrs
Definition
increased
Term
earmarking
Definition
directly sends funds to constituents/states/pet projects 
Term
3 types of appropriations
Definition

regular

continuing

supplemental

Term
pres highly involved in leg affairs, louisianna purchase without congressional approval
Definition
jefferson
Term
known for lots of vetos and establishing veto as pres power
Definition
lincoln
Term
know for vigorously expanding pres authority
Definition
lincoln
Term
established the presidency as a diplomatic position and pioneered direct communication to public
Definition
roosevelt
Term
idea that executive branch officials need to be able to advise the pres in private without any publicity
Definition
executive privilige
Term
executive agreement
Definition
an agreement with a foreign country that deosn't require a change in US law, nor need congressional approval
Term
2 presidents that have been impeached
Definition

johnson 

clinton

Term
executive orders
Definition
presidential directives with the force of law
Term
pres has (blank) authority over foreign policy compared to domestic affairs
Definition
more
Term
first tier of federal courts
Definition
district courts
Term
who decides minor cases and helps the district court judges
Definition
magistrate courts
Term
second tier of federal courts
Definition

appellate courts

 

responsible for reviewing decisions rendered by 1st tier courts

Term
formal acceptance by the supreme court to review a lower court's decision
Definition
writ of certiorari
Term
right of a court to hear a case first, rather than simply review a lower court's decision
Definition
original jurisdiction 
Term
documents that contain legal arguments of a dispute
Definition
briefs
Term
when supreme court justices gather and discuss cases, then cast preliminary votes
Definition
conference
Term
opinion that detail alternative rationales for the way the court voted
Definition
concurring opinion
Term
opinion that detail disagreement with the court's dicesion
Definition
dissenting opinion
Term
party being sued 
Definition
defendant
Term
initiates a lawsuit
Definition
plaintiff
Term
these cases deal with violation of statutes intended to protect health, safety, order, and morality
Definition
criminial cases
Term
these cases concern violation of the legal righs and/or obligations of one individual to another
Definition
civil case
Term
suits where the plaintiff is a group of individuals with a common injury
Definition
class action suits
Term
the requirement that a plaintiff must have suffered an injury to bring a case to court is 
Definition
a standing
Term
the (blank) doctrine states that courts should only accept cases where actual harm has already taken place
Definition
ripeness
Term
majority of criminal cases are resolved process of 
Definition
plea bargaining
Term
law when no legislation is currently on the topic
Definition
common law
Term
concists of laws enacted by presidents of congress, and define the relationships between individuals and the state
Definition
public law
Term
the power of the judiciary to interpret and overturn the actions taken by the legislative and executive branches
Definition
judicial review
Term
the priniciple that judges must carefully weight the decisissions of predecessors in similar cases, and come to the same decision if the basic elements of the case before them are the same
Definition
stare decisis
Term
the practice where judges avoid overturning prior decisions unless they are clearly unconstitutional 
Definition
judicial restraint
Term
the tendency of judges to give themselves leeway in the adherence to rpior court decisions, and to consider possible outcomes, public opinion, and their own preferences
Definition
judicial activism
Term
a majority of political scientists adhere to the (blank) model to analyze judicial decisions claim that judges decide issues beacuse of their policy preference
Definition
(attitudinal)
Term
some politxal scientists prefer (blank) model to analyze judicial decisions, because it considers policy preferences AND possible actions of various gov branches
Definition
strategic model
Term
the a brief written by someone who isn't a part of a case, but wants to submit and argument or info to the court
Definition
amicus curiae
Term
sunshine laws
Definition

make more information available 

create transperancy

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