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Government Final Exam 2

Terms

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What type of complaints make up most of the content of the Declaration of Independence?
Complaints against the King's treatment of the colonists
What cannot be done in a
Democracy?
In a democracy the will of the majority to deprive the rights of a minority group.
What led to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?
The successful negotiation of a trade dispute between Maryland and Virginia at the Annapolis Convention
What action did the Second Continental Congress take immediately?
They formed the Continental Army.
Define:

Federal Government
Power is divided between a central government and local governments.
Why did anti-Federalists oppose ratifying the Constitution?
Because it lacked a bill of rights and it greatly increased the powers of the central government
Define:

Checks and Balances
Each branch of government is subject to a number of constitutional checks on their power by the other branches of government
Define:

Separation of powers
Basic powers are separated between three distinct and independent Branches of Government.
What amendment covers the Vice Presidential Succession?
The 25th Amendment
What is Limited Government?
Government must only do those things that people have given it the power to do
What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights
Vhat is a Veto?
Who uses it?
How is this power a part of the checks and balances?
Veto means to "reject"
The President may veto any act of Congress which is a check on legislative power.
Define:

Popular Sovereignty
All political power rests with the people.
What are "expressed powers"?

Give an example.
Powers that are spelled out expressly in the constitution.
Example: The power to coin money
What important Court cas was settled by the Supremacy clause in the Constitution?
McCulloch v. Maryland
What are "implied powers"?
Powers that are not expressly stated, but are reasonably implied based on the necessary and proper clause.
What is meant by the statement that the Constitution is the "Supreme Law of the Land"?
The Constitution stands above all other forms of law in the United States
What are "inherent powers"?
Powers that belong to the government as a sovereign state because all governments have these powers.
What are concurrent powers?
Powers shared by the national and the state governments.
What is a political party?

Note: People join parties
voluntarily
A group of persons who seek to control government through winning elections and holding public office.
What does the Supremacy Clause Do?
Binds the national and state governments together into a single unit and is the linchpin of the concept of our Federal Government.
What is a closed primary?
A primary where only declared members of a political party may vote.
What does the nominating stage of an election normally set limits on?
It sets practical limits on choices the voters can make in an election.
In what type of government does a one party system normally exist?
It exists in nearly all dictatorships today.
What type of government did Hamiliton and his supporters want?
They wanted a stronger national government
What is an open primary?
A primary where any qualified voter may vote
What often happens when a proposal made by a minor political party becomes popular with the people?
They are often "borrowed" by the major political parties.
What caused the development of the two-party system in the United States?
The battle over the ratification of the constitution was caused by opposing view points causing the development of two parties.
How do lobbyists affect political policies?
They work within the governmental porcess to affect policies
Explain what is meant by a "session" of Congress.
A session is that period of time during each year that Congress assembles and does business.
What is the goal of propaganda?
It's goal is to create a particlar belief which may be completely true or completely false.
Which group makes up the majority of those serving in Congress?
White middle-aged men
Define: Grass Roots
Meaning: "of the People", grass roots campaigns are mounted by average people using e-mails, letters, postcards or phone calls to support a person or cause.
What different types of voting ballots may be used?
Australian Ballot, Sample Ballot, Vote by mail, Office group ballot, bedsheet ballot, on-line voting, party column voting, and electronic vote counting
Who do public interest groups attempt to persuade?
They attempt to persuade people who have a shared interest with the group.
What is a long standing custom, but NOT a requirement to become a member of the House of Representatives?
The unofficial expectation is that a representative should live in the district he/she represents
What is GERRYMANDERING?

Which group is normally guilty of doing this?
The act of drawing the boundaries for Congressional districts to favor one political party over another

The members of the STATE legislative bodies
At what levels of government can Pressure Groups operate?
Pressure groups operate at all levels of Government
What are the qualifications for becoming a U.S. Senator?
Must be 30 years old
Must be a citizen of the U.S. for at least 9 years.
Must be a resident of the state from which they are elected.
What is a term for a Member of the House of Representatives?

What is the term for a U.S. Senator?
U.S. House of Representatives serve a two year term.

U.S. Senators serve a six year term
What are the FORMAL qualifications becoming a member of the House of Representatives?
Must be 25 years old
Must have been a U.S. citizen for 7 years
Must be a resident of the state from which he/she is elected.
Which documents grants the President the position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces?
The United States Constitution
What is the minimum number of Representatives each state MUST have?
One
How many U.S. Senators are there?

How many come from each state?
100 U.S. Senators

two from each state
How much do Senators and Representatives receive each year as salary?
$150,000.00
Define:

