Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
70 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Describe the major changes in U.S. political culture since 1950:
|
Less trust of government and institutions
|
|
What is the most common criterion that people use when voting for a presidential candidate?
|
Party identification
|
|
What are the primary laws that helped protect the legal rights of women?
|
Civil rights, etc
ERA didnt pass!
|
|
What type of committee assignment would a first-term member of the House from North Dakota want?
|
Agriculture
|
|
What has been the most important variable in determining the electoral success for a House member?
|
Incumbency
|
|
Why is the Rules Committee in the House so powerful?
|
Determines open/close rules which regulates debate
|
|
Describe the relationship between socioeconomic status and participation in politics:
|
Directly relatedincome up, participation up
|
|
What was the significance of the SC case U.S. v. Nixon?
|
Executive privilege is limited
|
|
How does pork barrel legislation help the reelection chances of a member of Congress?
|
Builds constituent service
|
|
Describe the pluralist theory of American politics:
|
Many groups compete
|
|
What types of groups would be the LEAST likely to maintain a national lobbying organization in D.C.?
|
Dealing w/ poor
|
|
Identify the factors that have affected the presidential election process since 1960:
|
More independence=primaries more important
|
|
In the original Constitution what office was the only one elected directly by citizens?
|
House
|
|
Describe the relationship between the SC and public opinion:
|
Sensitive to and energized by public opinion
|
|
What SC cases involved the principle of one person, one vote?
|
Baker v. Carr
|
|
What does debate of a bill in the House under a closed rule mean?
|
No amendments can be added
|
|
Describe the effects of reforms of the presidential nomination process over the past 20 years:
|
More democratic (more females, minorities, etc.)
|
|
Describe the reasons incumbents in the House enjoy an electoral advantage over challengers:
|
More money, better known, bigger staffs, constituents
|
|
Describe the function of the Office of Management and Budget:
|
Preparing budget
|
|
Who draws the boundary lines of congressional districts?
|
State legislators
|
|
What is the most common form of political activity undertaken by U.S. citizens?
|
Voting (Presidential elections)
|
|
Describe the feelings that most citizens have regarding the rights of free speech and assembly?
|
Contradictinggood in abstract, bad in concrete
|
|
The 14th Amendment to the constitution has been interpreted by the SC to:
|
Incorporate bill of rights
|
|
The legislative process at the national level reflects the intent of the framers to create a legislature that:
|
Is cautious, deliberate, slowgridlock etc.
|
|
Describe the major consequences of the federal system in the U.S.:
|
Federalismdivision of power
|
|
Describe the effects of divided party control of the presidency and Congress:
|
Divided government now the normgridlock, etc.
|
|
Describe the primary purpose of the Freedom of Information Act:
|
Gives citizens access to govt info
|
|
Describe the major effects of the electoral college system:
|
Forces candidates to campaign only in competitive states
|
|
The congressional system of standing (permanent) committees has resulted in what major trend among members?
|
Expertise
|
|
Describe the major differences between elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate:
|
The size of constituent blocks
|
|
In contrast to revenue sharing, categorical grants-in-aid provide state and local governments with:
|
Clearly specified programs on which to spend their money
|
|
What branch is empowered to create new federal courts and specify the number of sitting judges?
|
Congress
|
|
For what purpose was the War Powers Resolution (1973) created?
|
To make congress stronger than the pres
|
|
What is the primary reason for the current existence of only 2 major political parties?
|
Winner-take-all electoral system
|
|
Describe a scenario in which an interest group would likely have the greatest influence on policy matters:
|
Very technical/narrow issue
|
|
Describe the factors that have most influence on the outcome of a congressional election:
|
Incumbency
|
|
Describe recent trends about the voter turnout rate in the U.S.:
|
Less voting
|
|
Describe how some political scientists refute the argument that a realignment took place in the 1980s:
|
Congress still democratic
|
|
Describe the major differences between voters in a general election vs. primaries:
|
General-moderate voters, primaries-extreme
|
|
Describe the SC rationale in upholding federal statutes that outlawed segregation in public facilities:
|
Interstate commerce clause
|
|
For what purpose was the clear-and-present-danger test devised by the SC?
|
To limit free speech
|
|
As originally ratified, the U.S. Constitution included provisions primarily designed to:
|
Increase powers of central government (taxation, etc.)
|
|
Describe the main difference between elite theories and pluralist theories of politics in the U.S:
|
Elite-few single groups dominate, Pluralist-many groups compete
|
|
A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always:
|
Member of the majority party
|
|
Describe how independent regulatory agencies are different from cabinet departments:
|
Independent-free from presidential control
|
|
Describe the major differences between the legislative process in the House and Senate:
|
Debate in House limited, unlimited in Senate
|
|
How does most communication between congressional representatives and constituents occur?
|
Huge staffs-able to do constituent service
|
|
The SCs decision about abortion in Roe v. Wade was based on what legal rationale?
|
Right to privacy
|
|
Describe the major trends evident in presidential elections in the 1980s?
|
White south became Republican
|
|
Describe how incumbent senators running for reelection are different from House incumbents:
|
Senate incumbents not as high as in house
|
|
The framers of the Constitution all believed that this was one of the primary functions of government:
|
Protecting rights
|
|
In the Federalist Papers, James Madison expressed this view about political factions:
|
Undesirable but inevitable
|
|
At least four justices on the Supreme Court must agree to:
|
Hear a case (rule of 4)
|
|
Describe the nomination process for federal judgeships:
|
President appoints, Senate confirms
|
|
Describe the influence of the news media on public opinion in the U.S.:
|
Gatekeeper
|
|
Presidents primarily seek staff members who display this attribute:
|
Loyalty
|
|
Describe factors the president considers when deciding to use the presidential veto:
|
Very powerful, not used often, rarely overridden
|
|
Describe major trends related to political action committees (PACs):
|
Limited by law
|
|
does a cloture motion passed in the Senate do?
|
Ends a filibusterneeds 3/5 or 60% vote
|
|
Describe the impact of using primaries instead of party conventions in selecting presidential candidates:
|
Weakens partiesprocess is more democratic
|
|
Describe the factors that led to the recent rise of interest groups and decline of political parties:
|
Interest groupsspecific, partiesvague
|
|
Which demographic groups voted most heavily Democratic in pres. Elections 1964-1992?
|
African-Americans
|
|
Which law did Congress pass to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment more clearly?
|
Civil rights act of 1964
|
|
Describe how elastic clause has shaped American politics:
|
Allows powers of Constitution to move beyond politics
|
|
How do most criminal cases end?
|
Plea bargain
|
|
What is a term used to describe SC justices who defer to the elective institutions of government?
|
Judicial restraint
|
|
In what governmental area is Congress most likely to defer to the President?
|
Foreign policy
|
|
Describe how the President can be more successful than Congressional leaders in influencing legislation:
|
Through the media
|
|
What was the underlying intent of giving presidents line-item veto power?
|
Control spending/budget
|
|
Describe Congress role in executive agreements made between a President and another head of state:
|
No role whatsoever *executive agreements=executive action that doesnt require congressional approval
|