GOPO FINAL EXAM REVIEW. Document subtitle

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1 AP GOPO FINAL EXAM REVIEW Document subtitle

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3 Writing Tips *Free Response questions are not graded. They re scored. You don t lose points. You start with 0 and get a point for putting down the right information. They skip the wrong information. *Average Score = 38% (3/8). So, don t expect to get all the points possible on a given question. Just don t take a zero on a question-there s always a way to score a point or two. If you are stuck, start writing and throw in some vocab. *When you are answering, your goal is to demonstrate understanding of the concept. Vocab. Use when appropriate and use correctly. *Keys: as legible as possible. Organized answers. Be explicit and obvious. Be complete-answer all parts of the question. *Basic Definitions of terms -Describe: ID & explain -Identify: list & define -Describe and Explain: answer how/why/who. Show connection/linkage -Discuss: elaborate. Most in depth answer Answer how/why for each question and each part of each question. *If given options, answer all parts. For ex, if says Describe 2 of the following, answer all 3. Then, if one is wrong you still max out the points for that part. *Use examples if you can, especially recent examples b/c helps demonstrate understanding of concept. If question calls for an example and you can t think of one, can use a hypothetical example if it correctly demonstrates the concept. *Responses don t need to be much longer than 1 page, just be sure to answer the question fully! Multiple Choice Tips Strategies for Multiple Choice No guessing penalty (free to guess; so take a stab at it if you don t know, but make it educated) Read Questions Closely especially on Except Questions Eliminate incorrect answers (draw a line through it) Avoid absolute responses usually incorrect always never Mark and skip difficult questions come back later and answer Chart/Graph Questions Skip and go back to later Political Cartoon Questions Try to understand the cartoon prior to looking at answers Supreme Court Decisions Need to memorize About 1/3 of questions will be devoted to 3 branches of government 4-5 questions will have charts/graphs or political cartoon 4-5 questions will deal with significant court cases Make studying the Congress and Presidency a Priority 2

4 McNulty - AP Final Exam Condensed Review Foundations/Constitution Articles of Confederation (weaknesses, how were they addressed) Shay s Rebellion Great Compromise Supremacy Clause Necessary and Proper Clause Federalists/Anti-Federalist (Debate) James Madison/Federalist 10 John Locke Principles of Constitution: Popular Sovereignty, Limited Government, Checks & Balances, Separation of Power, Judicial Review, Federalism Dual v. Cooperative Federalism Categorical Grants, Block Grants, Federal Mandates Devolution/New Federalism (Reagan) Amendments 1 st, 4 th, 5 th, 6 th, 10 th, 12 th, 13 th, 14 th, 15 th, 16 th, 17 th, 19 th, 26 th Congress Gerrymandering/Congressional Reapportionment & Redistricting Pork Barrel Divided government Article I, Section 8 (powers of Congress) House v. Senate Checks on the other branches Senate Confirmation Congressional Oversight Rules in House v. Senate (Committees, filibuster, cloture) Revenue Bills Role of Committees/Subcommittees/Rules Committee Congressional Leadership Necessary and Proper Clause Executive Article II Powers of the Executive Legislative Powers Foreign Policy Powers Checks on the other branches White House Staff Cabinet Attorney General Office of Management and Budget Honeymoon Period/Bully Pulpit Executive Privilege Bureaucracy Cabinet Independent Regulatory Agencies Independent Executive Agencies Government Corporations Conflicts w/ other branches; limits on bureaucracy Roles/functions of the bureaucracy Characteristics of a bureaucracy Political Parties Not mentioned in Constitution Two Party System Third Parties (Contributions/Limitations) Functions of political parties Interest Groups Strategies/litigation Iron Triangles Issue Networks PACs Media as a private enterprise Differences between interest groups and political parties Lobbyists Regulations 3

