1. Branches of Government Review
Ms. Stacks
Civics

2. Checks and Balances Other restrictions come from the Constitution
Supreme Court can declare laws established by Congress as unconstitutional
The president can veto bills passed by Congress before they become laws
If both houses of Congress can muster a two-thirds vote, they can override the president’s action

3. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Makes the Laws

4. Introduce Bills
Congress has sole power to introduce bills in Congress

5. Standing Committees
Permanent committees that continue their work from session to session

6. Joint Committees
Both House and Senate meet together

7. How a Bill Becomes a Law 1. Bill introduced 2. committee action
3. floor action
4. Vote
5. Presidential action

8. Bicameral
Congress is bicameral because it has 2 houses: Senate and House of Representatives

9. Framers of Constitution
wanted to make the legislative branch of government more powerful than any other branch.
Congress is described in the first part of the Constitution in Article I

10. Congressional Term
Lasts for 2 years

11. House of Representatives
435 members – based on state’s population
Constitution guarantees each state at least one representative, no matter how small its population
Serve 2-year term
Leader: Speaker of the House

12. Senate 100 members – 2 from each of the 50 states Serve 6-year terms
Leader: president pro tempore

13. Filibuster Talking a bill to death
Can be ended with three-fifths of the senators voting for cloture

14. Impeach accuse officials of misconduct in office
Requires two-thirds vote of Congress to convict

15. Implied powers
congressional powers that are not stated explicitly in the Constitution

16. Expressed Powers
Powers listed (enumerated) in Constitution

17. Writ of Habeas Corpus
a court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person
Congress cannot suspend this

18. Ex Post Facto Laws
laws that make an act a crime after the act has been committed

19. Bills of Attainder laws that punish a person without a jury trial
Congress is banned from passing these

20. Pork-barrel Projects
Federal government projects that benefit home districts or states

21. Executes (carries out) the laws
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Executes (carries out) the laws

22. Veto
president’s refusal to sign a bill

23. Electoral College
indirect method of election; “winner-take-all” system
Electoral votes of each state is equal to number of U.S. Senators and representatives the state has

24. Electors
people appointed by each state to vote for the presidential candidates

25. Executive Order
rule or command that has the force of law

26. Pardon
declaration of forgiveness

27. Foreign Policy
nation’s plan for dealing with other nations

28. Treaty
formal agreement between the governments of two or more countries
Two-thirds vote required to approve treaties with other nations

29. Ambassador
official representative of a country’s government

30. Cabinet Group of presidential advisers
Meets whenever president wants to

31. Political Appointees
people who the president has chosen as employees

32. Civil Service Workers
people who generally have permanent employment with the national government

33. Qualifications of the President
At least 35 years old
Be native-born U.S. citizen
Be a resident of U.S. for at least 14 years

34. Powers of President Declare war
Form relationships with foreign nations
Veto or approve laws
Appoint cabinet members with Senate approval
Appoint Court Justices with Senate approval

35. Presidential Succession Act
Sets the line of succession after president
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore of the Senate
Secretary of state

36. Executive Office
Core = White House

37. Office of Administration
respond to individuals seeking records under the Freedom of Information Act

38. Economic Leader
the president plans the budget of the federal government

39. Commander in Chief
In charge of army, marines, navy, air force, and coast guard
Send troops overseas to support foreign policy decisions

40. Chief Diplomat
meets and negotiates with leaders and representatives of other countries

41. JUDICIAL BRANCH
Interpret the laws

42. Judiciary Act of 1789
established federal district courts and circuit courts of appeals

43. Supreme Court
Has final authority to determine whether a law is acceptable under the Constitution

44. Jurisdiction
court’s authority to hear and decide a case

45. Concurrent Jurisdiction
situation in which both state and federal courts have jurisdiction

46. Original jurisdiction
authority to hear cases for the first time

47. Appellate Jurisdiction
authority of a court to hear a case appealed from a lower court

48. Equal Justice Under Law
idea upon which the U.S. justice system is based

49. Precedent
past opinion that guides judges by offering a model upon which to base their own decisions in similar cases
judges rely heavily on previous opinions in similar cases

50. Dissenting Opinion
opinion that presents the view of justices who disagree with the majority decision

51. Judicial Review
power to review any federal, state, or local law or action to see if it goes against the Constitution
Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison established this for the first time

52. Engel v. Vitale
ruled that a public school district’s practice of starting the day with prayer violates the establishment clause

53. The Federal Court System
federal district courts, federal appeals courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court

54. Appeals Court
reviews decisions made in lower courts.

55. District Court
hold both criminal and civil trials

56. Ex parte Endo case Endo was a Japanese American fired from her job
Questioned: internment of Japanese Americans
Outcome: Japanese Americans were released from internment.

58. Supreme Court Justices
All Supreme Court Justices have been lawyers
eight associate justices and one chief justice

59. Decision Making Steps in Supreme Court Decision Making
1. Written Arguments – briefs are presented**
2. Oral Arguments
3. Conference – six justices present **
4. Opinion Writing
5. Announcement **