VI. The Legislative Branch:
A. __Composition of the House__:
76. What is the basis for representation in the House of Representatives?
77. What happens during reapportionment?
78. Why is gerrymandering so controversial? List the current laws when it comes to regulating redistricting. (Check your notes!)
79. How did precedents of Baker v. Carr (1962) and Reynold v. Sims (1964) each affect the redistricting process?
80. Describe the hierarchy of leadership in the House of Representatives.
B. __Committees and the Iron Triangle__:
81. Why are committees an important element in the House?
82. Define the following types of committees:
Committees
Write the definition in 10 words or less
Standing Committee
Joint Committee
Conference Committee
Select Committee
83. What is an iron triangle?
84. List the pros and cons of iron triangles:
Pros of Iron Triangles
Cons of Iron Triangles
C. __Composition of the Senate__:
85. List some of the differences that distinguish the Senate from the House.
D. __Power, Committees, and Debates__:
86. Describe the hierarchy of leadership in the Senate. Who has the “real power”?
87. Identify and describe the distinguishing powers of the Senate.
88. What is a filibuster? Why do filibusters only happen in the Senate, but not the House? How can a filibuster be broken?
E. __Route of a Bill through Congress__:
89. Define the following concepts:
Lawmaking Concepts
Write the definition in 10 words or less
Bill
Public bill
Private bill
Resolutions
Joint resolutions
Concurrent resolutions
Cloture
90. Using your notes, succinctly outline the steps needed for a bill to become law. Include the role of the House Rules Committee, conference committees, and possible filibuster.
F. __Veto Power and Judicial Review__:
91. Identify and explain the four options the president can take after Congress has passed a bill.
92. How can the Supreme Court affect a law?
VII. The Executive Branch:
A. __Qualifications and Qualities__:
93. List the constitutional qualifications needed to become president.
B. __Rules and Contingencies__:
94. Explain the purpose of the 25th Amendment.
95. Provide a historical example illustrating the Presidential Succession Act being used.
96. Specifically explain how a president can be removed from office. Provide at least one historical example of this process being used.
97. How does the 22nd Amendment limit the president.
C. __Express Roles:__
98. Describe the expressed roles of the president (as laid out in the Constitution):
Role
Explanation of Role
Example of Role
Commander in Chief
Chief Executive
Chief Diplomat
Role
Explanation of Role
Example of Role
Chief Legislator
99. Describe the expressed role of the vice president (as laid out in the Constitution):
D. __Traditional Roles and Special Powers__:
100. How can the president help other candidate via his/her “coattails”?
101. Provide an example showing how the president sometimes might not be leading his political party.
102. Define pardon and reprieve. What is the most infamous pardon in US political history?
E. __Executive Offices and Staff__:
103. Describe the roles of the following White House offices.
White House Office
List the responsibilities of each office
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
National Security Council
Council of Economic Advisors
104. Why is the chief of staff an important asset to the president?
F. __Approval Ratings and Public Perception__:
105. Why is the beginning of a president’s term considered to be the “honeymoon” phase?
106. Describe factors that often cause a president to have positive public opinion poll figures.
107. Provide historical examples showing how presidential public opinion figures can dramatically decline.
G. __Polls and Polling__:
108. Why is polling an important part of the US political system?
109. List the pros and cons of exit polling:
Pros of Exit Polling
Cons of Exit Polling
H. __Media and Press Coverage__:
110. What is the role of the president’s press secretary?
111. Why do presidents need to worry about their public image?
I. __The Office of Management and Budget__:
112. What is the federal budget?
113. Describe the role of the OMB in the federal budget process.
114. Where does the federal government receive most of its funding?
J. __Surpluses, Deficits, and the National Debt__:
115. Describe what happens when the government runs a budget surplus.
116. Describe what happens when the government runs a budget deficit. How is the national debt related?
117. What items take up the largest percentage of the annual federal budget? Why are entitlements and interest on the national debt considered fixed spending?
K. __Budget Timetable__:
118. In as few words as possible, describe how the federal budget process exemplifies the principle of checks and
balances.
119. Using your notes, what famous law created the current federal budget process?
VIII. The Bureaucracy:
A. __Perceptions of the Bureaucracy__:
120. List the pros and cons of bureaucracy.
Pros of Bureaucracy
Cons of Bureaucracy
B. __Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy__:
121. Describe the composition of the federal bureaucracy.
122. Why are regulatory agencies considered quasi-legislative, quasi-executive, and quasi-judicial?
123. How do regulatory agencies differ from executive agencies? Provide examples of each type of bureaucratic agency.
C. __Bureaucratic Reform__:
124. How were most jobs in government filled before the 1880s? What tragic event took place that changed the staffing of the federal bureaucracy?
