ap gov midterm
what were fireside chats
FDR's way of secretly communicating w his people on the radio
public bill
a bill dealing with general matters and applying to the entire nation such as tax reform
amicus curiae
a brief submitted by a "friend of the court", people's input on the case
politico
a combination of trustee and delegate, taking both sides on an issue ex: passing a law but tweaking it to their liking
what is the hatch act
a federal law prohibit government employees from active participation in political parties
what is the office of management and budget
advises pres in making budget wish list
what is the congressional budget office
agency within congress that works with congress to achieve things on the presidents wish list
how did jackson expand the presidency
altered the relationship between congress and the pres, he vetoed more bills than the last 6 pres combines, nullification crisis and the force bill
article 5
amendment process: 2/3 of congress and 3/4 of states
germaneness rule
amendments that are added to a bill must address the same subject as the bill
what is the presidential paradox
americans want strong leaders but fear too much power, they want the gov to small an limited yet solve all society's problems
discretionary spending
amount of spending that is set by congress thru appropriations process ex: defense, housing, education
what is the litmus test
an examination of the political ideology of a nominated judge
what are the powers of the president?
appointment, convene congress, commander in chief, pardon, make treaties, and veto
how can pres control the bureaucracy
appoints the heads of the commissions, can issue executive orders to compel agencies to do/ not do something
what article and section is the power of impeachment in
article 1 section 4
what article and section gives the senate the power of advice and consent
article 2 section 2
rider bill
attached legislation to a major bill, because it is not likely to pass on its own, has little connection to the bill
how did FDR expand the presidency
began modern presidency, pres started assuming bigger role in decision making, his new deal programs were an attempt to save the economy during the great depression, this made the president greater than congress
keynesian (demand-side) economics
believes that the gov should increase spending and spend whatever it needs to in order to stimulate the economy: created by John Maynard Keynes in the 1930s: used by FDR in the Great Depression, focused on the short run and not worried about the budget
supply-side economics
believes the gov needs to have less interference in the economy ex: reagenomics
private bill
bill that deals only with specific/ certain individuals or organizations
step 1 of bill to law process
bills must be introduced by a member of congress (revenue bills must start in the house, anything else can come from either)
what are pa's 2 senators
bob casey and pat toomey
gov corporations
businesses established by congress to perform vital services to americans, no profit ex: USPS, amtrak
role of supreme court in conducting policy
can declare things unconstitutional
how can the courts control the bureaucracy
can declare things unconstitutional from indep. regulatory commission
laboratories of democracy
idea that states can practice federalism when gov says something is illegal but states say legal ex: weed
policy process: policy formulation
identification of approaches
step 5: final approval
if both houses approve a different bill then they meet in a conference committee and create a compromise and the bill is sent back to each house for final approval and then sent to the president
pres amendments: 25th amendment
if the pres is unable to do his/her job, the vp becomes the pres for the time being or for the rest of the term
congress check on executive branch
impeachment
where does the country's money come from?
income tax- 16th amendment
ex of chief legislator
influencing congress on lawmaking (inviting a members of congress to lunch to persuade them to sign a bill)
what is judicial activism
interpreting the constitution in a more modern way, deciding on something that requires people to do more
what is judicial restraint
interpreting the constitution in exactly by the words, not really "fixing" any problems, weaker veiw of the court
what was the first indep. regulatory commission
interstate commerce commission
concepts embedded in the declaration:
natural rights, social contract, limited government, popular sovereignty, republicanism
simple resolution
no force of law, an expression of opinion either in the house or senate to settle procedural matters in either body, changes rules of the chamber
concurrent resolutions
no force of law, congressional opinion that requires house and senate approval but not the president's, makes rules for amendments and budget
appointment/ removal powers
nominates cabinet and bureaucracy leaders ( but mostly judges and justices) and the senate confirms
step 4 (senate)
not as strict, you need unanimous consent agreement or there could be a filibuster,
what is the president pro tempore
oldest person in the senate (currently patrick lehy)
conference committees
only needed if there is dispute between bills passed
power to pardon
only unchecked power: pres can pardon anyone at federal level (presidential check on judicial
what is an initiative
procedure that allows for laws to be placed on a ballot and voted on ex: marijuana
non means tested programs
provide assistance for people who qualify (medicare)
what is patronage
providing a government job to someone in exchange for their political support
article 7
ratifying the constitution: 9/13 of the colonies
what ways can states interact with the gov
recall, referendum, initiative
gerrymandering
redrawing district lines to benefit a certain political party
policy process: policy evaluation
reflection of policy
indep. regulatory commissions (independent executive agencies)
regulates government actions, isolated from the pres, can only be removed for "cause" and not at will, they have quasi-legislative and judicial power ex: FDA
monetary policy
regulation of the nation's supply of money and influencing interest rates (federal reserve)
political system of the u.s.
