Legislative Branch
How many voting members serve in the House of Representatives?
What is 435?
What is the minimum age required by the Constitution to serve as President?
What is 35 years old?
Federal judges and SCOTUS Justices serve terms of this length "during good behavior."
This 1883 law ended the "spoils system" by requiring a merit-based civil service.
What is the Pendleton Act?
Which branch of government holds the enumerated power to declare war?
What is Congress?
How many years is a single term for a United States Senator?
What is six years?
This amendment, ratified in 1951, limits the President to two terms in office.
What is the 22nd Amendment?
This landmark 1803 case established the principle of Judicial Review.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
The three parts of this alliance are an agency, a committee, and an interest group.
What is an iron triangle?
This Senate power allows them to approve or reject presidential treaties and appointments.
What is advice and consent?
This leader is the most powerful in the House, assigning bills to committees and controlling floor debate.
Who is the Speaker of the House?
This 1967 amendment outlines procedures for presidential disability and succession.
What is the 25th Amendment?
This type of jurisdiction allows a court to hear reviews or appeals of lower court decisions.
What is appellate jurisdiction?
This 1939 act prohibits civil service employees from active participation in partisan politics while on duty.
What is the Hatch Act?
In the impeachment process, the House brings the charges, but this body conducts the trial.
What is the Senate?
This Senate tactic involves "talking a bill to death" and can only be ended by a 60-vote cloture.
What is a filibuster?
Following the VP, these are the next two positions in the line of presidential succession.
What is the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore?
In this foundational document, Hamilton argued the Judiciary is the "least dangerous branch."
What is Federalist no. 78?
These agencies, like the SEC or FEC, are designed to police specific activities outside direct executive control.
What are independent regulatory agencies?
This term describes the redrawing of electoral districts to favor one specific party or group.
What is gerrymandering?
This petition can force a bill out of a committee and onto the floor if a chair refuses to act.
What is a discharge petition?
In Federalist No. 70, Hamilton argued that this type of executive is necessary for active and accountability.
What is an energetic executive?
This tradition allows senators from a state to block a federal district judge nomination for their state.
What is Senatorial Courtesy?
This is the authority of bureaucrats to decide how to implement and enforce vague or complex laws.
What is discretionary authority?
In this role, a Congressperson votes based on their own judgment rather than strictly following constituent wishes.
What is a trustee?
This "quid pro quo" tactic occurs when two lawmakers agree to support each other's unrelated bills.
What is logrolling?
This specific presidential check can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.
What is a veto?
This philosophy suggests the Court should take an active role in shaping national social and political policies.
What is judicial activism?
Congress uses these public meetings to monitor and investigate the activities of the bureaucracy.
What is oversight authority?
The Supreme Court declared this specific congressional check on the executive branch unconstitutional in 1983.
What is the legislative veto?