Impeachment
To impeach is to accuse or bring charges against someone. Normally someone in high public office.
What are the five major roles played by Congress?
1. They are legislators
2. They are representatives (of their constituants)
3. They are Congressional Committee members
4. They are servants of their constituants
5. They are politicians
What power is granted to Congress under the "Necessary and Proper" clause of the Constitution?
Congress may pass all laws necessary to carry out the expressed powers granted in the Constitution.
What are the four limitations placed on the power of taxation granted to Congress?
1. May tax only for public purposes
2. May NOT tax exports.
3. All direct taxes must be apportioned among the states
4. All duties, imposts and excises must be the same throughout the United States.
Who is responsible for drawing the Congressional District Boundaries within each state?
The State Legislatures draw up Congressional District boundaries.
Which branch of government can declare war and raise an army?
Congress
Which body of government has the sole power to try impeachment cases?
The U.S. Senate
Who presides over an impeachment trial when the President is impeached?
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
What is the unwritten custom that is honored when appointing committee chairmen in the House and the Senate?
The Seniority Rule which says that most important posts will be held by those members of the political party who have the longest record of service in Congress.
What fraction (or percentage) of the Senate must approve the ratification of a treaty?
2/3 of the Senate must consent before a treaty is approved (ratified).
Who has the power to impeach?
The House of Representatives has the power to impeach.
Why must Congress have committees?
Because the House and the Senate are both so large with so much business to be done that the work must be divided and assigned to committees.
Who may be impeached?
The President, The Vice President and all civil officers of the United States
What are "Joint Resolutions" ?

What may be used to propose?
They are similar to bills and have the force of law when passed.

They may be used to propose constitutional amendments and to annex territory.
What are the President's options for dealing with bills he has received from Congress?
May sign it into law
May VETO (reject) the bill
The bill may become law without his signature if he does not act on it within 10 days.
The bill may receive a POCKET VETO if Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting the bill to the President and he does not sign it.
Who controls the appearance of bills on the floor of the Senate?
The Majority Floor Leader
What is the difference between a PUBLIC bill and a PRIVATE bill?
Public bills are measures that apply to the nation as a whole

Private Bills apply to certain persons or places NOT the entire nation.
What are standing committees and who normally heads up these committees?
These are PERMANENT committees in the House or Senate.

They are usually headed by members chosen on the basis of their seniority.
What is the difference between floor debate in the House and in the Senate?
Floor debate is strictly limited in the House but there are almost no limits placed on floor debate in the Senate.
Who are the first three people who would succeed the President in the event he dies or cannot perform his duties?
The Vice President
The Speaker of the House
The President Pro Tempore of the Senate
What are 3 major flaws in the Electoral system today?
1. The winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed the presidency.
2. Electors are not required to vote in agreement with the popular vote.
3. Any election might have to be decided in the House of Representatives.
What caused the breakdown of the Electoral system in the election of 1800?
The rise of political parties which in turn nominated candidates for office caused the breakdown in the system.
What is a PROGRESSIVE tax?

What types of taxes are progressive?
A Progressive tax increases based on income or the ability to pay.

Both corporate and individual income taxes are progressive
What are REGRESSIVE taxes?
Taxes that are charged at a flat rate without consideration of income or a person's ability to pay.
The Pendleton Act is also known as. . .

Why was it passed?
The Pendleton Act is also known as the Civil Service Act of 1883.
It was passed to insure that Merit, or the quality of one's work was the basis for hiring and promotion of federal government employees.
What is the Spoils System
The practice of giving offices and other favors to political supporters and friends.
Who (what group) must approve the President's appointments to Cabinet positions?
The Senate
What form of tax provides the largest source of revenue (money) for the Federal government?
Personal Income Tax
Why is the Federal Budget such an extremely important Document?
It determines which public programs will have money to operate.
The Pendleton Act/Civil Service Act of 1883 was the first Act to:
This act was the first reform that laid the foundation for the Civl Service System
What functions do U.S. Attorneys perform?
They are the governments prosecutors and they represent the Federal government in all civil actions.
What do U.S. Marshalls do?
They make arrests in U.S. Federal Criminal Cases
Secure Jurors, serve legal papers, keep order in court rooms and execute court orders and decisions
What is the primary role of the Secretary of State?
He offers the President advice on foreign affairs.
Define: Original Jurisdiction
The court that first hears a case is said to have original jurisdiction
Define: Appellate Jurisdiction
Courts that hear cases on appeal from a lower court are said to have appellate jurisdiction.
Define: Jurisdiction
Decides which court may try a case
Why doesn't the U.S. have a regional alliance in the Middle East?
Because of our conflicting interests in this area:

The U.S. wants to remain friendly with both the Arabs and the Israelis.
Which is the only state that has a UNICAMERAL legislature?
Nebraska
What major event ended U.S. isolationism?
World War II
The Texas Secretary of State is the state's chief __________ and ___________ keeper.
The state's chief CLERK and RECORD keeper
The power of JUDICIAL REVIEW was first established in what landmark legal case?
Marbury V. Madison
Today most state constitutions need reform because they are too _______
LONG
Which court has the final authority in all questions of Federal Law?
THE SUPREME COURT
In TEXAS, the Governor shares his judicial powers with which group?
Board of Pardons and Paroles
What is the major function of the GRAND JURY?
This jury receives evidence, hears witnesses, returns indictments
The Texas Attorney General provides written _____________ of the law.
Interpretation
Most funding for Texas Schools comes from what source?
TAX REVENUE
What is a PETIT jury and what do they do?
Anyone idicted on a criminal charge is entitle to a trial by a PETIT jury.

They may also serve in civil cases as well.
Petit jurors are mainly chosen from which groups of people?
They are chosen from lists of registered voters and licensed drivers.
What caused the shift from rural to urban living?
The steam engine which led to the steam boat and the locomotive helped to transport raw materials to factories which in turn led to the growth of cities

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