Final Exams-AP GOV Units 1-4 (questions)

State of Nature according to Locke

all people are equal under natural laws which all have the right to perfom at any given time

Serperation of Powers

the sharing of powers among three separate branches of government

balanced budget

all deficits of all years, government spending is equal to tax revenue in a given year

Civil War and the New Deal

- Federal power grew during the civil war and then permanently expanded during the Great Depression when the federal government began taking an active role in the economy. - The New Deal is seen as the point of transition from dual to cooperative federalism

Ideas of Jean Jacque Rousseau

-elected representatives couldn't decide the will of the people -governed with a direct democracy where people voted as well as make laws of the land -people in the state of nature were okay until they were corrupted by a civilization -State of nature is neutral and peaceful conditions which act to their urges

Budget/Power of the Purse

-Congress creates and passes a federal budget

Rising entitlement costs & budgetary pressure

-Congress must generate a budget that addresses both discretionary and mandatory spending and as entitlement costs grow, discretionary spending opportunities will decrease unless tax revenue increases or the budget deficit increases

entitlement programs

-Government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need. -social secuirty, medicare, medicaid, food stamps, and unemployment benefits

budget deficit

-government spending is greater than tax revenue in a given year

party polarization

-increasing ideological difference between the two parties in the US Congress

Party Whip

-inform leadership how votes will go; keep members voting with the Party (both parties have whips in the House and the Senate)

Electoral College

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president; compromise between those who wanted Congress to vote for the president and those who wanted citizens to directly elect the president

logrolling

-Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators and vote for your interests and others

House of Representatives

-initiates all tax and revenue bills; house ways and means committee -The House is more directly accountable to the people and is up for election every two years; it was part of the great compromise -Power of Impeachment; the house has the power to impeach, or indict, the president and federal judges; the senate holds the impeachment trial

floor debate in House

-The House is more formal, more rules oriented

Speaker of the House

-leaders have more power; more rules to restict debate -most powerful person in Congress, presides over the House; influences which bills are brought to a vote, decides who to allow to speak, help pass their party legislation

pork barrel legislation

-legislation used for a representatives or senators projects, bring money and jobs home to states to get reelected, benefits one state not the whole country -an example of would be getting rid of the penny would permit mine workers to loose their jobs

Filibuster

-long speech to delay action and prevent a vote

Senate Majority Leader

-most powerful person in the Senate; schedules debate and business of the Senate; can speak first in any debate

Cloture

-a motion to cutt off debate on a bill;ends filibusters and holds; 3/5 vote including 60 members, super majority

Amendment Process

-amendment proposed by 2/3 vote of both houses of congress OR a constitutional convention called by congress on petition of 2/3 out of 50 states. -amendment ratified by 3/4 of the 50 state legislatures OR 3/4 of special constitutional conventions called by 50 states

Unanimous Consent Agreements

-an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill -typically used to restrict debate and to expedite action

Committee of the Whole

-committee that consists of an entire legislative body -the house resolves itself into a committee of the Whole to consider a specific bill -it is governed by different rules than the House, making it faster and easier to consider complex and controversial legislation -once this committee votes on the bill, it dissolves and becomes the House again

Non-Legislative Powers of the Senate

-confirmation powers provide "advice and consent" to the president for select nominators and treaties; confirm judicial nominations, cabinet heads, confirm executive agency heads; ratify treaties

Fiscal policy

-congress and the president are in charge of tax and government spending policies and creating a federal budget

budget surplus

-difference in spending in one year, tax revenue is greater than government sepending in a given year

Germaneness Requirment

-discussions and any amendments must be relevant and on topic

Double-tracking/silent filibuster

-disputed bill is shelved, senate may move on to other business -during a talking filibuster, no other action can be taken in the Senate, so in 1970, the Senate began allowing double-tracking making it less costly to fillibuster, leading to a dramatic increase in filibusters in recent decades -it now typically requires 60 votes, not 51, to pass controversial bills -neither part can control the Senate w/o 60 members

3 advantages the majority part has in congress related to the legislative process

-easier to pass laws because you have more people on your side -congressional leaders come from majority party -committee chairmen are always from the majority party

Riders

-non germane amendmets to a bill

Conference Committee

-purpose is to resolve differencies in Senate and House versions of the same bill -conference committees are necessary when the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill because a bill can only be sent to the President to sign law if the House and Senate have passed the exact same bill

House Rules Committee

-set rules for debate, time limit, and changes -most powerful committee; review bills and make rules on debate, does not edit the bill

mandatory spending

-spending that does not have to approved annually and can only be changed by new legislation, over 2/3 of federal spending

Discretionary Spending

-spending that has to be authorized every year by Congress and the President -spending on military and education

Floor Debate Senate

-the senate is less formal and has fewer rules than the house

President of the Senate

-vice president of the U.S; only presides over the Senate to cast tie-breaking votes

Federalist Paper No. 51

Argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group.

Popular Sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Republicanism

A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws; political ideology focused on citizenship in a state of nature organized in a republic

The Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

Limited Government

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution. -gets power from the people -only do what people allow it to do

Dual Federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies; their powers do not overlap

Representative Republic

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions based on the law, constitution, interest, or concerns.

Cooperative Federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. They may also share costs, administration, and responsibilities. Federal government makes the riles, giving them more power.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Federalists

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures; Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Affirmed federal control of interstate commerce under commerce clause of the Constitution.

