Foundations of American Democracy
This Enlightenment idea states that government gets its power from the people.
What is Popular Sovereignty?
This chamber is based on population and has 435 voting members.
What is the House of Representatives?
This group of people has the power to limit the president by approving his nominations to high-ranking offices in government.
What is the Senate?
This principle allows a court to declare laws and executive actions unconstitutional.
What is Judicial Review?
This 1819 case upheld Congress’s implied powers and established national supremacy over the states.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
This clause allows Congress to pass laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers.
What is the Necessary and Proper Clause?
This power allows Congress to formally accuse a federal official of wrongdoing.
What is impeachment?
In this role, the president negotiates treaties and meets with foreign leaders.
What is chief diplomat?
This ensures that the federal judiciary is independent from political pressure.
What is "life-long tenure"?
This constitutional clause was central to the Court's reasoning in United States v. Lopez.
What is the Commerce Clause?
James Madison argued in this Federalist essay that a large republic would control the “mischiefs of faction.”
What is Federalist 10?
This is needed to end a filibuster in the Senate
What is cloture?
As Chief Executive, the president has the power over this group of people who serve "at the pleasure of the president".
What is the bureaucracy?
This essay was written to show the importance of an independent judiciary and to explain that the judiciary is the "least dangerous" branch.
What is Federalist 78?
This 1962 case required states to redraw legislative districts to ensure equal representation.
What is Baker v. Carr?
The belief that people have natural rights and may overthrow a government that violates them appears in this document.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
The legislative work in Congress is predominantly done by this group of people.
What are committees?
The president proposes this type of spending to Congress.
What is discretionary spending?
This judicial philosophy supports minimal court involvement and deference to the other branches and to previous court decisions.
What is judicial restraint?
This constitutional clause was central to the Court’s reasoning in Engel v. Vitale.
What is the establishment clause?
This Federalist paper was written to explain how the government would be limited through checks and balances.
What is Federalist 51?
This political process can impact congressional behavior by creating "safe seats".
What is gerrymandering?
This 1970s law was designed to limit the president's power as commander in chief.
What is the War Powers Act?
This term refers to an official Supreme Court decision that must be followed by lower courts in the future.
What is precedent?
This doctrine explains how the Court has used the Fourteenth Amendment to protect individual rights against state violations of the Bill of Rights.
What is selective incorporation?