Federal Government Exam 2

How are US senators chosen; what are the requirements to be a U.S. senator?

1) they must be at least 30 years old, 2) they must have been citizens of the United States for at least the past 9 years, and 3) they must be inhabitants of the states they seek to represent at the time of their election.

Has the size of the President's staff has generally remained small to promote effective oversight of executive branch activities?

no the cabinet is quite large

Explain what Richard Neustadt, in Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents, argues about. What does he posit?

"Presidential power is the power to persuade." (11) Presidents are expected to do much more than their authority allows them to do. Persuasion and bargaining are the means that presidents use to influence policy. Not only do presidents need to bargain to influence other branches of government (particularly Congress), but presidents also must bargain to influence the executive branch itself; cabinet secretaries, agency heads, and individual bureaucrats all have leverage that they can use against the president, requiring presidents to persuade even the executive branch, not merely command it.

How are US congressman chosen; what are the requirements to be a US congressman?

A candidate must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the United States for at least 7 years and live in the state you wish to represent. If you are considering running for the Senate, the requirements are 30 years old and citizen for at least 9 years and must live in the state you wish to represent.

Explain why the President is the commander in chief of the Nation's armed forces?

A commander-in-chief is the person or body that exercises supreme operational command and control of a nation's military forces or significant elements of those forces. In the latter case, the force element is those forces within a particular region, or associated by function. As a practical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a nation-state's executive leadership—either a head of state, a head of government, a minister of defence, a national cabinet, or some other collegial body. Often, a given country's commander-in-chief (if held by an official) need not be or have been a commissioned officer or even a veteran. This follows the principle of civilian control of the military.

Do a majority of Americans approve and appreciate current congressional performance and its members?

nope

Define political ideology; what is it?

An ideology is a set of beliefs that affects our outlook on the world. Our ideology is our most closely held set of values and feelings, and it acts as the filter through which we see everything and everybody. In fact, these beliefs are often so close to us that we do not realize that they are there. We simply think that our beliefs are natural and obviously true. Religion is one type of ideology, and religious belief affects a person's views.

Are the basic powers of Congress outlined in Artile I, Section 2?

Article I, Section 8 of Constitution lists 27 expressed powers of Congress Include power to declare war, levy taxes, regulate commerce and currency

Explain the process for the congressional override of a presidential veto?

If the Congress overrides the veto by a two-thirds majority in each house, it becomes law without the President's signature. Otherwise, the bill fails to become law unless it is presented to the President again and he or she chooses to sign it. Historically, the Congress overrides the Presidential veto less than 10% of the time.[12] A bill can also become law without the President's signature if, after it is presented to him or her, he or she simply fails to sign it within the ten days noted. If there are fewer than ten days left in the session before Congress adjourns, and if Congress does so adjourn before the ten days have expired in which the President might sign the bill, then the bill fails to become law. This procedure, when used as a formal device, is called a pocket veto.

Explain the results of the 1964 Supreme Court case Wesberry v. Sanders.

James P. Wesberry, Jr. filed a suit against the Governor of Georgia, Carl E. Sanders, protesting the state's apportionment scheme. The Fifth Congressional District, of which Wesberry was a member, had a population two to three times larger than some of the other districts in the state. Wesberry claimed this system diluted his right to vote compared to other Georgia residents.

Who is the current Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?

John Roberts

What was the impact of the case Marbury v. Madison? Explain it.

Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803) is a landmark case in United States law and the basis for the exercise of judicial review of Federal statutes by the Supreme Court of the United States under Article Three of the United States Constitution.

What is the Office of Management and Budget; what does it do? What professionals would typically work in that office?

Over 500 people work at OMB today, serving as the senior management team that gathers, analyzes and filters budget requests. The OMB also reviews various federal agency regulations and issues presidential edicts dictating future management practices for federal agencies. OMB is the president's representative when it comes to spending and tax revenue estimates. Reports issued by the OMB present the White House's own take on policy and spending, usually countering or complementing those of the Congressional Budget Office, the Treasury Department, and the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Explain political socialization?

Political socialization is the "study of the developmental processes by which people of all ages and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes, and behaviors".[1] It refers to a learning process by which norms and behavior acceptable to a well running political system are transmitted from one generation to another. It is through the performance of this function that individuals are inducted into the political culture and their orientations towards political objects are formed

Explain the real purpose of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's court-packing plan?

Roosevelt's court-packing plan was intended to prevent the US Supreme Court from declaring his New Deal legislation unconstitutional by adding justices who favored his policies and to change the balance of the Court toward liberalism.

What government program is called the third rail of American politics by politicians; why is the program called the third rail?

Social security, because its too controversial a topic to put on your platform when you run for election, and is hrd to change anything without major backlash

What is the function of the Senate Ways and Means Committee?