5 Judicial Branch Judicial Review (when does it apply) Judicial Activism v. Judicial Restraint Warren Court Stare decisis Writ of Certiorari Rule of 4 Jurisdiction Different types of court systems (district, appellate, etc) Marbury v. Madison McCulloch v. Maryland Gibbons v. Ogden Plessy v. Ferguson Griswald v. Connecticut Roe v. Wade Gitlow v. New York New York Times v. Sullivan Brown v. Board of Education Gideon v. Wainwright Mapp v. Ohio Bakke v. University of California U.S. v. Nixon New York Times v. U.S. Lemon v. Kurtzman Due Process/Equal Protection Clause Selective Incorporation Elections Campaign Finance Reform McCain-Feingold FECA-Federal Election Campaign Act Voting Requirements Roles of states/federalism Role of PACs Electoral College (Reasoning behind it; criticisms; what if no majority) Open v. Closed primaries Frontloading Caucus National Convention Delegates Role of Media Incumbency Advantage Critical Election Voter Behavior Political Efficacy Voter turnout (influence of demographics, why is it low, dealignment) Voting Patterns Democrats/Republicans (which groups support the two parties?) Influence of Media Motor Voter Law Partisanship Dealignment Polling Bandwagon Effect Legislation American s with Disabilities Act Civil Rights Act of 1964 Civil Rights Act of 1965 FECA McCain Feingold Soft Money v. Hard Money Matching Funds War Powers Resolution Federal Budget/Economic Policy Budget Process: executive and legislative roles Entitlement Programs Mandatory Spending v. Discretionary Spending Fiscal v. Monetary Policy Role of the FED Social Welfare Policy Environmental Policy Health Care Policy National Security Policy Misc. Pluralist Elitist Hyperpluralist Linkage Institutions: media, political parties, interest groups, voting 4

6 Things to Review Federalism Definition o Division of government into levels; strong federal government with regional or state governments o Outlined by the 10 th Amendment Supremacy Clause o Constitution is the supreme law of the land; when conflict between state and federal law federal law is supreme Necessary and Proper Clause o Elastic Clause/Implied Powers o Congress shall have the power to make laws necessary to carry out their enumerated powers o Greatly expanded power of federal government o McCulloch v. Maryland Commerce Clause o Congress/fed. Government has the power to regulate interstate commerce o Gibbons v. Ogden o Vehicle to expand the power of federal government o Led to Civil Rights Act of 1964 Fiscal Federalism Categorical Grants v. Block Grants o The federal government has used funding to influence states o Categorical Grants: Money w/ strings attached Example of how federal government can increase its authority over states o Block Grants: Money for broader purposes Gives states more authority on how to spend federal funds: goes w/ devolution/new federalism Pros v. Cons o Pros: lessens chance of tyranny b/c power not in one entity; states become testing grounds for policies which may be adopted at federal level; allows for local response to local concerns; increase avenues for participation o Cons: increased bureaucracy? ; gridlock, slows process; conflict b/n state/national government Amendment Process o Proposed at national level; 2/3 o Ratified at state level; 3/4 5

7 The Incumbency Advantage Single most important factor in determining outcome of congressional elections What contributes to incumbency advantage? o Franking privilege, visibility/name recognition, pork-barrel spending, huge money advantage b/c I.G./PACS more likely to support incumbents Why is incumbency advantage greater for members in House than those in Senate? o House less competitive (often run unopposed in some districts) o Less visible challengers; Senate race usually attracts former governors (more prestigious) o House is closer to the people Selection of Supreme Court Justices Appointment/Confirmation Process o Appointed by President o Confirmed by Senate Checks and Balances Characteristics of nominees o Ideology, party affiliation, experience, white/male/protestant (historically, this trend is now changing as women and A.A. been apt. to bench) Judicial Restraint v. Judicial Activism o Judicial Restraint: Deferring to prior precedents; defer to policy decisions of other two branches; strict interpretation of Constitution o Judicial Activism: Overturning prior precedent; make public policy thru court decisions o Examples Restraint: Taney Activist: Marshall, Warren Courts Electoral College Why have an electoral college? o Originally to act as filter for mass public; now simply confirm popular vote for the most part Total delegates needed to win? 270 What if no majority? Who decides? How? o House decides b/n top 3 candidates; each STATE ONLY HAS ONE VOTE What s meant by winner-take-all? o Winner of plurality w/in state gets all states delegates (in 48 states) Why is it difficult for third parties to win? o Plurality/winner take all system; difficulty getting on ballot; difficulty fundraising; more ideologically extreme typically; political socialization (most people align w/ 2 parties so follow parents etc.) What contributions do 3 rd parties make to political process? o Bring certain issues to national attention; Popular 3 rd party policies often adopted by the two major parties; they act as a safety valve for discontent 6