Social Contract

An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed

Federalist No. 10

An essay composed by James Madison which argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many interests (factions) exist. Such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable; disperse power between the states and national government.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Virginia Plan

By James Madison; "Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress and stronger national government. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

Impeachment

Congress can impeach the president for high crimes or misdemeanors; the House of Representatives can impeach a president by a simple majority vote; to be impeached needs to be indicated or charged; the Senate holds the impeachment trial, it requires a 2/3 vote to remove the president or federal judge from office

Importation of Slaves Compromise

Congress could not prohibit the slave trade until 1808, but imported slaves could be taxed.

Under the Articles, Congress could...

Declare war, make treaties, raise an army, coin money, and borrow money.

Federalism

Division of power between national, state, and local governments; sovereignty is shared between national and state governments, dynamic relationship

Ideas of Baron de Montesquieu

Each branch of government was to be separate and have independent powers; Believe government elected by the people was the best way to organize a government, believed corruption would happen without a balance of powers in government

Under the Articles, Congress could not...

Tax the states or the people, regulate interstate commerce, and settle disputes.

Executive Powers

Enforce laws, make treaties, Commander in chief, Grant pardons

Government created by Articles

Established a weak federal government, established a unicameral Congress in which each state had one vote, no executive or judicial branch, and each state is sovereign

Block Grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad purposes; preferred by the states because they have more freedom to choose how to spend the money

Categorial Grants

Federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes, or "categories," of state and local spending. They come with strings attached by Congress, such as nondiscrimination provisions.

New Federalism

Federal-state relationship proposed by Reagan administration during the 1980s; hallmark is returning administrative powers to the state governments.

Under the Articles, states could...

Impose tariffs on other states, create their own currencies, and refuse to recognize federal treaties.

Shay's Rebellion (1786)

Lack of centralized military power lead to a slow response to put down the rebellion, showed the weakness of the federal government under the articles of confederation; caused more people to support a new constitution and a stronger central government

Congressional Powers

Make laws, power of the purse, declare war

implied powers

Not expressed specifically in the Constitution, but may be considerered through the use of the Necessary and Proper (elastic) Clause

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption; wanted a Bill of Rights added; place more restrictions on governmental power; eliminate the ability to tax; George Mason, Patrick Henry

Concurrent Powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments; ability to tax, borrow money, establish banks

Delegated Powers

Powers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution, for example, the authority to print money, coin money, foreign policy and trade, and immigration

expressed powers (enumerated powers)

Powers the Constitution specifically granted to one of the branches of the national government. Listed explicitly in the Constitution. Ex: right to coin money, declare war, regulate foreign and interstate trade, tax, etc.

national debt

The amount of money a national government owes to other governments or its people

Devolution

The attempt to enhance the power of state or local governments, especially by replacing relatively restrictive categorical grants-in-aid with more flexible block grants.

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution; written to address objections raised by the anti-federalists; rights people are entitled to against the government

Constitutional Convention

The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

The national government's power under the commerce clause does not permit it to regulate matters not directly related to interstate commerce (in this case, banning firearms in a school zone).

New Jersey Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population; favored small states; wished to amend the Articles of Confed.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

This act made racial, religious, and sex discrimination by employers illegal and gave the government the power to enforce all laws governing civil rights, including desegregation of schools and public places by the commerce clause

Brutus No. 1

This work by a prominent Anti-Federalist argued that that the new federal government would be too powerful. In particular, he pointed to the necessary-and-proper clause and the supremacy clause. In addition, he objected to Congress's power to tax and raise a standing army and to the vast size of the proposed republic. He felt this powerful new government would render the state governments unnecessary.

Revenue Sharing Grants

a formula distribution with few or no restrictions on the use of funds provided; federal grants distributing a portion of federal tax revenues to state and local governments;

Standing Committee

a permanent committee that meets regularly, proposed bills are referred here first, hold hearings on proposed bills, edit and makeup bills, most bills never make it out of the committee, hold hearings on implementation of law after passage, the majority party has more members in each standing committee

Elite Democracy

a theory of democracy that limits the citizens' role to choosing among competing leaders, politics, and civil society; may result in violation of minority rights

3/5ths Compromise

agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in Congress

party polarization causes and effects

causes: -clear differences on issues, more ideological primary and midterm election votes effects: -policy gridlock, fewer bills passed, more fillibusters, tougher confirmation proceedings

Participatory Democracy

emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society; a theory of democracy that holds that citizens should actively and directly control all aspects of their lives

Pluraliast Democracy

emphasizes the role of groups and policy making; protects minority rights; competition protects a group from dominating; political parties, interest groups

grants-in-aid program

grants of federal money or other resources to States, cities, counties, and other local units; allows federal government to aid and influence states

Closed rule bill

house bill that cannot be amended; time limit is usually 5 minutes or less per representative

Judicial Powers

interpret laws, review decisions of state and lower federal courts

Committee Chairs

leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee's agenda; always from the majority party

Joint Committee

legislative committee composed of members of both houses, representatives and senators

Reserved Powers

powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states; education, health and welfare, licenses, and marriage

Holds

prevent a bill from being brought to the floor

Discharge Petition

the majority of the house can vote to force a bill out of committee

Enlightenment Ideas in the Constitution

representative government, limit of government powers, federal system of government, power divided between the three branches, system of checks and balances, election of the president and Congress by the people, Bill of Right provides freedom of speech and relgiion

State of Nature according to Hobbes

solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short

Natural Rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property