The power of the Senate over the President to approve or deny presidential appointments and foreign treaties.
100
What is a historical example of an Executive Order?
When President Eisenhower sent the troops to Arkansas to enforce the Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
100
What is the power of the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to hear some types of court cases first--before any other court?
What is the power of Original Jurisdiction?
100
How can the President take away a judicial punishment?
By the constitutional power of granting a pardon to someone who is convicted.
100
What are the largest organizations in the Federal Government?
What are the Cabinet Departments?
200
Which Chamber has power to propose new taxes (which is revenue to the government)?
What is the House of Representatives?
200
What constitutional power allows the Vice-President to break a tie vote in the Senate?
The Vice-President is the President of the Senate.
200
What is the latin term (flashcard vocabulary) for any judge today using the decision of a previous judge in a previous court case (precedent)?
What is 'Stare Decisis'?
200
How can the Supreme Court strike down a law or presidential action in a court case?
By using the power of Judicial Review from Marbury v. Madison.
200
What is a primary function of the Federal Government bureaucracy?
Making Social Security payments to senior citizens and healthcare spending for low-income and senior citizens.
300
What category of powers are taxes, regulating interstate commerce, passing laws on the military, bankruptcies, & immigration/naturalization?
What are Enumerated Powers?
300
What does Article II, Sections 2 & 3 say about the bureaucracy?
Only brief, vague references to unnamed executive departments, heads of departments (called secretaries), & ambassadors, etc. President is also Commander in Chief.
300
How does anyone appeal to the Supreme Court?
By filing a petition for certiorari to SCOTUS.
300
How can the Legislative Branch override a president's veto and make the president enforce a new law without his approval?
By both Chambers taking one final vote and reaching a 2/3rd's vote in both chambers on the vetoed law. Then the proposed law automatically becomes a law that the President must enforce.
300
Why does the President appoint less than 1% of the millions of federal bureaucrats?
So regular government workers (bureaucrats) aren't hired or fired for political reasons. President only appoints the top leaders in each bureaucracy.
400
DAILY DOUBLE: What clause in Article I, Section 8 is 'stretched' to allow the Legislative Branch to pass new laws that aren't on the Enumerated Powers list?
What is the 'Necessary and Property Clause.' (Also the source of 'Implied Powers.)
400
When did the President of the U.S. receive legal authority to prepare the federal budget plus start acting as 'Chief Legislator'?
Ever since the 1930's, during the Great Depression and Cooperative Federalism.
400
What constitutional power gives the Supreme Court power to hear any court cases decided in lower federal, state or local government courts?
What is Appellate Jurisdiction?
400
Who has the final authority to officially declare war?
The Congress - both the Senate and the House of Representatives only after the President officially asks.
400
What are some examples of Independent Agencies?
What is the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) or NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)?
500
How is the House of Representatives reapportioned every ten years?
By taking the U.S. Census and then State Legislatures redraw/redistrict congressional voting districts so each district has equal numbers of citizens.
**House of Representatives is apportioned based on population size of each State.
500
Who is in the President's Cabinet?
The heads of the Cabinet Departments (called secretaries) and a few other key advisors.
500
What criteria is the Supreme Court looking for when they review petitions for certiorari? In other words, why does the Supreme Court select less than 1% of the cases appealed to them?
The Supreme Court is looking for 'federal questions' or constitutional issues in the petitions.
500
DAILY DOUBLE: How does the Legislative Branch remove the President or Supreme Court Justice from their positions?
What is the Impeachment Process?
1- House of Representatives investigates & gathers evidence, and indicts.
2- Then the Senate holds a trial with evidence and votes to remove an official with 2/3rd's vote.
500
Why is Administrative Discretion used by the Federal Government bureaucracy?
Because Congress doesn't know all of the details when passing laws and expects the bureaucracy to use their expertise to write the details in rules and regulations.