8 African American voting patterns Which party are they more likely to support? Why? o Democrats: More liberal (tend to support more liberal members of Dem. Party); why: New Deal/Dem. Favor social welfare policies, Civil Rights, etc. How do African American voting rates compare to whites when effects of education are eliminated? o When SES/Education are equal, African Americans tend to vote more than their white counterparts o Overall, AA have lower turnout rate than whites Voter Turnout Why is voter turnout so much lower in the U.S. than most Western Democracies? o Registration (most western governments automatically register citizens, in the US it falls upon the individual); voting during the week in U.S. (Tuesday); Too many elections (federalism) What factors make an individual more likely/less likely to vote o More Likely: Older, higher SES (Income, Education levels), people w/ government job, women, educated How do women voting rates compare to men? What is meant by the gender gap? o Women vote at higher rates; o Gender Gap: Women tend to support more liberal/democrat. candidates Which elections have a higher turnout, presidential or non-presidential elections? o Pres. Races get more media attention, viewed as more important by public, increased funding/advertising than congressional off year elections 15 th, 19 th, 23 rd, 24 th, 26 th Amendments o 15 th : Extends suffrage regardless of race, color, ethnicity (although not fully implemented til Voting Rights Act of 1965) o 19 th : Women s Suffrage o 23 rd : 3 electors for DC o 24 th : No poll tax o 26 th : 18 to vote Divided Government Define. o White house controlled by one party and one or both Houses of Congress are controlled by the other party Impact on legislation/public opinion o Leads to gridlock, partisanship, increased distrust of government; forces compromise What strategies might a president use to overcome the challenges of divided government? o President may threaten a veto, appeal to public (use bully pulpit), executive orders/signing statements 7

9 Political Action Committees Define. o Generally the financial wing of an Interest Group. A group not endorsed by a candidate or political party but organized to engage in political election activities, especially the raising and spending of money for "campaigning." Generally, raise money to support a candidate who will help advance groups interests. However, some political action committees (PACs) are organized solely to help defeat a candidate deemed undesirable by the group. Goal of PACs? o Get candidates elected who will advance the interests of the PAC/I.G. How do they contribute to the incumbency advantage? o PACs more likely to donate to incumbents because it s a safer investment. (Incumbents win in House elections 90% of the time and 75% in Senate) How has the Citizens United decision increased the power of PACs? o PACs can now contribute unlimited amounts of money to the financial process as long as they don t give the money directly to a candidate or coordinate with candidates o Led to the growth of super PACs and mass increase in negative advertising Veto Power Checks and Balance: President can veto a bill What is a pocket veto? o If Congress passes a bill but then adjourns and is it of session w/in 10 days of passing the bill and the president doesn t act upon it the bill is pocket vetoed What happens if Congress is still in session and a President doesn t act on a bill w/in 10 days? o It automatically becomes law What is needed for the Congress to override a veto? o 2/3 of both houses (very difficult) How can the veto power influence legislation? o If president threatens to veto, may force congress to compromise What s a line-item veto? What was the decision in the case of Clinton v. City of New York (1998)? o Line-item veto would give the president the power to veto certain provisions of an appropriations or revenue bill w/o vetoing the entire thing. o This was ruled unconstitutional in Clinton v. City of New York 8

