Polsci 2 Mid Term

What is executive privilege?

the president's right to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public

The goals of U.S. foreign policy include ________.

A.) keeping the country safe B.) securing access to foreign markets C.) protecting human rights D.) all the above D

What is the supremacy clause?

Article VI of the Constitution regulates relationships between the federal and state governments by declaring that the Constitution and federal law are the supreme law of the land.

As stated in the podcast what does the word Senate mean?

Assembly of Elders -Appropriate considering members of the Senate must be a minimum 30 years old and members of the House of Representatives minimum 25 years old.

Who articulated the idea of a separation of powers that influenced the framers of the Constitution?

Charles Montesquieu in "The Spirit of the Laws"

What is an unfunded mandate?

Federal laws and regulations that impose obligations on state and local governments without fully compensating them for the administrative costs they incur.

What is the role of the Senate during impeachment?

Impartial Jury -After the trial, the Senate votes on whether to convict or acquit the president on each article of impeachment. Removing a President from office requires 67 votes. Acquitting a President of the charges or dismissing the charges, however, takes only 51 votes.

How does the Supreme Court make public policy?

Interprets legal issues that dispute and develops objectives to address them.

What is the Electoral College? What problems do some people feel exist with the Electoral College?

Is a group of electors established by the U.S. constitution and it forms every 4 years for the sole purpose of electing the President and Vice President. Some people feels that gives too much representation to small states and some state are missing representation. Some feel its old and obsolete and even the person who wins the most votes can still loses the election.

What did the Fourteenth Amendment achieve?

It gave citizenship to African Americans and made all Americans equal before the law, regardless of race or color.

How did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention resolve their disagreement regarding slavery?

It was agreed that 3/5 of a state's slave population would be counted for purposes of both representation and taxation.

According to the Great Compromise, how would representation in Congress be apportioned?

Representation in the House of Representatives would be based on each state's population and every state would have two senators. -two houses of Government meant that one could be another check on the government.

Why do the House of Representatives and Senate serve different length terms?

Senators are given a longer term of 6 years because their focus on Foreign policy requires them to serve longer in order to see decisions take effect.

What are the "enumerated powers" (pertaining to Congress?)

Specific powers granted to Congress by the United States Constitution.

What does the case of Miranda v. Arizona tell us about the dual court system?

That the constitutional rights of Miranda were violated and his confession was tossed out do to his 5th Amendment right being violated.

Which branch of government holds the power of the purse?

The legislative branch- In the House of Representatives

What is the bully pulpit?

Theodore Roosevelt's notion of the presidency as a platform from which the president could push an agenda

The United States is a representative democracy.

True

What is the "race to the bottom"?

a dynamic in which states compete to attract business by lowering taxes and regulations, often to workers' detriment.

What is isolationism?

a foreign policy approach that advocates a nation's staying out of foreign entanglements and keeping to itself

What is a filibuster?

a parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it

Which stage of the public policy process includes identification of problems in need of fixing?

agenda setting

What is a bureaucracy?

an administrative group of nonelected officials charged with carrying out functions connected to a series of policies and programs.

Who can write a bill?

anyone

What importance does the case of Marbury vs. Madison hold in history of the United States?

established the principle of judicial review—the power of the federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional.

What is the Bill of Rights?

first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual freedoms

What is the Magna Carta?

it established the principle that everyone is subject to the law, even the king, and guarantees the rights of individuals, the right to justice and the right to a fair trial.

What is gerrymandering?

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.

The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 helps citizens exercise oversight over the bureaucracy by ________.

opening government records to citizen scrutiny

What is precedent?

the principles or guidelines established by courts in earlier cases that frame the ongoing operation of the courts, steering the direction of the entire system