republic, representative democracy
means tested program
require people to have incomes below a certain level to get assistance from this program (food stamps, medicaid)
war powers resolution
required the pres to notify congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days ( + 30 days withdrawal period) without congressional authorization for use of military force
what is apellate jurisdiction (appellate courts)
reviews the facts of the case after its been heard
how can congress control the bureaucracy
rewriting laws, budgets (appropriations), and holding hearings (oversight)
what are executive orders
rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law that overlooks congress, congress can pass a law to override an exectutive order
policy process: policy adoption
selection of policies through legislative, executive, and judicial means
who does not have rider bills
senate
power to make treaties
senate approves treaties with 2/3 vote, the pres can issue an exectutive agreement and overstep and the senate and approve the treaty him/herself
articles 1-3 of the constitution:
separation of powers: establishes the 3 branches of gov
unaminous consent agreement
set terms for bills up for consideration (set time limits, amendments), all senators must agree for vote
what outlined all the weaknesses of the federal government
shay's rebellion
pork barrel spending
the appropriation of government spending for projects that are intended primarily to benefit particular constituents
who is the solicitor general
the attorney that represents the United States in cases before the Supreme Court
what was the purpose of federalist 10
the best way to solve factions is by creating a large republic government
how does the bureaucracy interact with congress and interest groups (iron triangle)
the bureaucracy enforces the laws
unfunded mandates
the gov forcing states to do something without giving them money to do so
who has the germaneness rule
the house
fiscal federalism
the idea of categorical, block grants, and unfunded mandates
limited government
the idea that the government can only do what the people allow it to do
who investigates court nominees
the ABA (started w eisenhower), senate judiciary could create other committees for further investigation
who is the federal bureaucracy
thousands of government organizations/ agencies with millions of unelected officials, considered the 4th branch of gov
what is the federal reserve's job
to control inflation and limit unemployment
what are some global factors that interact with america's foreign policy
trade, diplomacy, foreign aid
policy process: policy implementation
actual funding and application of policy
log rolling:
"i'll vote for your legislation if you vote for mine"
pres amendments: 20th amendment
"lame duck"- moves inauguration date from march 4th to jan 3 (congress) and jan 20 (president)
stare decisis
"let the decision stand"; decisions are based on precedents from previous cases
what was the purpose of brutus 1
(anti- fed) warns about a large republic and the necessary + proper and supremacy clause, says how it's dangerous that the gov can overpower states
what is contractionary policy
(during inflation, trying to shrink the economy) increase taxes or lowering spending
dual federalism
(layered cake) the powers of the federal gov and state gov are strictly defined
what is the 10th amendment
(not directly written anywhere, not in the constitution) any powers not directly granted to the fed gov are given to the states
natural rights
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
executive departments (cabinet)
15 departments, led by secretaries and 1 attorney general, all must be confirmed by senate and can be fired at will, they fight each other for money and resources
what amendment changed the way we elect senators
17th
the great compromise:
2 senators per state, house of reps was determined by size of state
house terms
2 years so they can pay attention back home
qualifications for house of reps
25 years old, citizen for 7 years, resident of state they represent (most closely ties to the people)
describe oral arguments
30 mins to argue their case to the court, judges are allowed to ask questions and interrupt during
qualifications for senate
30 yrs old, citizen for 9 years, live in state
requirements to be president
35 years old, natural-born citizen, US resident for 14 years
senate terms
6 years with 1/3 elected every two years
independent executive agencies
narrower areas of responsibility, can work outside of executive control (NASA)
discharge petition
a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in committee
policy process: agenda setting
a problem must exist that is called to attention of gov
what is a hold
a tactic by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill is brought to the floor
select/ special committees
a temporary committee appointed for a specific purpose (9/11)
joint resolutions
can have the force of law, formal expression of congressional opinion that is passed by both houses of congress and president, can include amendment proposals like bills
