Government Chapter 2

house of representatives characteristics:

2yr terms, initiates bills to raise revenue

senate characteristics:

6yr terms, approval is required to enact treaties

in a dispute between a mining company in wv and a steel manufacturer in pa which court would have jurisdiction over the case?

a federal court

what is a bicameral legislature?

a legislative body composed of two chambers or houses

circumstances that don't require supremacy clause:

a state has different income brackets for state taxes than the national government does for federal income taxes two states have different residency requirements for in-state tuition

in what circumstances would the supremacy clause come into effect?

a state legalizes a drug that is banned by the federal government a state sets the minimum voting age to 25, while the 26th amendment specifies it is 18

13th amendment

abolished slavery

which "competent" powers' were given to the executive?

accept ambassadors negotiate treaties grant pardons

tyranny of government: antifederalists & federalists

antifed: government dominated by elites fed: government dominated by majority

which of the following about expressed powers are accurate

any power that was not an expressed power was stated to be reserved to the state or the people the necessary and proper clause gives congress flexibility to use fully the powers granted to it in the constitution expressed powers are powers clearly given to congress in the text of the constitution

both house & senate characteristics:

approval is required to enact a law

greatest to least veto gates:

bicameral legislature, elected president with veto, symmetrical legislative chambers bicameral legislature, elected president with veto, asymmetrical legislative chambers bicameral legislature, no president with veto, asymmetrical legislative chambers

va plan benefitted which states?

big & rich states

as the number of veto gates in a government increases, what effect does that have on the lawmaking process?

bills pass at a lower rate, policies are less extreme

what is not true about expressed powers

by giving these expressed powers to congress, the framers intended the executive branch to be more powerful

neither house nor senate characteristics:

can address the constitutionality of laws

which of the following are mechanisms found in the constitution that limit the national government's power?

checks & balances the bill of rights not! judicial review or the elastic clause

what did the framers not want to do at the constitutional convention?

create stronger state governments create a more democratic government

not executive powers:

declare war regulate commerce resolve interstate disputes

14th amendment

defines citizenship and applied due process to the states

true or false: bicameralism makes the government more responsive to the government

false

true or false: most proposed constitutional amendments are successfully ratified

false

true or false: the method of selecting our national officeholders has not changed since the founding

false

true or false: the necessary and proper clause allows the national government to assume new powers not mentioned in the constitution

false the necessary and proper clause allows congress to use its expressed powers to the fullest extent, but not create new powers without a constitutional amendment

federalists

favored a strong national government, feared excessive democracy

which of the following were not among the shortcomings of the articles of confederation?

foreign commerce ended because the national government had too many restrictive policies the national government failed to organize westward expansion

how did the articles of confederation influence america's foreign policy?

foreign policy became less consistent under the articles of confederation european powers refused to negotiate with america after the revolutionary war

at the time of the founding, which national level officeholders took their positions by being directly elected by american citizens?

house of representatives

what is inaccurate about judicial review?

judicial review allows the supreme court to render judgement on federal laws only, not state laws judicial review was explicitly granted to the courts in the constitution

what is accurate about judicial review?

judicial review is the power of the courts to determine whether actions by government are constitutional

how are the various constitutional amendments similar?

most are concerned with the structure of the government

colonial elite:

new england merchants, royalists, southern planters

equal representation for each state: senate

new jersey plan, great compromise

which of the following ways does article v specify the constitution may be amended?

passage in the house and senate by two-thirds vote, followed by ratification by conventions called for the purpose in three-fourths of the states passage in a national convention called for by congress, in response to petitions by two-thirds of the states, followed by ratification by majority vote of the legislatures in three-fourths of the states

united states characteristics:

presidential veto, bicameral legislature, symmetrical legislative chambers

1st amendment

protects freedom of speech, press, and religion

10th amendment

reserves certain rights for the states or people

antifederalists

responsible for a bill of rights, feared that the elite would hold the most power, supported retention of power by state governments

which key segment of the colonial elite lost its privilege the most following the revolutionary war?

royalists

what main goals did the framers have at the constitutional convention?

safeguard individual liberties build an effective governmnet

features the framers created in the constitution to limit strength of national government:

separation of powers federalism

at the time of the founding, which national level officeholders took their positions without being directly elected by american citizens?

supreme court judges the president senators

what is true about the articles of confederation?

the article of confederation left most governing responsibilities to the states. by creating a confederation, congress was given little power.

what is accurate about the revolutionary war?

the british army was more experienced and had better equipment, the colonists required outside support to defeat the british army

what are separation of powers?

the division of government among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making

features the framers did not create in the constitution to limit strength of national government:

the electoral college, the supreme court, the military

what is the bill of rights?

the first 10 amendments to the constitution that ensure certain rights and liberties to the people

which powers does the constitution explicitly grant to the judicial branch and the supreme court?

the power to resolve conflicts between state and federal laws lifetime appointments did not grant!! judicial review & the power to determine its own size and composition! did not!

what are not examples of checking powers?

the president enforcing a congressional action

what are examples of checking powers?

the president vetoing legislation the supreme court overturning a congressional action congress impeaching the president

what is federalism?

the system of government in which a constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments

what effects did british taxes have on american colonists before the revolution

the taxes led to a boycott of british made goods the taxes fostered a political alliance between colonial elites and small farmers, shopkeepers, and laborers the taxes hurt the economic interests of southern planters and new england merchants

which of the following were among the shortcomings of the articles of confederation?

the us government had no power to intervene when radical factions began influencing some state governments the us government could not enforce treaties

what are checks & balances?

the ways in which each branch of government is able to influence the activities of the other branches

what would the framers of the Constitution think about the legislative "gridlock" that is common today?

the would have been supportive because it meant the government was not acting rashly

which of the following are reasons that few amendments have been ratified?

there are multiple hurdles in the process of ratifying amendments the same people who have the power to change government procedure are the ones who benefit from it

how did the articles of confederation influence america's foreign policy? incorrect answers!

trade disputes were impossible to resolve under the articles of confederation america's bargaining power increased under the articles of confederation

true or false: the declaration of independence was written for multiple audiences when it was drafted

true

true or false: the framers attempted to help the president withstand excessively democratic pressures by filing the office through indirect rather than direct election

true! electoral college

representation based on population: house of representatives

virginia plan, great compromise

framers ideas:

while the framers upheld the idea that popular consent was important for the government's legitimacy, they feared a fully democratic system