Created by megan.feret
about 10 years ago
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Question | Answer |
Grassroots Protest | -when people protest for their beliefs |
Astroturf Protest | -people are paid to protest -it's fake like "astroturf" |
Reapportionment | -the population shifts so the seats of the House of Representatives are redistributed |
Redistricting | -to divide anew into districts, as for administrative or electoral purposes |
Gerrymandering | -manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class. |
Filibuster | -a tactic used to delay or prevent action on a bill by extending the debate on it |
Incumbent | --those who currently hold political office - |
Incombent Advantage | -the electoral edge enjoyed by members of Congress running for reelection, which derives from their legislative experience, communication with constituents, and resources from previous campaigns and campaign networks |
Logrolling | -exchanging political favors, such as votes, to achieve mutually beneficial legislative outcomes |
Omnibus Bill | -A draft law before a legislature which contains more than one substantive matter, or several minor matters which have been combined into one bill, ostensibly for the sake of convenience |
Pork-Barreling | -patronage -when politicians or governments "unofficially" undertake projects that benefit a group of citizens in return for that group's support or campaign donations |
Unified Government | -the situation occurring when the same party controls the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the White House |
Divided Government | - the situation occurring when one party controls the White House and another party controls the House, the Senate, or both |
Majority Party | -left wing -democratic party -a political party that holds substantial influence in a country's politics, standing in contrast to a minor party |
Minority Party | -right wing -republican party -sub to major party |
Standing Committee | -a permanent committee of the House or the Senate that reviews and reports legislation to the full chamber |
Conference Committee | - a temporary committee composed of members from both the House and the Senate responsible for working out the differences between chamber versions of a bill |
Primary Election | -nominating election -win the party's nomination |
General Election | -election in which all voters make the final choice from among the party nominees and the independent candidates for a specific office |
Mid-Term Election | -general election -occurs two years into the term of a president -held every two years - some members of the US Senate, all members of the House of Representatives, and many state and local positions are voted on |
Delegate Representation | -form of representation whereby the people decide on the legislation to be passed and the representative simply puts the bill together and votes for it |
Trustee Representation | -representatives should be allowed to use their own judgment when deciding upon how they will vote on particular legislation -regardless of what majority thinks |
Polarization | -a sharp division, as of a population or group, into opposing factions |
Executive Privilege | -The right of the president of the United States to withhold information from Congress or the courts. |
Executive Order | -a "grant of executive power" given in Article II of the Constitution -legislative body is not required to approve any executive order, nor can it overturn an order |
Veto | -the president refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law -when the president returns the legislation to the house in which it originated -veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House |
Veto Override | -veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House |
State of the Union | - address presented by the President of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress (annually) -reports on the condition of the nation but also allows presidents to outline their legislative agenda |
Cabinet | -composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, who are generally the heads of the federal executive departments |
Senatorial Courtesy | -a tacit agreement among senators not to vote for any presidential nominee who is opposed by the senators from the nominee’s home state |
Rhetorical Presidency | -presidents regularly appeal over the heads of Congress to the people at large to generate support for public policies |
Original Jurisdiction | -the power to hear a case for the first time -The Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction |
Appellate Jurisdiction | -the power to review cases originally heard in a lower court -The Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction |
Amicus Curiae | -a type of brief filed by a "friend of the court" or someone who is not directly involved in the case at hand -Interest groups often file this type of brief to provide information to the Court to assist in its decision-making process |
Certiorari | -a request from a high court to a lower court for records of a case to be sent for review |
Concurring Opinion | -an opinion that agrees with the conclusion, but not the reasoning, of the majority opinion of the Court |
Stare Decisis | -the principle of deferring to precedent (A case or issue decided by a court that can be used to help answer future legal questions) |
Precedent | -A case or issue decided by a court that can be used to help answer future legal questions |