10 The President and the Cabinet Who does the President appoint? What s the process? o President appoints: Judges, Supreme Ct. Justices, US attorneys, federal marshals, ambassadors, consuls, envoys, Cabinet Secretaries, attorney general, heads of independent agencies/regulatory commissions etc. o Confirmed: By the Senate (Need simple majority 51, unless filibuster, then need 60 votes to break filibuster.) Why has the President s White House Staff replaced the Cabinet as the President s closest advisors? o Heads of Cabinet departments often have their loyalties divided between the president s interest and those of their department. Versus white house staff which is completely loyal to the president How do the cabinet departments fit into the phenomenon of Iron Triangles? o Iron Triangle: Relationship of mutual benefit between Interest Groups, the Bureaucracy, and Congressional Committees Presidential Primaries Why have presidential primaries weakened the control of party s on the nomination process? o Decreased the influence of party bosses and leaders as now citizens are able to directly vote on the nominee, thus making the convention simply a time to confirm the decision already made by voters. What s the difference between an open v. closed primary? Caucus? o Open primary: Any registered voter can vote o Closed Primary: Must be a registered member of that party to vote o Caucus: A coming together of likeminded people to have a discourse on which candidate they d like to see awarded delegates from their state. How does the Democratic Party award delegates? o 20% Superdelegates o Remainder of delegates a based on a proportional system in each state. Any candidate receiving at least 15% of the vote in a state is guaranteed a portion of that states delegates in the nomination process How do primary voters differ from those in the general electorate? o More ideological, party hardliners, more affluent, more educated; (only 25% of voters participate in primaries) Why do Iowa and New Hampshire face criticism for their position in the nomination season? o Because they are the first caucus and primary of the nomination season people are critical of this because they are such small states but occupy a lot of the time and resources of candidates as it s important for candidates to get off to a strong start. What is meant by the trend of frontloading? o More and more states are trying to move their primaries/caucuses up earlier in the nomination process so they can have greater influence in the process. 9

11 Standing Committees What are standing committees? Subcommittees? o Permanent bodies that focus on legislation in a particular area. Thus they promote specialized policy expertise among their members What role do they play in the legislative process? o All bills are referred to standing committees, where they can be amended, passed, or killed. Most bills die in committee. Standing committees are divided into subcommittees where the details of legislation are refined. It s in the subcommittee where the vast majority of the marking up of bills take place How does the Rules Committee influence legislation in the House? o Rules committee is unique to the House o Rules committee critical because it places a bill on the legislative calendar (granting it a rule if a bill isn t placed on the legislative calendar by the rules committee it won t be heard) o Rules committee also determines if amendments will be allowed as well as how long the bill will be debated (unlike senate where debate unlimited) Why does the majority party have an advantage in the committees of Congress? o Chairman of committees are from majority party o Majority party holds the most seats on each committee o 9/13 members of rules committee is from majority party. The Federalist Papers Why were they written? o Persuade NY/VA to ratify constitution What is the main focus of Federalist 10? Who was the author? o Federalist 10: argues factions are undesirable but inevitable; James Madison In Federalist 10, what did Madison argue was the best way to control factions? o Republican form of government o Having a large republic/federalism (because a faction may control part of government but difficult to control all in lg. republic or with federalism Political Socialization What is political socialization? o How an individual develops their political values/ideology What factors influence political socialization? o Family biggest influence, but also peers, education level, income level, etc. What is meant by political efficacy? What impact does this have on voter turnout o High political efficacy: believe one individual can influence political process; my vote matters o Higher political efficacy more likely to vote 10

12 14 th Amendment & Selective Incorporation What is the 14 th Amendment? o Citizenship Clause; all citizens guaranteed due process and equal protection of laws Define selective incorporation. How has the 14 th Amendment played a role in selective incorporation? o Selective incorporation: gradual application of the bill of rights to states thru the 14 th Amendment due process/equal protection clauses. What was the decision in Barron v. Baltimore? o Barron case (1833) stated that the Bill of Rights did NOT apply to states; this decision was overturned in 1925 by Gitlow v. New York Provide 3 examples of incorporation cases. o Gideon v. Wainwright; Griswold v. Connecticut; Miranda v. Arizona; Mapp v. Ohio etc. Selection of Supreme Court Cases What types of cases are most likely to end up on the Supreme Court docket? o Cases where two appellate courts or two federal courts come to different decisions on a case; cases where there is conflict b/n two states; What is needed for a case to be heard by the Supreme Court? o Rule of 4: 4 justices must agree to hear the case What is the significance of the majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions? o These opinions help establish precedent for future cases and guide judges in lower courts. The Mass Media How does the mass media influence the policy agenda? o Gatekeeper: control what becomes news/gains national media attention; what info people pay attention to What roles (i.e. watchdog, scorekeeper, etc.) do the media play in politics? What s meant by each? o Watchdog: media plays role investigating legislators, investigating corruption/expose scandals o Scorekeeper: track horse race aspects of elections; constant polling; decide who s winning elections etc can cause bandwagon effect How has media coverage changed over time? o More and more focus on sensationalism. o Shorter sound bites o More social media What is a trial balloon? Why would a politician use this? o An intentional leak of a news story/policy to the press to gauge public reaction before pursuing a policy. 11