125. List the major provisions of the Hatch Act.
126. List the responsibilities of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
127. Why is the federal government a necessary entity?
D. __The Origin of the Cabinet__:
128. Describe the role of each of the following cabinet departments:
Cabinet Department
List the MAIN responsibilities of each department
Department of State
Department of Defense
Department of the Treasury
Department of Justice
Department of Homeland Security
E. __The Cabinet in Practice__:
129. Who must confirm any leader of a cabinet department?
130. Describe the responsibilities of a cabinet leader.
F. __Regulatory Agencies__:
131. Describe the functions of the following regulatory agencies:
Regulatory Agency
List the MAIN responsibilities of each agency
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
National Security Council (NSC)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Federal Reserve System (FED)
G. __Government Corporations__:
132. What Is a government corporation?
133. List the responsibilities of the following government corporations:
Government Corporation
List the MAIN responsibilities of each corporation
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
H. __Legislative and Executive Constraints__:
134. Describe how the following laws limit the power of bureaucracies:
Law
Explain how these laws limit the federal bureaucracy
The Administrative Procedure Act (1947)
The Freedom of Information Act (1966)
The National Environmental Policy Act (1969)
The Privacy Act of 1974
The Open Meeting Law (1976)
135. List some actions the president can take to limit the power of bureaucratic agencies.
I. __Congressional and Judicial Constraints__:
136. List and describe the powers Congress can use to limit bureaucratic agencies.
137. How can the judicial branch limit the power of bureaucratic agencies?
138. Define issue networks. Why do some political scientists believe “issue networks” are more prevalent than “iron triangles”?
IX. The Judiciary:
A. __Constitutional and Legislative Courts__:
139. Describe how checks and balances plays a role in naming federal judges. Why do presidents often follow the unwritten rule of senatorial courtesy when nominating state-level judges?
140. How do grand juries differ from petit juries?
141. Compare and contrast federal district courts with federal courts of appeal:
Federal District Courts
Federal Courts Of Appeal
List the type of jurisdictionfor each court
What is the main job of this type of court?
# of Courts
142. How do legislative courts differ from constitutional courts?
B. __The United States Supreme Court__:
143. In what types of cases does the US Supreme Court hold original jurisdiction?
144. How many cases are appealed to the Supreme Court each year? How many cases does the court usually hear? How many justices is necessary for a case to be grantedwrit of certiorari?
145. Why does the Supreme Court often refuse to hear certain cases?
146. Describe the meaning of the principle stare decisis.
147. If the Supreme Court accepts an appellate case, what must each party then do? How much time does each side receive when they argue their case at the Supreme Court?
148. Define the following types of Supreme Court Opinions:
Court Opinion
Write the definition in 10 words or less
Majority Opinion
Concurring Opinion
Dissenting Opinion
Per Curium Opinion
149. How can dissenting opinions play a role after a case is decided? Provide an example.
C. __John Marshall and Roger Taney__:
150. What is the Marshall Court known for?
151. What is the Taney Court known for?
152. Describe the importance of the following court cases:
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
McCulloch v. Maryland(1819)
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Scott v. Stanford (1857) à“Ðred Scott decision”
D. __Earl Warren__:
153. What is the Warren Court known for?
154. Describe the importance of the following court cases:
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka(1954)
Gideon v. Wainwright(1963)
Engel v. Vitale (1963)
Miranda v. Arizona(1963)
E. __Warren Burger__:
155. What is the Burger Court known for?
156. Describe the importance of the following court cases:
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey(1992)
Regents of University of California v. Bakke (1978)
F. __Judicial Activism and Restraint__:
157. Describe the meaning of both judicial activism and judicial restraint.
158. Which philosophy applies to the famous case, Brown v. Board of Education (1954)? Why?
159. Why does the Supreme Court try to avoid political questions?
G. __Judicial Review and Construction__:
160. Describe the court’s power of judicial review.
161. Fill in the chart below that deals with different interpretations of the constitution.
Strict Construction
Loose Construction
Write the Definition in10 words or less
Where in the Constitution can you find justification for these different philosophies?
H. __The Selection Process__:
162. List the qualifications to be a justice on the Supreme Court.
163. What types of characteristics do presidents usually look for when they nominate a justice to the Supreme Court?
164. Explain the purpose of using a political “litmus test” when selecting possible federal judges.
I. __The Confirmation Process__:
165. Describe what happens at the confirmation hearing. Why did the Senate nearly vote against the confirmation of Clarence Thomas?
