govt: ch. 3
Terms
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- checks and balances
- a system where each branch is subject to a number of constitutional checks (restraints) by the other branches
- Constitutionalism
- the principle where the government must be conducted according to constitutional principles
- federalism
- the division of power among a central government and several regional governments
- first method of formal amendment:
- amendment can be passed with 2/3 vote in each house of Congress and be ratified by 3/4 of the State legislatures
- formal amendment
- changes or additions that become part of a written language of the Constitution itself
- fourth method of formal amendment:
- amendment may be propsed by a national convention and ratified by conventions in 3/4 of the States
- How can executive branch check judicial?
- President appoints Supreme Court justices and other federal judges
- How can executive branch check legislative?
- President can veto legislation, call special sessions, recommend legislation, appeal to the people
- How can judicial branch check executive?
- Judgess are appointed for life and free from executive control; courts can declare executive actions to be unconstitutional
- How can judicial branch check legislative?
- Courts can declare acts of Congress to be unconstitutional
- How can legislative branch check executive?
- Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote, may remove President through impeachment
- How can legislative branch check judicial?
- Congress can remove judges through impeachment
- How is the Constitution organized?
- Has an introduction (Preamble) and the balance of the original document is divided into seven articles, then followed by 27 amendments
- judicial review
- the power of courts to determine whether what government does is in accord with what the Constituion provides / the power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a governmental action
- rule of law
- the concept of limited government, which holds that government and its officers are always subject to - never above - the law
- second method of formal amendment:
- amendment can be proposed by congress and then ratified by conventions in 3/4 of the States. (only the 21st amendment was adopted this way)
- separation of powers
- the concept that basic powers are distributed - separated - among 3 distinct and independent branches of the government
- The Constitution is built around 6 basic principles:
- popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, and federalism
- The Constitution was written in ____ and took effect in ____.
- 1787; 1789
- The first 3 articles of the Constitution deal with ___
- the 3 branches of the National Government: Congress, the presidency, and the federal court system. They outline the basic organization and powers of each branch and the methods by which the members of Congres, the President and Vice President, and federal
- The process of constitutional change has come about in 2 basic ways:
- formal amendment and by informal means
- third method of formal amendment:
- amendment can be proposed by a national convention (called by Congress at the request of 2/3 of State legislatures)
- unconstitutional
- declared illegal, null and void, of no force and effect
- veto
- reject