Supreme Court Grab Bag
What case gave the Supreme Court the power of Judicial review?
Marbury v. Madison
What is the constitutional clause relevant to the Schenck v. US?
First amendment freedom of speech
What is the main message of Federalist 70?
There should only be one president so they have the power to make quick decisions in times of crisis.
Identify the model of democracy (Elite, pluralist, participatory).
"Planned Parenthood" competes with "Pro-Life America" to influence Congress on Abortion policy.
Pluralist.
What political party is associated with conservatism and which with liberalism?
Liberalism: Democratic Party
Conservatism: Republican Party
-Necessary and Proper Clause
-Supremacy Clause
What is the constitutional clause relevant to Engel v. Vitale?
Establishment Clause
What is the primary message of Federalist 78?
The Supreme Court, which relies on the Executive branch to enforce their rulings, should have the power of judicial review and judicial independence.
Identify the model of democracy (Elite, pluralist, participatory).
Mr. Joy goes to vote in the San Antonio Mayoral election.
Participatory.
What is the difference between a primary and general election?
Primary: parties choose their nominee to run in the general election.
General: all voters get a chance to elect who will actually serve in office
What is the constitutional provision associated with both Shaw v. Reno and Baker v. Carr?
Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment
The right to wear a black armband to school represented an example of symbolic speech that was protected by the first amendment because it did not disrupt the school learning environment.
How did Federalist 51 propose we should set up our national government to stop factions?
-Checks and balances
-separations of power
-bicameralism
-federalism
Identify the model of Congressional Voting Behavior (delegate, trustee, politico).
Congressman Joy's constituents oppose a new pollution bill, so he votes against it.
Delegate
What is the difference between a closed and open primary?
A closed primary means only registered party members can vote in the primary.
An open primary means all registered voters (including independents) can vote in the primary.
What was the Supreme Court's ruling in New York Times Co v. US?
The Nixon Administration's use of prior restraint (trying to block a newspaper from blocking a story) agains the Pentagon Papers violated the 1st amendment freedom of the press because prior restraint can only be used if the story would pose a serious threat to national security or public safety, which it did not in this case.
What did the Supreme Court rule in US v. Lopez?
Congress did not have the power to pass the Gun Free School Zone Act under the Commerce Clause because gun violence has no substantial affect on interstate commerce.
What is the difference in the type of Republic favored by Brutus I and Federalist 10? Why did each favor the Republic they did?
Brutus I favored a small republic because it was closer to the people and better understood their needs.
Federalist 10 favored a large republic because it was the best form of government to limit the power of factions.
Identify the model of Congressional Voting Behavior (delegate, trustee, politico).
Congressman Joy's constituents oppose a new pollution bill, but he votes for it because he believes pollution is a big threat to the environment.
Trustee model.
What is divided government? Why does divided government lead to gridlock?
-Divided government: each of the two political parties controls at least one of the following (House, Senate, Presidency).
-Because parties are polarized/have different ideologies, they are unlikely to vote yes on the same bills, meaning less bills get passed (gridlock).
What was the Supreme Court's ruling in McDonald v. Chicago? (Hint: selective incorporation).
The Supreme Court ruled that the right to bear arms was fundamental to maintaining liberty/self-defense, so the 2nd amendment right to bear arms could be selectively applied to the states through the due process clause of the 14th amendment.
How did the Supreme Court rule in Wisconsin v. Yoder?
The Supreme Court ruled that the Free Exercise Clause permits the Amish to take their children out of school early because it was essential to their religious way of life and the state had no substantial benefit to be gained by forcing the Amish students to stay in school two extra years.
Identify what is contained in Articles I-V of the Constitution.
Article I: powers of Congress,
Article II: powers of the president/bureaucracy,
Article III: powers of Supreme Court,
Article IV: powers of states,
Article V: how to amend the constitution
What is the difference between retrospective, prospective voting, and rational choice voting?
Retrospective: voting based on how candidate/party performed in the past.
Prospective: voting based on how you believe a candidate/party will perform in the future.
Rational choice: voting based on which candidate/party will benefit you the most.
What is federalism? How do state marijuana laws represent federalism?
Federalism is the sharing of power between the states and national government.
Because states have the power to make their own laws, they have the power to make differing marijuana laws.