What is
Congress' authority to conduct hearings, investigations, and budget reviews of the actions by the executive branch (including oversight of agencies).
100
These initiatives of foreign policy do NOT require approval from the Senate.
What are executive agreements
100
Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?
a. Holding trials of impeachment
b. Establishing federal courts
c. Approving treaties
d. Holding confirmation hearings
e. Approving major judicial appointments
What is
b. Establishing federal courts
100
Which of the following is not one of the fifteen pyramids of bureaucracy?
(a) Department of State
(b) Department of Agriculture
(c) Department of Military
(d) Department of Commerce
(e) Department of Homeland Security
What is (c) Department of Military
100
The official head of the Senate is the
(a) president of the United States
(b) vice president of the United States
(c) president pro tempore
(d) majority leader
(e) chief whip
What is (b) vice president (but he holds little power except in the case when a tie-breaking vote is needed)
200
Which of the following is a way Congress can influence the federal judiciary?
a. It can prohibit judicial activism
b. It can filibuster decisions made by courts
c. It can change jurisdiction and limit remedies of the court
d. It can review federal judges for reappointment every ten years
e. It can declare acts of justices unconstitutional
What is:
c. It can change jurisdiction and limit remedies of the court
200
What are the TWO steps required for Cabinet members to be instated?
What is selected by the president, and they are confirmed by the Senate.
note: The Constitution makes no note of a Cabinet, but all presidents have had them!
200
What does the "Rule of Four" refer to?
What is: four of the nine justices are needed to grant a writ of certiorari, i.e, the MAY consider the case (does NOT necessarily mean they will hear the case)
200
These are hybrid organizations-- a cross between a private business corporation and a government agency.
What is a government corporation
200
One of the most important legislative powers of congress is
(a) the power to choose a president
(b) the ability to propose amendments to the Constitution
(c) the power to ratify treaties (in the Senate)
(d) the power to confirm presidential appointments
(e) the ability to tax and spend
What is (e) the ability to tax and spend
Note: a-d are all examples of non-legislative powers of Congress.
300
Most of the work of legislation in Congress takes place in what type of committees?
What is: Standing Committees (Permanent body with specified legislature responsibilities: evaluate bills & either kill them or pass them along for further debate)
300
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is
(a) often a favored tool of the president due to the lack of congressional oversight
(b) relatively powerless since it is mentioned nowhere in the Constitution
(c) located within the Department of Defense
(d) a dumping ground for ex-cabinet secretaries who have done a poor job
(e) always run by the vice president
What is
(a) often a favored tool of the president due to the lack of congressional oversight
300
This terms means "let the decision stand." Most cases reaching appellate courts are settled on this principle and provide stability in the court system by establishing precedent
What is: stare decisis
300
This is responsible for preventing fraud in the marketplace by preventing price fixing and deceptive advertising.
What is The Federal Trade Commission
300
What are RESERVED POWERS?
What is: powers given to the states by the 10th amendment because they are not given to the national government
400
What is the primary function of the Senate Judiciary Committee?
What is: To conduct hearings on judicial appointments made by the POTUS
400
Presidential powers that are NOT enumerated in the Constitution
What is
informal powers (executive agreements, executive orders, signing statements, bully pulpit/persuasion, emergency powers [state of war, crisis, etc], executive privledge
400
The number of federal district courts created by Congress to fulfill its delegated responsibility of creating courts inferior to the Supreme court.
What is 94
400
NASA and the EPA are what examples of?
a. regulatory commissions
b. government corporations
c. independent agencies
d. White House agencies
e. Cabinet Departments
What is: independent agencies
400
The Pendleton Act
(a) made it illegal for government employees to give money to political campaigns
(b) was passed in the 1950s
(c) was ruled unconstitutional
(d) gave the Supreme Court the power to overturn Executive Privilege
(e) limited the spoils system and created a system of civil service exams
What is (e) limited the spoils system and created a system of civil service exams
500
What does the House Rules Committee determine?
What is (any of the following):
1. determines the terms and conditions on of debate when a bill reaches the floor
2. sets the time limit of the debate time for a bill
3. decides whether and how a bill may be amended
500
The President can NOT veto which types of resolutions?
What is
Joint resolutions that propose Constitutional Amendments
500
Which Amendment was critical in deciding Brown v. Board of Education?
What is: The 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection
500
This law was passed to ensure bureaucratic neutrality and permitted bureaucrats the right to vote but not the right to actively campaign for political candidates, work for parties, or run for office.
(a) Hatch Act
(b) Clean Air Act
(c) Americans with Disabilities Act
(d) Federal Reservations Act
(e) Bureaucrat Nutrality Act
What is (a) Hatch Act, passed in 1939
500
When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, what type of committee is in charge of trying to resolve the discrepancy?