Political Parties and Electoral College
Electoral College
Legislative branch, or Congress, is broken up into two separate houses. What are they?
House of Representatives / Senate
Who is the leader of the Executive Branch
The President
The Judicial Branch consists of what?
The Supreme Court (America's court systems)
The idea in America that powers are shared between the federal / national government and the state governments are known as what?
Federalism
The number of electoral votes each state gets for the president is based on what?
The number of members they have in Congress. (Also, depends on population)
Name two of the qualifications for either house of congress.
HOR- 25 years old, citizen for 7 years, live in the state you represent.
Senate- 30 years old, citizen for 9 years, live in the state you represent.
Who advises the president on specific issues.
The cabinet or departments.
How many members currently sit on the Supreme Court? How long do the serve for?
9, for life.
Early in American history, who had the right to vote in America?
Adult (21), white, male, land owners
If Florida has 30 votes for president, how many members do they have in the House of Representatives and the Senate?
H = 28 S= 30
Name two roles or jobs of the Legislative Branch
Approve the President’s budget
Declare war
Senate approval/rejection of treaties
Coin Money
Collect Taxes
Senate approval and rejection of Presidential appointments
Make Laws
What are the three specific qualifications to be president of the United States.
Must be 35 years old
Must be a natural born citizen
Must have lived in the U.S. the last 14 years
What is the main job of the Supreme Court?
That of judicial review. Determining what the U.S. Constitution means.
What are powers given to the states? Give an example
Powers reserved for the states. Setting up schools, conducting elections, and regulating trade within a state.
What are our two major political parties?
Democrats and Republicans
The number of people that serve in House of Representatives and the Senate differ based on what?
HOR- Population
Senate- Equal representation
List two specific departments and what they actually do.
Many answers
Who chooses who is on the Supreme Court? Who approves or votes on that choice?
The President, Senate approves
What are the powers given to the Federal government? Give an example
Powers listed for the federal government. EX; coin money, declare war, maintain army navy etc.
Name at least one difference between the Republicans and Democrats
Many answers
How would you summarize the process of a bill turning into a law?
Bill is proposed, debated in committee, voted on in one house, bill goes through similar steps in the next house, needs to passed, sent to the president for signature.
How long does a president serve for and how many times can they be elected?
4 years, 2 terms
Why is the job of selecting a Supreme Court justice so important for a president? Why does the make up of the court matter?
Different political leanings usually means different outcomes for various types of cases.
What did each one of these amendments do?
15th
19th
26th
(Hint: they are all voting amendments)
15th- Ended race based voting restrictions
19th- Ended gender based voting restrictions
26th- lowered voting age from 21 to 18