13 Articles of Confederation What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? o No power to tax, no standard currency, no power to regulate trade, no executive/judicial branch What is the significance of Shay s Rebellion? o Straw that broke the camel s back led to call to revise the Articles of Confederation How did the Constitution address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? o Increased power of federal government Power to tax, commerce clause (regulate trade), supremacy clause, power to coin money, power to raise and maintain an army State Legislatures Under the original Constitution, how did State Legislature directly influence the Congress? o State legislatures chose senators; changed by 17 th Amendment What role do state legislatures play in the Amendment process? o Ratification of amendments happens at state level (3/4 of state legislatures or ¾ of conventions in states) What is the significance of the Census? o One significance is that it determines shifts in population between states. Define Congressional Reapportionment. o Redistribution of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives based upon shifts in population after Census. (impacts number of representatives in the House for a state as well as number of state s electoral votes) Define Congressional Redistricting. How do state legislatures influence this process? o The redrawing of Congressional districts within a state based upon how seats that state is awarded after the census. o State legislatures are responsible for drawing the districts. Whichever party controls the state legislature they generally try to draw the districts so that members of their party will be more likely to win by grouping or not grouping certain demographics together. What strategies do state legislatures use when drawing district lines? o Gerrymandering may try to concentrate opposition in a couple or a few districts or may try to diffuse opposition in many districts. o Limits: one man, one vote Wesberry v. Sanders Reapportionment Act of 1929 set the maximum number of members in the House of Representatives at

14 Civil Rights Legislation What were the major provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? o Banned discrimination in public accommodations o Created EEOC to investigate discrimination in employment Prohibit discrimination in employment on basis of race, color, national origin, religion, or gender o Federal agency to enforce desegregation of schools What was the Voting Rights Act of 1965? o Reinforced 15 th Amendment o Created federal agency to oversee elections and registration in Southern states o Banned literacy tests What were the main provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act? o Similar to civil rights act of 1964 extends protections against discrimination to those with disabilities o Public facilities must make reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities. o Example of a federal mandate Campaign Finance Reform What were the major provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 (FECA of 1974)? o Created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) o Increased reporting requirements for campaign contributions o Provided partial public financing for primaries and full public financing for major party candidates in the general election. (Matching Funds) o Limits individuals contributions directly to a candidate to $2,300 and PACs to $5,000 Citizens United removed limits as long as PACs DON T give $ DIRECTLY to the candidate What s soft money? How did McCain-Feingold Act (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) address soft money? o Soft Money: money donated to the party (not a specific candidate) that can be spent by a political party on grass-roots organization, recruitment, advertising, etc; o This was essentially banned by McCain Feingold Act b/c it was being used as loophole around campaign finance laws. How has the Citizens United decision changed campaign finance? o PACs, corporations, unions can now contribute unlimited amounts money to the election process as long as they don t give money directly to the candidate or coordinate with a candidate s campaign (in other words they can run campaign ads, etc. for a candidate as long as they don t coordinate with them. What factors have contributed to the growth in negative advertising? o Increase in PACs, negative ads have proven to be effective 13

15 War Powers What military powers does the Congress possess? o Power to declare war; ratify treaties; power of the purse; confirm ambassadors, consuls etc. What military/foreign policy powers does the President possess? o Deploy troops, negotiate treaties, executive agreements (don t require Senate approval), commander in chief, appoint ambassadors, consuls, envoys What are the main provisions of the War Powers Resolution? What was the goal of this legislation? o Gave Congress greater voice in presidential decisions committing military forces to hostile situations overseas o Requires president notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops o Requires President to bring troops home from hostilities w/in 60 to 90 days unless Congress extends the time What was the decision in NYT v. U.S.? o Led to publication of Pentagon Papers; increase protection of free press. Interest Groups and Political Parties Identify the major differences between Interest Groups and Political Parties? o Political Parties: Main Goal is to win elections; policy generalists o Interest Groups: Main Goal is to influence those who are in office (I.G. don t run candidates for office); policy specialists What strategies do interest groups use to influence the policy agenda? o Lobbying, litigation (class action suits, amicus curiae briefs), campaign contributions, social gatherings, etc. What is meant by the revolving door? o the hiring of former government employees/members of congress by private companies/interest groups with which they had dealings when they worked for the government o I.G. hire former government officials to lobby b/c they have contacts, know how the system works What factors contribute to the 2 party system in the U.S.? o Plurality system, winner-take-all system, political socialization, hard for 3 rd parties to get on the ballot, harder for 3 rd parties to fundraise What contributions do 3 rd parties make to the political system? o Bring certain issues to national attention; Popular 3 rd party policies often adopted by the two major parties; they act as a safety valve for discontent 14

