Checks and Balances
What are the checks on both the Executive and Legislative Branches by the Judicial Branch?
What is claiming or declaring something unconstitutional?
What is argued for in Federalist No. 70
What is a unitary executive, one president, to ensure accountability in the government and for the president to be able to defend against legislative encroachments on his power?
What is the difference between the two Houses of Congress
What is the Senator represents their entire state, while members of the House of Representatives represent individual districts?
Article lll of the Constitution
What is the establishment of the Supreme Court?
Gerrymandering
What is the drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group?
Ways the Executive Branch checks the Judicial Branch
What is the power to appoint judges and pardon power?
How does the president implement policy agendas
What is formal powers such as bargaining and persuasion, informal powers such as vetoing, making their intentions known through State of the Union and Bully Pulpit, and executive orders?
What are the expressed powers of Congress
What is declaring war, taxing, and appropriating money?
Federalist No. 78
What is federal courts have the power to determine whether acts of both Congress and the President are constitutional?
Pork Barrel Legislation
What is federal funds are attached to a bill for projects within a Congress person's district which could aid their re-election?
Ways the Executive Branch checks the Legislative Branch
What is vetoing laws, proposing laws, making appointments, negotiating foreign treaties, and calling special sessions of Congress?
How can the President's agenda create tension with Congress
What is the president's agenda is different from Congress's for instance because of different parties, causing the two to argue over a bill causing gridlock.
What are the implied powers of Congress
What is the powers Congress has because of the necessary and proper clause given to carry out it expressed powers?
What is the principle of Judicial review
What is the ability of the public to challenge the legality of actions taken by authority and the judicial power to declare violations of the Constitution?
Merit
What is hiring and promoting government employees based on their ability to perform a job?
Ways the Legislative Branch checks the Judicial Branch
What is impeachment, creating lower federal courts, proposing amendments to overrule decisions, and approving appointments of federal judges?
How does the President influence Judicial appointments
What is the president has the power to appoint federal judges, which includes the Supreme Court appointments that can last a lifetime?
What are the models of Congressional representation
What is the Trustee model (vote how they personally believe is best), the Delegate model (vote the way their constituents want), and the Politico model (vote depending on the situation)?
What are two important roles in judicial decision making
What is Precedent, earlier laws or decisions that can guide them in cases, and Stare Decisis, that courts should honor precedent/rulings from earlier cases?
Writ of Certiorari
What is to bring a case before the Supreme Court (directs lower courts to send its records to Supreme Court for review when a party, in that case, believes the lower case made an error)?
Ways the Legislative Branch checks the Executive Branch
What is overriding vetoes with a 2/3 vote, controlling the budget, approving presidential nominations, impeachment, ratifying treaties, and declaring war?
What are the tasks the Bureaucracy carries out for the Federal Government
What is implementation, administration, and regulation when it comes to executing policies?
How does Congress pass a bill? What are the steps
What is the bill is introduced to the House or the Senate, then referred to committees or subcommittees, and then brought to the floor to be voted on?
Discussion about the Supreme Court’s power is illustrated by the ongoing debate over ________
What is Judicial activism (judges allow personal views about public policy to guide their decisions) and Judicial restraint (Judges should follow the constitution and interpret its meanings)?
Amicus curiae briefs
What is a brief filed by an individual or organization (has a strong interest in the matter) to present arguments to a case?