Executive Branch and Political Parties Review

What are some groups of people who are excluded from voting in our country?

(1) Aliens--foreign-born residents who haven't become citizens) (2) transients--persons who plan to live in a state for only a short amount of time, the right to vote due to states not allowing them to gain legal status there

What are the limits on the power of the President?

(1) Appointments - senate must confirm (2) Treaties -senate must approve (3) War- only congress can declare war (4) Veto- can overide the veto (5) Impeachment - House of Reps can impeach president if senate finds him guilty

What are the three formal qualifications for the presidency?

(1) Be "a natural born citizen" (2) Be at least 35 years old of age (3) Have lived in the US for at least 14 years

What are the universal requirement to vote across the county?

(1) US Citizenship (2) US Residency (Most States require residency for minimum amounts of time in order to vote in the State) (3) Age—The 26th Amendment sets 18 and up

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a multi-party system?

*Benefits* (1) Provides broader representation of the people. (2) More responsive to the will of the people. (3) Give voters more choices at the polls. *Drawbacks* (1) Cause parties to form coalitions, which can dissolve easily. (2) Failure of coalitions can cause instability in government.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a two-power system?

*Benefits* (1) present readily understandable political information to voters in a convenient manner (2)provide a stable balance by accommodating varied interests and opinions (3)discourage sudden shifts in political trends which threaten government stability (4) encourage political participation *Drawbacks* (1) offers limited options (2) ignores alternative options

What are the five stages of expanding suffrage in the US? What were the major development in each?

*The Early 1800s:* religious, property, and tax payment qualifications were gradually eliminated. *The 15th Amendment (1870):* intended to end race-based voting requirements *The 19th Amendment (1920):* prohibited the denial of the right to vote because of sex. *The 1960s:* a.) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 guaranteed the right to vote for minorities. b.) The 23rd Amendment (1961) granted citizens of the District of Columbia the right to vote for presidential electors. c.) The 24th Amendment (1964) eliminated the poll tax. *The 26th Amendment (1971):* lowered the voting age to 18.

What are the main roles and duties of the president?

*chief of state* the ceremonial head of government, symbol of the people *chief executive* decides how the laws of the US are to be enforced and choosing officials and advisors to help run the Executive Branch *chief administrator* the head of federal agencies and the person responsible for implementing national policy *chief diplomat* recognizes foreign governments, makes treaties, and puts executive agreements into effect *commander of chief* controls the armed forces of America *chief legislator* the power to influence Congress in its lawmaking and to urge Congress to pass new laws or veto bills that they do not favor. *chief of party* recognized as the leader of his or her political party *chief citizen* recognized as the representative of the people and is working for the public interest

What is the difference between an executive order and a treaty?

*executive order*a pact made by the President directly with the head of a foreign state or a subordinate *treaty* a formal agreement between two or more sovereign states and MUST be approved by the senate

political action committee

A committee set up by a corporation or interest group to raise and funnels money to political candidates.

ideology

A consistent set of beliefs by groups/individuals

national convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.

open primary

A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

closed primary

A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

What is the role of minor/third parties in a two party system?

Act as a "spoiler role" in elections where one spoiler candidate's presence in the election draws votes from a major candidate with similar politics thereby causing a strong opponent of both to win.

domestic affairs

Affairs or problems inside a country

foreign affairs

Affairs or problems outside a country

electorate

All of the people entitled to vote in a given election

19th Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution extended the right to vote to women in federal or state elections.

15th Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that says that citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

incumbent

An officeholder who is seeking reelection

national committee

Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions.

Campaign Finance Reform

Efforts to limit the role of money in determining elections and public policy by regulating the financing of electoral campaigns.

consensus

General agreement

partisanship

Government action based on firm allegiance to a political party

What action is necessary to override 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 they chooses to sign it into law.

How does the Electoral College work?

Once the state has voted the result of which party won is shown to the college members. They then vote on who should get the electoral college votes and they usually go with the popular vote and give the votes to the candidate. Whichever candidate gets the 270 votes first wins.

single-issue parties

Parties that concentrate on only one public policy matter

national chairperson

Person responsible for the day-to-day activities (e.g. of a political party, usually hand-picked by the presidential nominee.

proportional plan

Proposal by which each presidential candidate would receive the same share of a state's electoral vote as he or she received in the state's popular vote

district plan

Proposal for choosing presidential electors by which two electors would be selected in each state according to the statewide popular vote and the other electors would be selected separately in each of the state's congressional districts

Why was the Electoral College constructed the way it was?

The Electoral college was made to make sure the people aren't picking a bad president because they thought most people weren't smart enough to pick the best president.

coattail effect

The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot, especially the president.

franchise

The right to vote

Who confirms presidential appointments?

The senate by majority vote.

What was Washington's opinion on political parties and thought process behind that?

Washington didn't like em like em because he thought it'd destroy the government

What does it mean to "balance the ticket"?

When a presidential candidate chooses a running mate who can strengthen his chance of being elected by virtue of certain ideological, geographic, racial, ethnic, gender, or other characteristics

The Federal Election Commission (FEC)

_____________ enforces: (a) the timely disclosure of campaign finance information (b) limits on campaign contributions (c) limits on campaign expenditures (d) provisions for public funding of presidential campaigns

splinter parties

a political party that is created when a group that is unhappy with the candidate, and sometimes the positions, of a major party breaks off from that party (e.g. Teddy's "Bull Moose" Progressive Party, 1912)

absentee voting

a process which always citizens to vote without actually going to their polling places on election day

poll tax

a special tax payment required to vote that was used to discourage blacksand exclude poor whites from voting; 24th Amendment ruled this unconstitutional.

coalition

a temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control a government

ward

a unit into which cities are often divided for the election go city council members

How are states' presidential electors chosen?

by the people

hard money

campaign funds donated directly to candidates(regulated and limited by federal or state law)

injunction

court orders that either force or restrain specific acts

plurality

in an election, the number of votes that the leading candidates obtains over the next highest candidate

swing voters

members of the electorate that have not made up their minds at the start of a campaign and are open to persuasion by either side

malfeasance

misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official

soft money

money given to State and local party organizations for "party-building activities" that is filtered to presidential or congressional campaigns (unregulated by federal or state law)

Voting Rights Act

outlawed discriminatory voting practices, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, that had been responsible for the disenfranchisement of minorities in America

ideological parties

parties based on a particular set of beliefs, a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters (e.g. the Libertarian Party)

economic protest parties

parties rooted in poor economic times, lacking a clear ideological base, dissatisfied with current conditions and demanding better times (e.g. The Greenbacks)

ordinance power

power of the president to issue executive orders; originates from the constitution and acts of congress

veto power

presidential power to stop a bill from becoming a law by rejecting it

tenet

principles, belief, conviction

gerrymandering

process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power

discretion

quality of showing self-restraint in speech or actions

bipartisan

supported by two political parties

presidential succession

the order in which officials fill the office of president in case of a vacancy (Vice President --> Speaker of the House --> President Pro-Tempore of the Senate --> Secretary of State --> Secretary of Treasury

purging (of poll books)

the process of reviewing lists of registered voters and removing the names of those no longer eligible to vote; a purification

suffrage

the right to vote

precinct

the smallest unit of election administration; the voters in each ______ cast their ballots at one policing place within their ______.

disenfranchise

to lose the right to vote