final exam study guide-free response

Free Response study guide


Electoral College

1. Electoral math= # of representatives in the HOR + both senators to equal the number of electors for each state. California has 53 HOR members + 2 senators= 55 electors.

2. Census taken every 10 years on the 0 year to count all of the people to reallocate the seats in the HOR based on population.

3. Selection of Electors is done by the state political parties (Democrat, Republican, Green, etc.) and usually are people who have helped their party for a long time and this is a payoff for that work.

4. Election Day! popular vote [you and me vote] we really are voting for the elector from the political party of the candidate selected.

5. Count the popular vote:

a. winner take all-simple majority of the popular vote gets all electors in the state

b. at large-split the vote by Congressional district with one vote for each. Candidate who wins the most districts also gets the 2 senatorial electors. Nebraska and Maine are the only two that use this system.

6. Slate of Electors: Each party has their own electors equal to the # of HOR members and senators. Following the election, the electors from the candidates party who won get the "call" to go to their state capitol for the official Electoral vote.

7. Monday after the second Wednesday in December the electors meet in the respective state capitals for a roll call vote. The “POTUS” is officially selected and is designated President Elect by the HOR.



Gerrymandering

1. Gerrymanding is the redrawing of Congressional district lines that favor one party over the other.

2. Census every 10 years on the 0 year to chart the population movement.

-reapportion the HOR after the census.

3. State Legislatures are in charge of redrawing the lines.

4. Named for Elbridge Gerry who redrew the district lines in Mass. after the 1810 census.



How a bill becomes law:

House of Reps:
Intro a bill/ first read

Hopper-give bill a number and send to correct committee

goes to committee for action

sent to subcommittee

sent back to full committee with mark-ups

discharge petition

sent to Rules Committee-set the limit for debate in the HOR.

sent to the whole HOUSE for debate

The whole HOUSE votes

Votes yes, then goes to the Senate



Senate:

Intro the bill/ first read

Senates version of the hopper to decide to what committee the bill should go

goes to committee for action

sent to subcommittee

sent back to full committee with mark-ups

discharge petition

sent to the whole Senate (no Rules Committee)

debate in the "well" of the Senate

filibuster/cloture motion

Whole Senate votes yes

sent to Conference Committee to "tiddy up" the bill for the POTUS to sign.How a Bill Becomes a Law


Presidential Succession

The 25th Amendment changed succession to:



The Vice President Joseph Biden

Speaker of the House John Boehner

President pro tempore of the Senate Daniel Inouye

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta

Attorney General Eric Holder

(extra credit for any that follow below)



Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

final exam study guide

This is for your use, wisely is the hope.


Gov’t study guide




Chapter 1

Public policyLegislative,executive,judicial powersConstitutionDictatorship,democracy, state, sovereignAutocracy,oligarchy,plutocracyUnitary, federal, confederalPresidential, parliamentary



Chapter 2

Limited gov’t, representative gov’tMagna carta, petition of rights, English bill of rights 1689Charter, proprietaryUnicameral, bicameralAlbany plan of union, popular sovereigntyArticles of ConfederationVirginia (Randolph), NewJersey (Patterson), Connecticut (Sherman)-Great {Compromises}Three-fifths, commerce and slave trade compromisesFederalists, Anti-Federalists, Federalist papers, quorum



Chapter 3

Six basic principles of gov’t.Preamble, articles, amendmentsRule of law!Separation of powers, checks and balances, veto, judicial reviewMethods of amending the Const., bill of rights!Treaty, electoral college, cabinet, senatorial courtesy



Chapter 4

Federalism, division of powerDelegated power, exclusive power, expressed power, implied power, inherent power, concurrent power, reversed powerRevenue sharing, block grants, categorical grants, grants-in-aidFull faith and credit clause! Privileges and immunities clauseExtradition



Chapter 5

Political partiesPartisan, partisanshipParty in power vs. party out of powerTwo party systemMinor partiesSingle member districtSimple majority, majority, pluralityBipartisan, consensus, coalitionIncumbent, factions, electorate, sectionalismIdeological,single-issue,economic protest, splinter {parties}Ward, precinct, Party organsation



Chapter 6

Suffrage, electorate, transient, poll books, literacy tests, poll taxGERRYMANDERINGPresidential vs. off year electionsPolitical efficacy and socializationParty ID, straight-ticket voting, split-ticket votingWhere do people get their political ideology?



Chapter 7

Declaration of nomination, primaries, CAUCUS.!Direct primary, closed primary, open primary, blanket primary, runoff primaryAbsentee voting, types of ballots, coattail effectPOLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACS)Soft vs hard money



Chapter 8

Public opinion vs. public affairsMass mediaPeer groups, opinion leadersMandateInterest groups, straw votes, quota samplePublic agenda



Chapter 9

Interest group and public policy, public affairsTrade associations, public-interest groupsPropaganda, single-interest groupsLOBBYINGGrass roots



Chapter 10

Term vs. sessionQualification for house and senateApportion, apportionment, reapportionment, GERRYMANDERINGSingle-member districtsIncumbent, constituencyOversight function!Franking privilege.



Chapter 11

Expressed, implied, inherent {powers}Strict vs. liberal (loose) constructionalistTaxes-direct, indirectPublic debt, bankruptcyEminent domain, copyrightElastic clause-necessary and proper clause.Impeachment (House Judiciary Committee is the first step)



Chapter 12

House leadership, Senate leadershipCAUCUS, seniority rule, committee chairmen (committee is the answer!)Standing, select, joint and conference committeesResolutions, rider, Christmas tree bill, discharge petition, engrossedFilibuster, rule 22 of the senate, cloture motion.Veto, pocket veto.

Chapter 13

Roles of the President (8)25th amendment, succession of the PresidentElectoral college!Powers of the President!War Powers Act of 1973Line-item veto



Chapter 18

Diagram of the court structureInferior courts, jurisdictionCriminal vs. civil casesAdversarial structure

homework Dec. 9

Your final homework assignment due Dec. 9 with your last quiz

The Court System Ch. 18




Answer the following:



1. What is meant by the dual court system? (506)

2. What is original and appellate jurisdiction? (509)

3. What is judicial activism? (510)

4. How many federal judicial districts are there and what is their jurisdiction? (512)

5. How many circuit judges sit on the appellate courts and what is to sit in banc? (514)

6. What is judicial review and why is it central to the Rule of Law? (517)

7. Give a brief of the Marbury v. Madison case and explain why it set the precedent for judicial review? (518)

8. What is a writ of certiorari? (520)

9. What are Majority opinions, precedents, concurring opinions and dissenting opinions? (522)