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What are the three branches of the US federal government?
Legislative (Congress), executive (President and administration), and judicial (federal courts).
What is the main responsibility of the legislative branch?
To make federal laws; Congress also oversees the executive branch and controls federal spending.
What are the two chambers of Congress, and how many voting members does each have?
The House of Representatives has 435 voting members; the Senate has 100 senators.
How often are members of Congress elected?
All House members are elected every two years. Senators serve six-year terms, with roughly one-third elected every two years.
What is the main responsibility of the executive branch?
To implement and enforce federal laws. It is led by the President and includes the Vice President, Cabinet and federal agencies.
What is the main responsibility of the judicial branch?
To interpret laws, decide legal cases and assess constitutionality. The Supreme Court normally has nine justices.
What are checks and balances?
Constitutional powers that allow each branch to limit the others, preventing too much power from being concentrated in one branch.
What are the three constitutional requirements for becoming US President?
Be a natural-born US citizen, be at least 35 years old, and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
What is the role of the Cabinet?
The Cabinet advises the President and includes heads of executive departments, such as the Secretaries of State, Defense and Education.
What happens when Congress passes a bill?
It goes to the President, who may sign or veto it. Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Other constitutional outcomes are possible if the President takes no action.
What is the term of office for a Supreme Court justice?
Federal Supreme Court justices hold office during good behaviour, generally for life unless they resign, retire or are removed through impeachment.
Which body confirms presidential nominations for Supreme Court justices and Cabinet secretaries?
The US Senate (by advice and consent).
What are swing states? Give examples.
States where either major party has a realistic chance of winning. Examples in recent elections include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina.
What are the primaries and caucuses?
State-level processes used by political parties to select delegates and help choose their presidential nominees.
What is a supermajority in the Electoral College?
The term is not normally used for winning the presidency. A candidate needs a majority: at least 270 of 538 electoral votes.
What is the Electoral College?
The process in which electors chosen by the states and Washington, DC formally elect the President and Vice President.
How many electoral votes are there, and how many are needed to win?
538 electoral votes in total; at least 270 are needed to win.
Which US jurisdiction has three electoral votes but is not a state?
Washington, DC (the District of Columbia).
What usually determines how a state awards its electoral votes?
In most states, the statewide popular-vote winner receives all the state’s electoral votes. Maine and Nebraska use a district-based method.
Who breaks a tie in a US Senate vote?
The Vice President, when present in their role as President of the Senate.
What is the presidential inauguration, and where does it normally take place?
The ceremony marking the beginning of a new presidential term, normally held at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20.
Why is the President not inaugurated immediately after the November election?
The period before January 20 allows for vote certification, Electoral College procedures and the transition between administrations.
What is a lame-duck President?
A President serving near the end of their term, especially after a successor has been elected.
How many terms may a US President be elected to?
At most two elected terms under the 22nd Amendment.
Why do third-party candidates struggle in US elections?
Single-member winner-take-all elections, ballot-access rules, fundraising, media coverage and strategic voting favour the two major parties.