I will explain how to utilize this study guide in class, listen carefully. Your final exam is 20% of your total grade. Be diligent and careful!
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
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 a
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.
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 Patrick Leahy
Secretary of State John Kerry
Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
Attorney General Eric Holder
(extra credit for any that follow below)
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker
Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez
Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwell
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan
Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx
Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Charles Johnson