Dissenting Opinion | -an opinion that disagrees with the conclusion of the majority opinion of the Court |
Judicial Activism | -a judicial philosophy that calls for judges to protect the jurisdiction and interests of the Court in a government of separated powers and to invalidate federal and state law when necessary -contemporary POV of Constit. |
Judicial Restraint | -a judicial philosophy that calls for judges to respect the roles of the other branches of federal and state government, to refrain from invalidating federal and state law whenever possible, and to respect stare decisis -limit POV to liberal or original text |
Speaker of the House? and Leader of Majority Party? | -Rep. John Boehner |
Majority Leader? | -Rep. Kevin McCarthy |
Democratic Leader? | -Rep. Nancy Pelosi |
Majority Whip? | -Rep. Steny Hoyer |
Democratic Whip? | -Rep. Steny Hoyer |
Which branch of government has the power to declare war? | -CONGRESS! |
What is the job of a party-whip? | -whipper-in was the person who whipped all the hunting hounds into a pack, pointed them in the right direction to chase the fox and ensured that the pack did not stray -ensure members vote correctly and attend |
oversight function of congressional committees | prevents waste and fraud; protects civil liberties and individual rights; ensures executive compliance with the law; gathers information for making laws and educating the public; and evaluates executive performance |
What is the minimum age for serving in the House of Representatives? | 25 |
Which of the following states has only one "at-large" member in the House of Representatives? | Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska |
Which portion of the Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws? | -necessary and proper clause or -elastic clause |
Which of the following members of Congress would represent the greatest number of constituents? | A senator from California |
What are the term lengths for the members of each house of Congress? | six years for senators and two years for representatives |
Which of the following powers is unique to the House? | origination of revenue bills |
When did Congress pass a bill to limit its size? | 1929 |
Which of the following provides the basis for proportional representation in our national legislature? | the decennial census |
The deliberate manipulation of district lines for electoral advantage is known as what? | gerrymandering |
How did the state of California attempt to overcome the problem of incumbent gerrymandering? | California voters passed an initiative in 2008 to establish an independent redistricting commission composed of citizens rather than state legislators |
Which state gained the most seats in the House as a result of congressional reapportionment following the 2010 census? | 2010 census resulted in Texas netting four more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives |
The term "apportionment" refers to the dividing of seats in which legislative body or bodies? | -refers to the dividing of seats in the House of Representatives among the several states. |
What is the name of the method used to reapportion seats in Congress after each census? | method of equal proportions |
About how many constituents did each member of the House of Representatives represent in 1790? | 34,000 |
What is one of the key tasks in congressional redistricting? | -to make sure that each district in a state has virtually the same number of people in it |
From your vantage point as a mapmaker in this redistricting game, what stages of review must be successfully completed before a map is accepted and district lines implemented? | -review by the state legislature, the governor, AND the courts |
Which party controls the most states? | Republicans. They control 21 states |
Which of the following states lost congressional seats as a result of the 2010 Census? | Ohio. lost 2 seats |
Which state has the highest number of people per representative? | -Montana |
How many bills are generally introduced in each Congress? | thousands |
Which of the following is the first to see a bill after it is proposed? | Clerk of the House |
]At which point is a bill sent to the Senate for approval? | when it has been passed by the full House following debate and amendment |
Which of the following is unique to the Senate bill review process? | potential for filibuster |
What term is used to describe a situation in which the president does not sign a bill before Congress adjourns? | POCKET VETO |
Where do we find the roots of political parties? | in the debate between the Federalists and the anti-Federalists |
Which of the following is true of parties and committees? | They impede Congress' ability to function productively and efficiently. |
Federalist #10 main point | - in favor of the Constitution is the fact that it establishes a government capable of controlling the violence and damage caused by factions |
Factions | groups of people who gather together to protect and promote their special economic interests and political opinions |
Federalist #10: How to control factions | 1. to remove its causes and to control its effects 2. destroy liberty or give every citizen the same opinions, passions, and interests |
What is an iron triangle? | comprises the policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups |
What is the revolving door? | movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation |
When does the Vice president vote | if the senate ties |
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