16 Bureaucracy Define cabinet departments, government corporations, independent regulatory agencies, and independent executive agencies. Provide an example for each. o Cabinet Departments 15 of them; chosen by pres./approved by Senate Oversee major areas of government (Defense, Agriculture, Treasury etc.) o Independent Regulatory Agencies Created to regulate key sectors of the economy (ICC, SEC, FED) Led by small commissions appointed by president and confirmed by Senate. Note that commissioners can t be removed by the president during their terms of office. Federal Reserve Board (FED): sets monetary policy (set interest rates, control inflation, regulate money supply, etc. FED much freedom; remove politics from monetary policy Fiscal v. Monetary Policy FED controls monetary policy Congress/President control fiscal policy o Government Corporations provide service that could be provided by private sector but usually at discounted rates (TVA, Amtrak, Postal Service) o Independent Executive Agencies: The rest of government NASA, EPA, GSA What roles does the bureaucracy play in the legislative process o Implement legislation: translate legislation into rules and standard operating procedures gives agencies much administrative discretion in setting guidelines for a given problem o Regulate business o Iron triangles How is the bureaucracy independent of politics? o Most civil servants employees can t be fired w/o just cause goal to separate partisanship from the bureaucracy How does the Congress/President place checks on the bureaucracy? o Congress Legislative oversight, control the funds for each agency, reorganize agencies, spread responsibilities among several agencies to prevent one from becoming too powerful (leads to red tape and overlap) o President Appoints cabinet heads, heads of agencies Issue executive orders/signing statements President/OMB recommend budget for each agency What is the role of the Federal Reserve? o See above under Independent Regulatory Agencies 15

17 Civil Liberties What s the 1 st, 4 th, 5 th, 6 th, 8 th Amendments? o Look these up on your own, but be sure you know them. Provide 3 examples of cases that increased the rights of the accused. o Mapp v. Ohio (exclusionary rule), Gideon v. Wainwright (rt. to counsel), Escobedo v. Illinois (rt. to attorney during questioning) What has been the trend of affirmative action policies in the U.S.? o Since Bakke v. U of C affirmative action programs have increasingly come under fire in the courts and have been severely restricted (see Adarand Construction v. Pena). o Bakke said can t have quota system, but race may be used as one of many factors in determining admissions What s meant by incorporation? What role did the 14 th Amendment play in this process? o See above (14 th Amendment and Selective Incorporation) Budget Process What s the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending? o Mandatory Spending: Congress/president have no power to directly change (60% of all federal spending) Payment on debt interest, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid o Discretionary: spending programs not required by law Defense (accounts for 20% of federal budget) What s an entitlement? Example? o Entitlement is a program that guarantees a specific level of benefits to persons who meet requirements set by law. o Social Security, Medicare, Food Stamps, Unemployment Insurance, Veterans Benefits How does the President influence the budget? Congress? o President President initiates budget process by submitting a proposed budget to Congress OMB has primary responsibility of preparing federal budget o Congress Ultimate power of the purse All tax proposals referred to House Ways and Means Committee and later Senate Finance Committee How does pork-barrel spending impact the budget? o Increases federal budget; but contributes to incumbency advantage 16