interest groups and lobbying in the confirmation process off a judge in the supreme court
can pay members of congress to vote for certain judges
how can interest groups control the bureaucracy
can use money to influence members of congress to vote certain ways
reapportiment act of 1929
capped the number of reps at 435
pres amendments: 22nd amendment
caused by FDR, 2 term limits, each term is 4 years
is house of reps centralized or decentralized
centralized (more rules, more strict, can't really act out of line)
what was the purpose of federalist 51
checks and balances are necessary in government, "ambition must counteract ambition" ( counters brutus 1) (james madison)
what are the roles of the pres
chief of state, chief executive, chief diplomat, commander in chief, chief legislator, chief of party, guardian of the economy
social contract
citizens give up some of their rights to be protected by the gov
how do you stop a filibuster
cloture (60 votes)
for jess bc she's an effing idiot: us v lopez
commerce clause doesn't work w guns
step 3 of btl process
committee action: favorable, unfavorable, amend, pigeonhole actions
markup phase
committee members going through bills and making changes such as submitting amendments
step 2 of the bill to law process
committee referral: bills are referred to their committees
joint committees
committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses.
powers of the senate
conduct impeachment trials, review and approve pres nominees, elect v.p. incase of tie, approve treaties made by pres with 2/3 vote and amend them
congress check on judicial
confirmation of judges
how does congress interact with bureaucracy (iron triangle)
congress approves appointments
what is jurisdiction stripping
congress can alter that court's ability to hear certain types of cases
what did shay's rebellion lead to
constitutional convention
What was the Judiciary Act of 1789?
created the federal courts-Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Courts
what did the pendleton act do
created the merit system (employment based on qualification and ability rather than loyalty), created a bipartisan/ 3 member civil service commission which is now the office of personnel management
criminal court:
deals w criminal actions; murder, assault (difficult to find someone guilty)
civil court:
deals with disputes between people; problems with landlord (easy to find someone guilty)
is the senate centralized or decentralized
decentralized (less rules, less strict bc of less people)
rules committee (house of reps)
decides terms for debate
apportionment definition
dividing districts in the states based on population
subcommittees
divisions of standing committees that deal with specific issues in the area handled by their primary committees
3/5 compromise:
each slave would count for 3/5 of a person for taxation and representation purposes
pres amendments: 12th amendment
election of the pres and vp (seperate electoral college votes)
role of pres in conducting policy
enforces policy, uses their agency to research
what did the 16th amendment do
established federal income tax and expanded the funding to new agencies
what did article 3 do
established the national judiciary includes the SCOTUS and jurisdiction of the courts
client politics
everybody pays, small group benefits ex: price supports for farmers
majoritarian politics
everyone pays and everyone benefits ex: social security
what are the 3 groups of the federal bureaucracy
executive departments (cabinet), independent agencies (indep executive agencies + regulatory commissions), gov corporations, EOP
check on legislative
executive orders
how do the legislative and executive branch interact
executive puts people in and the legislative branch confirms them
step 4 of btl process (house of reps)
floor debate, rules committee sets up rules for debate, restrictive/ closed rule is strict limits on debate and confines amendments to those only proposed in committee then debate and must reach quorum (218 votes)
gulf of tonkin resolution
gave pres a lot of unchecked war powers
categorical grants
gives the gov control by giving states money and saying what they have to use it on
what os foreign policy
goals that foreign officials try to obtain
some of the weaknesses of the articles of confederation
government couldn't impose taxes, raise an army, didn't have a judicial system or executive authority
what is the purpose of the federal bureaucracy
help administer, implement, and regulate laws
EOP
helps the president, most important is office of management and budget which assembles the fed budget and executive branch
what does the senate judiciary do in the confirmation process
holds investigations and oversight over the confirmation process
fiscal policy
how much the gov taxes and how much they spend (congress + pres)
appropriations committee (house and senate)
how the money gets spent (power of the purse)
congress was more powerful than the president until these presidents
jackson, lincoln, FDR
who was the youngest ELECTED president
jfk <3
for jess bc she's an effing idiot: marbury v madison