166. What role do interest groups play in the selection/confirmation of potential Supreme Court justices?
A. __Composition of the House__:
76. What is the basis for representation in the House of Representatives?
77. What happens during reapportionment?
78. Why is gerrymandering so controversial? List the current laws when it comes to regulating redistricting. (Check your notes!)
79. How did precedents of Baker v. Carr (1962) and Reynold v. Sims (1964) each affect the redistricting process?
80. Describe the hierarchy of leadership in the House of Representatives.
B. __Committees and the Iron Triangle__:
81. Why are committees an important element in the House?
82. Define the following types of committees:
Committees
Write the definition in 10 words or less
Standing Committee
Joint Committee
Conference Committee
Select Committee
83. What is an iron triangle?
84. List the pros and cons of iron triangles:
Pros of Iron Triangles
Cons of Iron Triangles
C. __Composition of the Senate__:
85. List some of the differences that distinguish the Senate from the House.
D. __Power, Committees, and Debates__:
86. Describe the hierarchy of leadership in the Senate. Who has the “real power”?
87. Identify and describe the distinguishing powers of the Senate.
88. What is a filibuster? Why do filibusters only happen in the Senate, but not the House? How can a filibuster be broken?
E. __Route of a Bill through Congress__:
89. Define the following concepts:
Lawmaking Concepts
Write the definition in 10 words or less
Bill
Public bill
Private bill
Resolutions
Joint resolutions
Concurrent resolutions
Cloture
90. Using your notes, succinctly outline the steps needed for a bill to become law. Include the role of the House Rules Committee, conference committees, and possible filibuster.
F. __Veto Power and Judicial Review__:
91. Identify and explain the four options the president can take after Congress has passed a bill.
92. How can the Supreme Court affect a law?
VII. The Executive Branch:
A. __Qualifications and Qualities__:
93. List the constitutional qualifications needed to become president.
B. __Rules and Contingencies__:
94. Explain the purpose of the 25th Amendment.
95. Provide a historical example illustrating the Presidential Succession Act being used.
96. Specifically explain how a president can be removed from office. Provide at least one historical example of this process being used.
97. How does the 22nd Amendment limit the president.
C. __Express Roles:__
98. Describe the expressed roles of the president (as laid out in the Constitution):
Role
Explanation of Role
Example of Role
Commander in Chief
Chief Executive
Chief Diplomat
Role
Explanation of Role
Example of Role
Chief Legislator
99. Describe the expressed role of the vice president (as laid out in the Constitution):
D. __Traditional Roles and Special Powers__:
100. How can the president help other candidate via his/her “coattails”?
101. Provide an example showing how the president sometimes might not be leading his political party.
102. Define pardon and reprieve. What is the most infamous pardon in US political history?
E. __Executive Offices and Staff__:
103. Describe the roles of the following White House offices.
White House Office
List the responsibilities of each office
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
National Security Council
Council of Economic Advisors
104. Why is the chief of staff an important asset to the president?
F. __Approval Ratings and Public Perception__:
105. Why is the beginning of a president’s term considered to be the “honeymoon” phase?
106. Describe factors that often cause a president to have positive public opinion poll figures.
107. Provide historical examples showing how presidential public opinion figures can dramatically decline.
G. __Polls and Polling__:
108. Why is polling an important part of the US political system?
109. List the pros and cons of exit polling:
Pros of Exit Polling
Cons of Exit Polling
H. __Media and Press Coverage__:
110. What is the role of the president’s press secretary?
111. Why do presidents need to worry about their public image?
I. __The Office of Management and Budget__:
112. What is the federal budget?
113. Describe the role of the OMB in the federal budget process.
114. Where does the federal government receive most of its funding?
J. __Surpluses, Deficits, and the National Debt__:
115. Describe what happens when the government runs a budget surplus.
116. Describe what happens when the government runs a budget deficit. How is the national debt related?
117. What items take up the largest percentage of the annual federal budget? Why are entitlements and interest on the national debt considered fixed spending?
K. __Budget Timetable__:
118. In as few words as possible, describe how the federal budget process exemplifies the principle of checks and
balances.
119. Using your notes, what famous law created the current federal budget process?
VIII. The Bureaucracy:
A. __Perceptions of the Bureaucracy__:
120. List the pros and cons of bureaucracy.
Pros of Bureaucracy
Cons of Bureaucracy
B. __Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy__:
121. Describe the composition of the federal bureaucracy.
122. Why are regulatory agencies considered quasi-legislative, quasi-executive, and quasi-judicial?
123. How do regulatory agencies differ from executive agencies? Provide examples of each type of bureaucratic agency.
C. __Bureaucratic Reform__:
124. How were most jobs in government filled before the 1880s? What tragic event took place that changed the staffing of the federal bureaucracy?
