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US History - Unit 4
Constitution and American Government
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Legislative Branch | The branch of government that makes the laws |
| U.S. Senate | The upper house of the United States Congress |
| U.S. House of Representatives | A part of Congress; based on a state's population. |
| Vice President | Part of the Executive Branch; President of the Senate |
| Duties of the Legislative Branch | 1) Make law 2) Declare war 3) Impeach |
| How a bill becomes a law | 1. Written 2. Discussed in committee + voted 3. Discussed in House of Reps. and Senate + voted on in both 4. President signs it or vetoes it (which brings back to Congress, needs 2/3 vote to override veto) |
| Census | The official count of a population |
| How does the census impact seats in the House of Representatives? | It tracks population, and the number of House seats in a state is based on population of the state |
| Executive Branch | Enforces laws |
| How many years is a Presidential term? | 4 years |
| Duties of the President | - Enforce laws - Commander of military; foreign affairs - Negotiate treaties - Nominate cabinet and justices - Review and sign or veto bills - Issue pardons - Address Congress yearly (State of the Union Address) |
| Cabinet | Advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice president, and a few other officials selected by the president. |
| Electoral College | A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president | Need 270 electoral votes to win presidency |
| Total number of electors in a state | # of Senators + # of Representatives |
| Popular vote | The votes cast by individual voters in a presidential election, as opposed to the electoral vote |
| Electoral votes needed to win presidency | 270 out of 538 |
| How many Senators does each state have? | 2 |
| Judicial Branch | The branch of government that interprets laws |
| Supreme Court | The highest federal court in the United States |
| Number of Supreme Court Justices | 9 |
| Marbury v. Madison (1803) | This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review |
| Checks and Balances | A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power |
| Amending the Constitution | Needs approval of two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states |
| Ratify | To approve |
| Repeal | To cancel an act or law |
| Articles of Confederation | 1st form of government of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade) |
| Great Compromise | Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators. |
| Preamble | Introduction to the Constitution |
| Federalism | A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments |
| Elastic Clause | Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution. |
| Popular Sovereignty | A belief that ultimate power resides in the people. |
| Supremacy Clause | Federal law is supreme over state law |
| Implied powers | Powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions. |
| Necessary and Proper Clause | Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government |
| Strict constructionist | A person who interprets the Constitution in a way that allows the federal government to take only those actions the Constitution specifically says it can take |
| Loose Constructionist | A person who interprets the Constitution in a way that allows the federal government to take actions that the constitution does not specifically forbid it from taking |
| Unwritten Constitution | Political practices that are followed, but are not part of the actual Constitution. Examples include political parties, judicial review, and the Presidential Cabinet. |
| Precedent | an example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action |
Created by:
PRO Teacher
Mrs.Cole_CRCS
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