The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership. The Committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other programs including: Social Security Unemployment benefits Medicare Enforcement of child support laws Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal welfare program Foster care and adoption programs

Annually, how many cases does the Supreme Court typically decide on?

The Court receives approximately 10,000 petitions for a writ of certiorari each year. The Court grants and hears oral argument in about 75-80 cases.

What did the Judiciary Act of 1801 accomplish?

The Judiciary Act of 1801 reduced the size of the Supreme Court from six justices to five and eliminated the justices' circuit duties. To replace the justices on circuit, the act created sixteen judgeships for six judicial circuits. The U.S. circuit courts over which the new judges were to preside gained jurisdiction over all cases arising under the Constitution and acts of the United States. The requirements for diversity suits (cases involving parties from different states) made it easier for creditors to recover debts in federal courts. In many cases, most importantly those involving land, restrictions on jurisdictional amounts were removed. In other cases jurisdictional amounts were reduced and the transfer of cases from state courts made easier. The division of states to create additional circuit and district courts further encouraged citizens to rely on the federal rather than state courts.

What is the function of the National Security Council? What does it do for the President?

The National Security Council (NSC) is the President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception under President Truman, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies. The Council also serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government agencies.

Describe the "necessary and proper clause."

The Necessary and Proper Clause refers to a section of the United States Constitution that grants Congress the authority to create and enforce laws that are deemed "necessary and proper" by the powers granted to the branches of the government by the Constitution's various provisions. The clause is found under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Explain the Brownlow Report

The President's Committee on Administrative Management, commonly known as the Brownlow Committee or Brownlow Commission, was a committee that in 1937 recommended sweeping changes to the executive branch of the United States government. The recommendations made by the committee resulted in the creation of the Executive Office of the President. It had three members; they were Louis Brownlow, Charles Merriam, and Luther Gulick. The staff work was managed by James P. Harris, Director of Research for the committee.

What are the functions of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees?

The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate. The entrance to the Senate Appropriations Committee in the United States Capitol The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate, with 30 members in the 114th Congress. Its role is defined by the U.S. Constitution, which requires "appropriations made by law" prior to the expenditure of any money from the Treasury, and is therefore one of the most powerful committees in the Senate.[1] The committee was first organized on March 6, 1867, when power over appropriations was taken out of the hands of the Finance Committee The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. The United States House Committee on Appropriations is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart.[1] The bills passed by the Appropriations Committee regulate expenditures of money by the government of the United States. As such, it is one of the most powerful of the committees, and its members are seen as influential.

Explain the War Powers Act.

The War Powers Resolution (also known as the War Powers Resolution of 1973) (50 U.S.C. 1541-1548) is a federal law intended to check the president's power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress. The Resolution was adopted in the form of a United States Congress joint resolution.

Explain the function of a court of appeal? What does it do?

The authority of appellate courts to review decisions of lower courts varies widely from one jurisdiction to another.

Describe how assignments to committees are made?

The individual parties in Congress make standing committee assignments before the parties put the final assignments up to a vote on the floor of the U.S. House or U.S. Senate. The composition of each committee is a ratio of each chamber for the majority and the minority parties. Members go through a party process to determine assignment of each committee

Does Article three of the Constitution explicitly provide the Supreme Court with the power of judicial review?

While the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly define a power of judicial review, the authority for judicial review in the United States has been inferred from the structure, provisions, and history of the Constitution.

Is the Department of Justice is by far the most frequent and most important litigant in the federal court system, where it is the primary representative of the federal government?

Yes and in washington dc

Explain Constitutional courts; what is thier function?

a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e., whether they conflict with constitutionally established rights and freedoms

What was the impact of the case McCulloch v. Maryland? Explain it.

a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. The state of Maryland had attempted to impede operation of a branch of the Second Bank of the United States by imposing a tax on all notes of banks not chartered in Maryland. Though the law, by its language, was generally applicable to all banks not chartered in Maryland, the Second Bank of the United States was the only out-of-state bank then existing in Maryland, and the law was recognized in the court's opinion as having specifically targeted the Bank of the United States. The Court invoked the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution, which allowed the Federal government to pass laws not expressly provided for in the Constitution's list of express powers, provided those laws are in useful furtherance of the express powers of Congress under the Constitution. This case established two important principles in constitutional law. First, the Constitution grants to Congress implied powers for implementing the Constitution's express powers, in order to create a functional national government. Second, state action may not impede valid constitutional exercises of power by the Federal government

Explain a standing committee; what is it?

a permanent committee that meets regularly

Explain gerrymandering; what is it?

a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries to create partisan advantaged districts. The resulting district apportionment is known as a gerrymander (/ˈdʒɛriˌmændər/); however, that word can also refer to the process. When used to allege that a given party is gaining disproportionate power, the term gerrymandering has negative connotations.