125. List the major provisions of the Hatch Act.
126. List the responsibilities of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
127. Why is the federal government a necessary entity?
D. __The Origin of the Cabinet__:
128. Describe the role of each of the following cabinet departments:
Cabinet Department
List the MAIN responsibilities of each department
Department of State
Department of Defense
Department of the Treasury
Department of Justice
Department of Homeland Security
E. __The Cabinet in Practice__:
129. Who must confirm any leader of a cabinet department?
130. Describe the responsibilities of a cabinet leader.
F. __Regulatory Agencies__:
131. Describe the functions of the following regulatory agencies:
Regulatory Agency
List the MAIN responsibilities of each agency
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
National Security Council (NSC)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Federal Reserve System (FED)
G. __Government Corporations__:
132. What Is a government corporation?
133. List the responsibilities of the following government corporations:
Government Corporation
List the MAIN responsibilities of each corporation
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
H. __Legislative and Executive Constraints__:
134. Describe how the following laws limit the power of bureaucracies:
Law
Explain how these laws limit the federal bureaucracy
The Administrative Procedure Act (1947)
The Freedom of Information Act (1966)
The National Environmental Policy Act (1969)
The Privacy Act of 1974
The Open Meeting Law (1976)
135. List some actions the president can take to limit the power of bureaucratic agencies.
I. __Congressional and Judicial Constraints__:
136. List and describe the powers Congress can use to limit bureaucratic agencies.
137. How can the judicial branch limit the power of bureaucratic agencies?
138. Define issue networks. Why do some political scientists believe “issue networks” are more prevalent than “iron triangles”?
IX. The Judiciary:
A. __Constitutional and Legislative Courts__:
139. Describe how checks and balances plays a role in naming federal judges. Why do presidents often follow the unwritten rule of senatorial courtesy when nominating state-level judges?
140. How do grand juries differ from petit juries?
141. Compare and contrast federal district courts with federal courts of appeal:
Federal District Courts
Federal Courts Of Appeal
List the type of jurisdictionfor each court
What is the main job of this type of court?
# of Courts
142. How do legislative courts differ from constitutional courts?
B. __The United States Supreme Court__:
143. In what types of cases does the US Supreme Court hold original jurisdiction?
144. How many cases are appealed to the Supreme Court each year? How many cases does the court usually hear? How many justices is necessary for a case to be grantedwrit of certiorari?
145. Why does the Supreme Court often refuse to hear certain cases?
146. Describe the meaning of the principle stare decisis.
147. If the Supreme Court accepts an appellate case, what must each party then do? How much time does each side receive when they argue their case at the Supreme Court?
148. Define the following types of Supreme Court Opinions:
Court Opinion
Write the definition in 10 words or less
Majority Opinion
Concurring Opinion
Dissenting Opinion
Per Curium Opinion
149. How can dissenting opinions play a role after a case is decided? Provide an example.
C. __John Marshall and Roger Taney__:
150. What is the Marshall Court known for?
151. What is the Taney Court known for?
152. Describe the importance of the following court cases:
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
McCulloch v. Maryland(1819)
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Scott v. Stanford (1857) à“Ðred Scott decision”
D. __Earl Warren__:
153. What is the Warren Court known for?
154. Describe the importance of the following court cases:
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka(1954)
Gideon v. Wainwright(1963)
Engel v. Vitale (1963)
Miranda v. Arizona(1963)
E. __Warren Burger__:
155. What is the Burger Court known for?
156. Describe the importance of the following court cases:
Court Case
List the precedent of each case
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey(1992)
Regents of University of California v. Bakke (1978)
F. __Judicial Activism and Restraint__:
157. Describe the meaning of both judicial activism and judicial restraint.
158. Which philosophy applies to the famous case, Brown v. Board of Education (1954)? Why?
159. Why does the Supreme Court try to avoid political questions?
G. __Judicial Review and Construction__:
160. Describe the court’s power of judicial review.
161. Fill in the chart below that deals with different interpretations of the constitution.
Strict Construction
Loose Construction
Write the Definition in10 words or less
Where in the Constitution can you find justification for these different philosophies?
H. __The Selection Process__:
162. List the qualifications to be a justice on the Supreme Court.
163. What types of characteristics do presidents usually look for when they nominate a justice to the Supreme Court?
164. Explain the purpose of using a political “litmus test” when selecting possible federal judges.
I. __The Confirmation Process__:
165. Describe what happens at the confirmation hearing. Why did the Senate nearly vote against the confirmation of Clarence Thomas?
166. What role do interest groups play in the selection/confirmation of potential Supreme Court justices?