judicial review
what did marbury v madison establish
judicial review
block grants
just giving money to the state without saying what is has to be used for
pork barrel legislation:
legislation that brings money back to the states
how do the legislative and judicial branch interact
legislative branch votes on judges
who is pa's rep in the house of reps
lloyd smucker
what is expansionary policy
lower taxes and increase gov spending (during a recession); supply v demand
what is the nuclear option
majority changes rules to simple majority (60 to 51)
most powerful person in the senate
majority leader (currently chuck schumer)
what is the main purpose of the iron triangle
make/ interact with policy
role of bureaucracy in conducting policy
makes rules, investigate + research thru cabinets
delegate
member taking into account what the people want, doing what they say
mandatory spending
money that the gov is required to spend by law
for jess bc she's an effing idiot: mccullough v maryland
n+p clause, federal supremacy
what does the pension office do
pay benefits to the thousands of union soldiers (effect of the civil war)
trustee
people are trusting member of congress to explain/make the best decision for them
what is a referendum
people can strike down legislation, people can get rid of laws they don't like
republicanism
people elect representatives to serve in government
what are the standing committees
permanent committees such as rules committee, ways, and means committee, and appropriations committee
check on judicial branch
pres can pardon
step 6: president's desk
pres has the option to sign the bill or veto it
ex of chief executive
pres is the boss, appoints people
what is bully pulpit
president bullies congress to vote his/her way
check on pres
presidential vetoes can be overridden with a 2/3 vote from congress
entrepreneurial politics
small group pays, large group benefits ex: limiting emissions from factories
interest group politics
small group pays, small group benefits ex: taxing the rich to pay for educational programs
most powerful person in the house
speaker of the house (currently nancy pelosi)
cooperative federalism
state and national governments are intertwined "marble cake"
article 4
state relations: full faith + credit clause says states must recognize other states laws privileges+ immunities clause: citizens cannot be discriminated against because they're from out of state
redistricting definition
states redraw lines to adjust to population changes every 10 yrs ( state gov does this)
article 6
supremacy clause: constitution is the supreme law of the land
mandates
terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants
what is original jurisdiction (district courts)
the original case before it gets appealed
popular sovereignty
the people can abolish the government if they infringe on their rights
what is the spoils system
the practice of firing hold office holders and rewarding government jobs to loyal supporters of the party that wins an election (a. jackson)
power to convene congress
the pres can call congress back to keep working at any time
veto power
the pres can veto any piece of legislation except joint resolutions, the threat of veto is just as powerful as actual veto
what is senatorial courtesy
the pres goes to the highest ranked person in their party to ask for appointment suggestions to fill a district/ appellate court
in what ways do various branches of gov share the power to impact foreign policy?
the pres negotiates and congress confirms
what is federalism
the relation between federal and state powers
what is executive privilege
the right to keep communications confidential to the presidency ex nixon refusing to give over watergate tapes
what is advice and consent of the senate
the senate's ability to ratify treaties, confirm judicial appointments and the presidents cabinet
what is judicial review
the supreme court's authority to decide if a law violates the constitution
what did federalist 78 discuss
the weaknesses of the judicial branch, they don't have the power of purse or the sword
ways +means committee (house of reps)
this committee raises the money (taxes) (members cannot serve on another committee)
for what reason can the pres be impeached
treason, bribery, high crimes, misdemeanors
how did lincoln expand the presidency
used the "take care" clause in article 2 to expand presidential powers by raising and army w/o congress, spent money w/o congress approval, suspended habeas corpus
what is recall
vote people out of office
powers of the house of reps
vote to impeach president, approve foreign trade treaties, elect president incase of E.C. tie
what is a deficit
we're in debt, we're always here
how has america's approach to fp changed
we've become more involved, more interference in fp
describe imperial presidency
when a pres starts bending the constitution to expand powers above and beyond traditional interpretation ex: nixon w watergate scandal
what is a surplus
when the gov has extra money
what two thinks have to happen for the SCOTUS to hear a case
writ of cert and rule of four
