Congress
Which chamber of Congress was designed to reflect the people’s will most directly?
The House of Representatives.
In what role does the president oversee executive departments and agencies?
Chief executive.
What do we call the executive departments and agencies that administer and implement federal public policy?
The federal bureaucracy.
Which required Supreme Court case established judicial review?
Marbury v. Madison (1803).
What judicial power allows courts to determine whether laws or government actions violate the Constitution?
Judicial review.
What Senate tactic can delay or block a vote by prolonging debate?
A filibuster.
A president directs executive agencies to change enforcement priorities without waiting for Congress to pass a new law. What presidential tool is being used?
An executive order.
The Department of Veterans Affairs revises regulations governing veterans’ benefits. What bureaucratic process is this?
Rulemaking.
Which required Supreme Court case allowed federal courts to hear Equal Protection challenges to legislative apportionment?
Baker v. Carr (1962). It opened the door to federal review; later cases established equal-population requirements.
What term describes an earlier court decision used as a guide, and what term describes the principle of following earlier decisions?
Precedent is the earlier decision; stare decisis is the principle of following precedent.
What power does Congress use when it increases or decreases funding available to executive agencies?
The power of the purse.
What type of international agreement does not require the Senate’s treaty approval process?
An executive agreement.
Congress authorizes the EPA to determine detailed national pollution standards. What authority has Congress given the agency?
Delegated discretionary authority.
A district with an unusual shape faces an Equal Protection challenge involving the use of race in drawing its boundaries. Which required case is associated with this issue?
Shaw v. Reno (1993), concerning racial gerrymandering.
Which constitutional article creates the judicial branch, and which foundational document explains judicial independence and the courts’ role?
Article III and Federalist No. 78.
How did the framers’ purposes for the House and Senate differ?
The House was designed to represent the people directly, while the Senate was designed to represent states’ interests through equal state representation.
The president uses a televised State of the Union address to build public support and pressure Congress. What strategy is being used, and what is its purpose?
Going public. The president appeals directly to citizens to build support for the administration’s legislative agenda.
The Department of Transportation receives public comments and develops detailed safety standards for automated vehicles. What TWO bureaucratic concepts does this illustrate?
Rulemaking and delegated discretionary authority.
How did Wickard v. Filburn and United States v. Lopez differ in their treatment of Congress’s Commerce Clause power?
Wickard supported a broad interpretation of congressional authority over economic activity. Lopez limited that authority by striking down the federal school-zone gun law at issue.
How does serving during good behavior support judicial independence, and why might Court decisions still cause controversy?
Judges do not face reelection, reducing electoral pressure and allowing unpopular rulings. Those rulings can still generate debate about the Court’s power.
The Supreme Court interprets a federal employment law in a way Congress dislikes. What can Congress do to change the rule for future claims?
Congress can amend the underlying statute. This differs from a constitutional ruling, which Congress cannot override through an ordinary law.
A president nominates a Supreme Court justice while the opposition party controls the Senate. Why might confirmation be difficult, and why does the president care about the nominee’s ideology?
The Senate can reject the nominee. The president seeks a justice whose judicial views may influence Court decisions for many years because justices serve during good behavior, usually for life.
A graph shows fewer days of congressional hearings over time. What is the likely effect on congressional control of agencies, and why?
Congressional oversight may decrease, weakening bureaucratic accountability. Hearings allow Congress to question officials and monitor how agencies implement laws.
Using Worcester v. Georgia, explain why a Supreme Court ruling may fail to produce immediate policy change.
The Court depends on other officials and branches to carry out its rulings. Resistance or lack of cooperation can limit implementation.
The Court rejects applying a constitutional right to the states, then overturns that precedent decades later. What change might help explain the reversal, and what does it show about precedent?
Changes in Court membership and judicial ideology can contribute to reversing precedent. Precedent guides decisions but can be overturned.