Principles of Gov't
What is Rule of Law?
No one is above the law
Equal Justice for Everyone
Making laws
What does veto mean?
Reject a bill or law
Who is a part of the executive branch?
President & Vice President
The Cabinet
Name 1 concurrent/shared power.
Powers are shared between the federal and state governments.
Collecting taxes
Building roads
Creating courts
Making laws
Enforcing laws
Borrowing money
Power to the People
The People have the power
Who makes up Congress? (2)
The Senate & house of Representatives
What does a responsible delegate do?
A responsible delegate listens to the people who chose them and votes for the people’s interests while also making fair choices.
Name 3 main roles of the president.
Runs the government and enforces laws
Leads the military.
Works with other countries (treaties, meetings)
Represents the country at ceremonies
What are categorical grants?
Federal funds given to states for specific purposes with strict guidelines on how the money must be used.
Power is divided between state and federal governments.
The states and federal governments have different powers and responsibilities.
How many senators are there per state?
How many seats are there in the House of Representatives?
2 & 435
Who are the lawmakers for the state of NC?
"The lawmakers for the state of NC”
Definition: NC’s lawmaking group is called the General Assembly. They make state laws for the state.
Cabinet: Group of department heads who advise and help the President.
Examples:
Secretary of State
Secretary of Housing
Secretary of Defense
What are block grants?
Funds given by the federal government to states with few strings attached.
States have flexibility in how they use these funds.
Name 3 powers that the Federal Government are responsible for:
Declaring war
Printing money
Regulating interstate commerce (buying, selling, or moving of goods, services, or money across state or national borders)
Making treaties with other countries
Establishing post offices
Creating a military
Who breaks the tie if there is a tie within the Senate?
The Vice President
What are expressed powers?
“Expressed = written down in the Constitution."
Definition: Expressed powers are things the Constitution clearly says Congress can do.
Who is a part of the Judicial Branch?
Supreme Court
The Census is a count of every person living in the United States, conducted every 10 years.
Name 3 powers state governments are responsible for:
Establishing public schools
Issuing driver's licenses
Regulating marriage and divorce
Creating local governments
Conducting elections
Establishing most criminal laws
What does Pigeonhole mean?
Pigeonhole = bill stuck in committee and forgotten
Pigeonhole means a committee ignores or puts a bill aside so it never gets a vote on the floor.
What are implied powers?
"Implied = not written, but needed to do the job."
Definition: Implied powers are actions Congress CAN take even if it is not specifically written.
What is Judicial Review?
The power of courts to decide whether a law or action is unconstitutional.
Laws cannot conflict with the Constitution.
Simple example: If a law said citizens couldn’t speak freely, the courts could declare it unconstitutional.
What is Reapportionment?
The process of redistributing and updating the 435 seats in the House of Representatives in the 50 states based on population changes shown by the Census.