Branches of Government
Which branch of the federal government is primarily responsible for writing and passing laws?
What constitutional power allows the President to refuse to sign a bill passed by Congress?
Veto
What is the defining characteristic of a democracy?
Rule by the people (popular sovereignty, majority rule and protection of rights)
In a presidential system, how is the head of government chosen?
By direct or indirect popular vote separate from the legislature (e.g., U.S. Electoral College process for the President).
Who typically serves as the head of government in a parliamentary system?
Prime Minister
Name one Enlightenment thinker who influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution.
John Locke, Montesquieu, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire
Name the main constitutional body (two parts) that makes up the legislative branch of the United States federal government.
Congress: House of Representatives, Senate
How can Congress override a presidential veto?
By a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.
Define "authoritarian" government and give one example of a feature common in authoritarian regimes.
A government where power is concentrated in a single leader or small group, limited political pluralism, restricted civil liberties; e.g., suppression of opposition parties.
Name one advantage and one disadvantage of a presidential system compared to a parliamentary system.
Advantage: clearer separation of powers and fixed terms; Disadvantage: potential for gridlock and divided government.
Explain how a vote of no confidence works and what it can lead to in a parliamentary system.
A parliamentary majority can vote that it no longer supports the government, forcing resignation of the cabinet and often triggering new elections
State one concept from John Locke that influenced American political thought and briefly explain its significance.
Social Contract, Natural Rights
Identify two powers granted to Congress by the Constitution that illustrate the scope of legislative authority.
power to levy taxes, declare war, regulate commerce, coin money, make laws, impeach/remove officials.
Explain the role of the Senate in the system of checks regarding presidential appointments.
The Senate must provide advice and consent (confirmation) for major presidential appointments (e.g., cabinet members, federal judges).
Contrast federalism with a unitary system by stating one key difference in the distribution of power.
Federalism divides authority between national and subnational governments; unitary centralizes authority in the national government.
Explain the principle of separation of powers in a presidential system and give a specific example of its application in the U.S. government.
Powers separated into branches with checks (Congress makes laws; President executes; Courts interpret). Example: President cannot make laws without Congress; Congress can pass laws and appropriate funds
Describe how party discipline in parliamentary systems influences legislative outcomes compared to the U.S. Congress.
Stronger party discipline often means legislators vote with their party leadership, producing more predictable legislative outcomes
Explain how Montesquieu’s ideas contributed to the U.S. system of government; identify the specific institutional feature he inspired.
Montesquieu advocated separation of powers among branches of government, inspiring the Constitution’s division of government functions.
Describe one formal check the legislative branch holds over the executive branch.
Congress can impeach and remove the President (House impeaches; Senate convicts).
Describe how the Supreme Court can check actions of both the legislative and executive branches.
Through judicial review, the Supreme Court can declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional.
Explain what a republic is and how it differs from a direct democracy in practice.
A republic is a government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions; differs from direct democracy where citizens vote directly on laws
Describe how an executive order functions in the U.S. presidential system and one constitutional or institutional limit on executive orders.
Executive orders are directives by the President to manage operations of the federal government; limited by statute, subject to judicial review, and reversible by subsequent administrations or Congress through legislation.
Explain why coalition governments form in parliamentary systems and one challenge coalitions commonly face.
Coalitions form when no single party has a majority; challenges include policy compromise, instability, and potential cabinet breakdowns.
Discuss the influence of social contract theory on the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution, with a short textual or conceptual example
Social contract theory (e.g., consent of the governed) appears in the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Explain how the structure of the judicial branch (lifetime appointments for federal judges) affects its independence and how this interacts with the other branches.
Lifetime appointments insulate judges from political pressure, enabling independent judicial review; this can check popular or partisan impulses from other branches.
Analyze a historical example where checks and balances noticeably limited or altered policy-making at the federal level (briefly describe the actors and the outcome).
War Powers disputes (e.g., Congressional limits on military action), or presidential appointment battles and confirmations
Compare and contrast presidential and parliamentary systems in terms of executive selection and accountability.
Presidential: separate executive elected independently; Parliamentary: executive drawn from legislature and accountable to it
Evaluate how divided government (when the presidency and at least one chamber of Congress are controlled by different parties) affects policy-making in a presidential system.
Divided government can slow legislation, encourage compromise, increase use of executive actions, and shift policymaking to courts or agencies.
Assess how the fusion of executive and legislative powers in parliamentary systems changes the checks on executive authority compared with a presidential system.
Fusion of powers gives the legislature more direct control over the executive, reducing separation-of-powers checks but potentially increasing parliamentary oversight and rapid policy changes.
Analyze how classical republicanism and liberal individualism both shaped the structure and values of the U.S. Constitution; include at least one institutional outcome for each philosophy.
Classical republicanism emphasized civic virtue and the common good, influencing checks on power and mixed government; liberal individualism emphasized individual rights and limited government, influencing the Bill of Rights and protections against tyranny.