Article I
This chamber of Congress is designed to represent all states equally.
What is the Senate?
What is a lame duck?
In 1987, this body exercised its constitutional authority in rejecting President Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.
What is the Senate?
The Cuyahoga River caught fire dozens of times before the federal government stepped in. Discretionary and rule-making authority to implement policy are given to bureaucratic agencies, including this agency most responsible for stopping the pollution in that river.
What is the Environmental Protection Agency?
This court case established the Supreme Court's informal power of judicial review.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
The President sends troops into combat for more than 60 days. THIS constitutionally enumerated power of Congress would have us believe that the President has stepped on the toes of the legislature.
What is Congress' power to declare war?
What is the pocket veto?
This Federalist paper set forth the rationale behind an independent judiciary.
What is Federalist #78?
This was a law passed in 1883 that was meant to reform the way Civil Servants got jobs in the federal government. This marked a shift from the "Spoils System" of Patronage and toward a system of Merit.
What is the Pendleton Civil Service Act?
In 2025, a racially gerrymandered map that was created "mid decade" to give advantage to Republicans. A federal district court judge appointed by Trump decided to strike down this gerrymandered district in accordance with the precedent set forth in this case:
What is Shaw v. Reno?
The Senate refuses to confirm the President’s nominee for Secretary of Energy because of concerns about their experience.
Which check on the executive branch is illustrated?
What is "advice and consent" of the Senate?
In early 2025, President Trump used this implied power of the Presidency directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to shift additional federal resources toward construction and reinforcement of physical barriers along sections of the U.S.–Mexico border. Which power is this?
What is an executive order?
Latin for "let the decision stand" this concept guides the judiciary to rely heavily on precedents.
What is stare decisis?
A farm lobby pressures Congress for new crop subsidies. The Agriculture Committee writes a bill the lobby supports, and the USDA backs it because it increases their funding. All three groups benefit from the arrangement. This is known as...
What is an iron triangle?
In the Baker vs. Carr case, what "doctrine" is established?
What is "One person, One Vote"
Members of Congress use committee hearings to publicly question high-ranking Pentagon officials about a controversial military contract.
Which congressional function is this?
What is the "oversight" function?
Congress passes a military funding bill, but the President signs a statement saying the administration will interpret parts of it differently.
Name this controversial executive tool.
What is a Presidential Signing Statement?
The Supreme Court agrees to hear a case involving the legality of a Gerrymandered district in Texas. Before the Supreme Court could hear this case, a petition needed to be sent to the court called what?
What is a writ of certiorari?
The FDA creates new rules and regulations to ensure that food safety standards are uniform across all 50 states based on a Congressional law called the "Safe Foods Act" that was passed in 2024. What is this concept known as?
What is discretionary authority?
The Supreme Court strikes down a long-standing federal law, arguing that new social realities require the Constitution to be interpreted more broadly than before. This is known as what type of "stance" with regard to the justices?
What is Judicial Activism?
All funding for agencies and departments of the government as well as other measures are included in one large, all-encompassing bill. What is the name for this type of bill that one might argue is the "size of a bus"?
What is an omnibus bill?
This essay defended the need for a vigorous, singular executive (Part 1) — an argument later cited by those who believe the President should exercise centralized authority over the entire executive branch (Part 2).
What is Federalist #70 and Unitary Executive Theory?
After losing a major case, an interest group submits an amicus curiae brief urging the Supreme Court to reconsider the issue in a related upcoming case. What does "Amicus Curiae" translate to?
What is "Friend of the Court" brief?
This cabinet level department was created after September 11th to protect the United States from foreign threats. Under it's umbrella there is immigration and terrorism enforcement, TSA, and FEMA.
What is The Department of Homeland Security?
A looser, changing group of stakeholders (academics, media, advocates) around a policy issue — often challenges or balances iron triangles. This is known as:
What is an Issue Network?