What philosophe argued in favor of a three branch government?

1. What philosophe argued in favor of a three branch government? • Montesquieu

2. Who was the first to introduce the idea of natural rights that should be protected? • John Locke

3. What document defined the first gov’t of the U.S.? • Articles of Confederation

4. What were three key weaknesses of this document? • no executive, no power to tax, coin money, regulate trade, pay for a military

5. Identify three of the men who stood out as early leaders of the Constitutional Convention. • George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, James Madison

6. Which section of the Constitution establishes its purpose? Who did it say the Constitution would serve? • The Preamble, the people

7. How many articles does the Constitution have? What do the first three cover? • 7, the 3 major branches

8. What is the “supremacy clause”? • Makers it clear that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land

9. In what kinds of circumstances is a presidential veto likely to be overridden by Congress? • The opposition party has strong majority’s in both houses, the bill in question has strong bipartisan support, these are amplified if the President is a lame duck

10. What is the last section of the Constitution made up of? Why is this so important? • Amendments, which allow the Constitution to be changed – makes it a flexible “living” document

11. The Constitution is based on rule of the people, also known as ______. • Popular sovereignty

12. What is the name for federal spending on local projects members of Congress want in order to win favor from their constituents? • pork barrel spending

13. How does the Constitution handle the question of political parties? • It doesn’t, parties have emerged and reshaped their coalitions (who supports them) over time

14. What is divided government? What are some consequences? • When the White House is in one party’s hands and the opposition controls one or both houses of Congress; delayed nomination approval, trouble getting legislation/budgets passed, etc.

15. Who can exert more influence over the legislative process, an individual member of the House, or an individual Senator? Why? • Senator, more informal proceeding in Senate & rules allowing for filibusters, cloture, etc.

16. What is the name for the process by which Congress holds the Executive branch, and all bureaucratic agencies, accountable? • Congressional (or legislative) oversight

17. What is cooperative federalism? • When national and state governments both work on common policy areas (law enforcement, immigration, etc.)

18. When do senators use a motion for cloture? What kind of majority do you need for a cloture motion? • to end a filibuster; 3/5 or 60% (60 senators makes you “filibuster proof”)

19. When the federal government cedes more specific policy making powers to the state governments it is called _____. • devolution (power being passed down)

20. What is a block grant? A categorical grant? • Block grant is money given to state by fed with a general purpose, categorical is money given with a specifically designed purpose and guidelines

21. In general, all bills pertaining to revenue and other monies must originate where? • House of Reps

22. What is an entitlement program? What are the two biggest examples? • Government program that provides benefits to a specific group of people; Social Security and Medicare

23. What is the name for a system in which power is divided between national and state governments? • federalism

24. Why did the founders choose a federalist approach? • Even though the weak union of the A of C failed, they still feared putting too much power in the hands of the central gov’t

25. What is the primary purpose of separation of powers? • Limit overall power of central gov’t by dividing powers between branches

26. What is judicial review? What case established it? • The power of the courts to declare laws invalid if they violate the Constitution, Marbury v. Madison

27. When federal and state gov’ts work together on a project, it is known as _________ federalism. • Cooperative

28. Define the concept of limited gov’t. • The Constitution limits gov’t by specifically listing the powers it does and does not have

29. Which branch did the founders believe would be the most powerful? Why did they fear its power? • Congress, bad experiences with Parliament

30. In what list are most of the specific powers of Congress found? What two areas do most of these relate to? • The enumerated powers, finance and defense

31. What gives Congress the power to make all laws “necessary and proper”? • Elastic clause

32. What was the key outcome of McCulloch v. Maryland? • Broad interpretation of the elastic clause

33. What gov’t role was a part time job for much of the first 100 years of our history? When did Congress first start meeting in continuous session? • Working in congress, mid 20th century

34. The federal gov’t providing funding to state governments is an example of ________ federalism. • Fiscal

35. What is the primary point Madison makes about factions in Federalist #10? • They happen naturally, but can be controlled by institutions

36. How many bills are introduced in Congress each year? • About 10,000

37. Which branch was expected to execute acts of Congress and protect against mass movements to redistribute wealth? • The Executive branch

38. What are three specific powers given to the President? • Commander in Chief, appoints cabinet members, grant pardons, make treaties appoints judges and ambassadors, etc.

39. Why was Washington so careful about the discharge of his duties? • Fearful of setting precedents, which is how most presidential powers have been established

40. In what way do we have a “dual court” system in the U.S.? • We have both Federal and State courts, each of whom has different jurisdictions

41. What is the only way to overrule the Supreme Court on a constitutional issue? • Amend the Constitution

42. Whys is the process of amending the Cons such a great example of Federalism? • All amendments must meet stringent approval requirements at federal and state levels, balancing interests

43. Which branch most often takes exception to the growing power of the President? • Legislative

44. Who has the power to create new courts? Do they use this power often? • Congress, no

45. Who must the Supreme Court count on to make sure that its decisions are adequately enforced? • Executive Branch

46. Which early plan became the basis for the new constitution? Who was its primary author? • The Virginia Plan, James Madison

47. Which plan was devised to represent the needs of the small states? • The New Jersey Plan

48. Why did the New Jersey Plan want to keep the unicameral legislature? • Because it made representation equal for all states, regardless of size

49. A legislature made up of reps from single member districts usually leads to a ____ party system. • Two

50. After the New Jersey Plan was rejected, what question deadlocked the Convention? • Whether representation should be equal for all states or determined by population