18 Bicameral Congress What was the Great Compromise? o Combo of Virginia and NJ Plan; Also known as the Connecticut Compromise o Great Compromise 3 branches of Government Bicameral Congress House: rep. based on population Senate: equal representation What are the major differences between the House and Senate? (consider powers as well as rules for debate) o House: Debate more formal (rules committee) Leadership more of a factor (Speaker/Majority leader) All revenue bills initiate in the House Rules Committee/Limited Debate Sole responsibility for Impeachment o Senate Less formal; senators more equal in power Responsible for confirming all presidential appointments/ratifying treaties Sole responsibility for trying/convicting impeachment cases Unlimited debate (filibuster) 6 year terms (continuous body only 1/3 of Senate up for re-election at a time) What is a conference committee? o All bills must pass House and Senate in the same form, thus if bill is passed in different versions by House/Senate, conference committee formed to work out the differences (comprised of members of House and Senate) o After conf. committee, bill sent back out to both houses for vote (no amendments may be added at this time) What advantages does the majority party possess in Congress? o Control Standing Committees (see above: standing Committees) o Control the Speaker of the House o Set policy agenda What s the main theme in Federalist 51? o Importance of checks and balances/separation of powers 17

19 SCOTUS Cases McCulloch v Maryland (1819) This case established the implied powers doctrine enabling Congress to use the necessary and proper clause to interpret its delegated powers and ruled that federal law takes precedence over state and local law in accordance with the Supremacy Clause. University of California v. Bakke (1978) The Court held that universities could continue to take minority status into consideration because a diverse student body is a constitutionally permissible goal ; however, the use of quotas was deemed impermissible. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) The Court, in this famous case, held that the 14th Amendment s equal protection of the laws was not violated by racial discrimination as long as the separate facilities were equal. Griswold v Connecticut (1965) The Court ruled in favor of the right to privacy and struck down state laws restricting married persons use of contraceptives and the circulation of birth control information. Reno v. Shaw (1993) This is an apportionment case which ruled that race can t be the predominant reason for the drawing of district boundaries. Motivations have to be political, not racial. Mapp v. Ohio (1961) The Court held that evidence obtained in violation of the 4th Amendment s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures would be excluded from trial (exclusionary rule). Reno v ACLU (1997) With this ruling, the Court extended 1st Amendment rights of free speech to the internet. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) An incorporation case which used the 14th Amendment to apply the 6th Amendment s right of the accused to an attorney in a criminal case. Marbury v. Madison (1803) This was the landmark case in which Chief Justice Marshall established that the Court had the right to rule on the constitutionality of federal and state laws, even though this power was not granted by the Constitution. Miranda v. Arizona (1966) The court ruled that anyone placed under arrest must be informed of their rights and to have counsel present during interrogation. Planned Parenthood v Casey (1992) Changed the assertion in Roe of a fundamental right to choose an abortion to a limited or qualified right subject to regulation by the states so long as the states do not impose an undue burden on women. Wesberry v. Sanders (1963) Established one man, one vote. Congressional districts must be equal in population. 18

20 Bush v. Gore (2000) Court reversed an order by the Florida Supreme Court to recount ballots in the 2000 election. Citizens United v. FEC (2010) A landmark decision which held that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting political expenditures by corporations and unions. Roe v. Wade (1973) This is the famous case that rendered unconstitutional all state laws making abortion a crime, ruling that the states could not interfere in a woman s right to privacy. U.S. v Nixon (1974) The Court ruled that executive privilege did not extend to data in presidential files or tapes bearing upon criminal prosecution. Tinker v Des Moines (1965) Also known as the armband case; states that the right to free speech includes symbolic speech. Gitlow v. New York (1925) Started the selective incorporation approach whereby the Court has used the 14th Amendment s Due Process clause to incorporate the Bill of Rights to the states. Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) Upheld the actions of a principal who had removed items from the school newspaper for being inappropriate because the school need not tolerate student speech that is inconsistent with its basic educational mission Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) Firmly established Congress right to regulate interstate commerce and further expounded upon the supremacy of the federal government over states. Barron v. Baltimore (1833) In this case regarding eminent domain, the Court ruled that the Bill of Rights did not apply to the states. Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) This case dealt with determining the boundaries for governmental involvement in religion. Stated government aid to religious institutions must be secular in nature, avoid excessive entanglement with religion, and neither advance nor inhibit the religion. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Overturned the precedent established in Plessy; argued separate but equal facilities are inherently unequal. Engel v. Vitale (1961) A landmark case that determined that it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools based on the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment. New York Times v. U.S. (1971) The government cannot use prior restraint to prevent newspapers from publishing materials they obtain. Also known as the Pentagon Papers Case. 19