Explain the margin of error in a poll; what affects it?

a statistic expressing the amount of random sampling error in a survey's results. It asserts a likelihood (not a certainty) that the result from a sample is close to the number one would get if the whole population had been queried. The likelihood of a result being "within the margin of error" is itself a probability, commonly 95%, though other values are sometimes used. The larger the margin of error, the less confidence one should have that the poll's reported results are close to the true figures; that is, the figures for the whole population. Margin of error applies whenever a population is incompletely sampled.

Explain what bully pulpit means. What did Theodore Roosevelt think of the bully pulpit?

a sufficiently conspicuous position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to. This term was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, who referred to the White House as a "bully pulpit", by which he meant a terrific platform from which to advocate an agenda. Roosevelt used the word bully as an adjective meaning "superb" or "wonderful", a more common usage in his time than it is today. Another expression which survives from this era is "bully for you", synonymous with "good for you".

True of False, after bills have been referred to committee, the most common outcome is that nothing happens?

false

Describe framing? What does framing mean to pollsters?

framing comprises a set of concepts and theoretical perspectives on how individuals, groups, and societies organize, perceive, and communicate about reality. Framing involves social construction of a social phenomenon - by mass media sources, political or social movements, political leaders, or other actors and organizations. It is an inevitable process of selective influence over the individual's perception of the meanings attributed to words or phrases. It is generally considered[by whom?] in one of two ways: as frames in thought, consisting of the mental representations, interpretations, and simplifications of reality, and frames in communication, consisting of the communication of frames between different actors.

Explain the duties and responsibilities of the Speaker of the House.

he Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the Speaker of the House (or simply, the Speaker), serves as the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Speaker fulfills several roles, including representing constituents as a Member of Congress, acting as administrative head of the House, and serving as leader of the majority political party in the House. The Speaker is second in the U.S. presidential line of succession after the vice president, but no Speaker has ever acted as president. The current Speaker of the House is John Boehner (Ohio).

Explain executive orders; what authorizes the President to create executive orders?

issue executive orders to help officers and agencies of the executive branch manage the operations within the federal government itself. Executive orders have the full force of law when they take authority from a legislative power which grants its power directly to the Executive by the Constitution, or are made pursuant to Acts of Congress that explicitly delegate to the President some degree of discretionary power (delegated legislation).[1] Like both legislative statutes and regulations promulgated by government agencies, executive orders are subject to judicial review, and may be struck down if deemed by the courts to be unsupported by statute or the Constitution. Major policy initiatives require approval by the legislative branch, but executive orders have significant influence over the internal affairs of government, deciding how and to what degree legislation will be enforced, dealing with emergencies, waging 72-hour length strikes on enemies, and in general fine-tuning policy choices in the implementation of broad statutes.

Explain sampling; what is it? In sampling is it better to have more responses or less responses?

its basically a poll of a group of people to see how the world will react to the poll

Explain judicial acitivism.

refers to judicial rulings suspected of being based on personal or political considerations rather than on existing law. It is sometimes used as an antonym of judicial restraint.[1] The definition of judicial activism, and which specific decisions are activist, is a controversial political issue, particularly in the United States. The question of judicial activism is closely related to constitutional interpretation, statutory construction, and separation of powers.

Explain the doctrine of judicial review?

the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with judicial review power may invalidate laws and decisions that are incompatible with a higher authority, such as the terms of a written constitution. Judicial review is one of the checks and balances in the separation of powers: the power of the judiciary to supervise the legislative and executive branches when the latter exceed their authority. The doctrine varies between jurisdictions, so the procedure and scope of judicial review may differ between and within countries.

What is the is the simple definition of public opinion proposed by political scientist V. O. Key Jr.?

those opinions held by private persons which the government find it prudent to heed

What did the ruling of the case Dred Scott v. Sandford assert?

was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court held that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court,[2][3] and that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the federal territories acquired after the creation of the United States. Dred Scott, an enslaved African American man who had been taken by his owners to free states and territories, attempted to sue for his freedom. In a 7-2 decision written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, the Court denied Scott's request. For only the second time to that point in its history, the Supreme Court ruled an Act of Congress to be unconstitutional.

Expressed opinions are believed to be what by most public opinion scholars?

we believe public opinion should influence what gov't does 2) a lot of people actually behave as though public opinion does matter, and to the degree that they measure, record and react to it

Do self-serving elites routinely manipulate public opinion?

yes

Has Congress coped with its growing workload by adding staff and specialized research agencies?

yes

are party's committee members, like party leaders, the party's agents, and party majorities use their ultimate control over committee assignments to keep their agents responsive to the party's desires?

yes duh

Has the US military been continuously engaged somewhere in the world, since 1989

yes. holy shit yes we have been in everyone's buisness.