US politics
Table of Contents
Definitions:.....................................................16
Chapter 17 – Constitution & Federalism definitions..........................16
Chapter 18 – US Congress definitions..............................................20
Chapter 19 – US presidency definitions...........................................23
Chapter 20 – US Supreme Court and civil rights definitions..............27
Chapter 21 – US Democracy and participation definitions.................29
Chapter 17 - US Constitution and federalism. . . .34
History of America.........................................................................34
Features of the constitution...........................................................35
Codified.................................................................................................................... 35
Federal..................................................................................................................... 35
Popular Sovereignty.................................................................................................36
Separation of Powers................................................................................................36
Limited Government................................................................................................. 36
Judicial Review.......................................................................................................... 37
Representation of the States....................................................................................37
Codified and Uncodified constitution...............................................38
Codified constitution pros and cons..........................................................................38
Uncodified constitution pros and cons......................................................................39
Presidential system.......................................................................39
Separation of powers.....................................................................40
The branches of the US government...............................................42
Centralisation and decentralisation................................................43
Advantages of centralisation –..................................................................................43
, Advantages of decentralisation –..............................................................................43
Federal system..............................................................................44
Advantages –............................................................................................................ 44
Disadvantages –....................................................................................................... 44
The amendment process................................................................45
Key amendments –................................................................................................... 45
Federalism....................................................................................46
Powers of the national government................................................47
Federalism in the constitution........................................................49
Exclusive powers of the national government –........................................................49
Exclusive powers of the state government –............................................................50
Shared powers by National and state governments –...............................................50
Advantages of Federalism..............................................................51
Disadvantages of Federalism.........................................................52
Comparisons with the UK...............................................................53
The US Vs. UK Constitution............................................................54
Sources of the constitution.......................................................................................54
Principles.................................................................................................................. 55
Sovereignty.............................................................................................................. 56
Separation of powers................................................................................................56
Checks and Balances................................................................................................57
Protection of rights................................................................................................... 57
Flexibility.................................................................................................................. 57
Debates........................................................................................58
Is the amendment process effective today?.............................................................58
How strong is the constitution?................................................................................59
Chapter 18 – Congress.....................................60
The Senate Elections.....................................................................60
, Current US senate.................................................................................................... 60
Qualifications to be a Senator...................................................................................61
Organisation of the Senate.......................................................................................61
House of Representative elections..................................................61
Current US house of representatives........................................................................61
Qualifications to be in the HoR.................................................................................62
Organisation of the HoR...........................................................................................62
Coattails Effect......................................................................................................... 62
Split ticket voting...................................................................................................... 62
History of Congress.......................................................................63
Article 1.................................................................................................................... 63
The importance of congress...........................................................63
Legislation................................................................................................................ 63
Issues of congress composition................................................................................64
Congress pressures.................................................................................................. 64
The functions of Congress..............................................................67
The legislative process and committees...................................................................67
Process of a bill.............................................................................69
Committee consideration.......................................................................................... 70
Scheduling................................................................................................................ 70
Floor action............................................................................................................... 70
Resolving differences................................................................................................ 71
Presidential action.................................................................................................... 71
Representation......................................................................................................... 72
Oversight.................................................................................................................. 74
Leadership in congress..................................................................79
Speaker of the house................................................................................................79
President Pro-Tempore............................................................................................. 80
Majority Leader......................................................................................................... 80
, Minority leader.......................................................................................................... 81
House majority leader..............................................................................................81
House minority leader..............................................................................................81
Political parties.............................................................................82
Importance of political parties..................................................................................82
Party discipline......................................................................................................... 82
Influence of the party leadership..............................................................................82
USA Congress Vs UK Parliament.....................................................83
Legislative function................................................................................................... 83
Chapter 19 – US presidency.............................85
The presidency & the constitution..................................................85
Powers of the presidency...............................................................86
Formal powers.......................................................................................................... 86
Pros and cons of executive powers...........................................................................89
Restrictions on the president’s power.......................................................................89
The president & the cabinet...........................................................90
Biden’s cabinet......................................................................................................... 91
Firsts within the cabinet........................................................................................... 92
Cabinet statistics...................................................................................................... 93
Informal sources of presidential power...........................................95
The cabinet............................................................................................................... 95
The functions of cabinet meetings for the president................................................97
The function of cabinet meetings for cabinet officers.............................................100
The importance of the Vice President............................................101
Role of the Vice President.......................................................................................101
Succession.............................................................................................................. 102
The executive office of the presidency...................................................................102
The federal bureaucracy...............................................................104
Powers of the president...............................................................105
Table of Contents
Definitions:.....................................................16
Chapter 17 – Constitution & Federalism definitions..........................16
Chapter 18 – US Congress definitions..............................................20
Chapter 19 – US presidency definitions...........................................23
Chapter 20 – US Supreme Court and civil rights definitions..............27
Chapter 21 – US Democracy and participation definitions.................29
Chapter 17 - US Constitution and federalism. . . .34
History of America.........................................................................34
Features of the constitution...........................................................35
Codified.................................................................................................................... 35
Federal..................................................................................................................... 35
Popular Sovereignty.................................................................................................36
Separation of Powers................................................................................................36
Limited Government................................................................................................. 36
Judicial Review.......................................................................................................... 37
Representation of the States....................................................................................37
Codified and Uncodified constitution...............................................38
Codified constitution pros and cons..........................................................................38
Uncodified constitution pros and cons......................................................................39
Presidential system.......................................................................39
Separation of powers.....................................................................40
The branches of the US government...............................................42
Centralisation and decentralisation................................................43
Advantages of centralisation –..................................................................................43
, Advantages of decentralisation –..............................................................................43
Federal system..............................................................................44
Advantages –............................................................................................................ 44
Disadvantages –....................................................................................................... 44
The amendment process................................................................45
Key amendments –................................................................................................... 45
Federalism....................................................................................46
Powers of the national government................................................47
Federalism in the constitution........................................................49
Exclusive powers of the national government –........................................................49
Exclusive powers of the state government –............................................................50
Shared powers by National and state governments –...............................................50
Advantages of Federalism..............................................................51
Disadvantages of Federalism.........................................................52
Comparisons with the UK...............................................................53
The US Vs. UK Constitution............................................................54
Sources of the constitution.......................................................................................54
Principles.................................................................................................................. 55
Sovereignty.............................................................................................................. 56
Separation of powers................................................................................................56
Checks and Balances................................................................................................57
Protection of rights................................................................................................... 57
Flexibility.................................................................................................................. 57
Debates........................................................................................58
Is the amendment process effective today?.............................................................58
How strong is the constitution?................................................................................59
Chapter 18 – Congress.....................................60
The Senate Elections.....................................................................60
, Current US senate.................................................................................................... 60
Qualifications to be a Senator...................................................................................61
Organisation of the Senate.......................................................................................61
House of Representative elections..................................................61
Current US house of representatives........................................................................61
Qualifications to be in the HoR.................................................................................62
Organisation of the HoR...........................................................................................62
Coattails Effect......................................................................................................... 62
Split ticket voting...................................................................................................... 62
History of Congress.......................................................................63
Article 1.................................................................................................................... 63
The importance of congress...........................................................63
Legislation................................................................................................................ 63
Issues of congress composition................................................................................64
Congress pressures.................................................................................................. 64
The functions of Congress..............................................................67
The legislative process and committees...................................................................67
Process of a bill.............................................................................69
Committee consideration.......................................................................................... 70
Scheduling................................................................................................................ 70
Floor action............................................................................................................... 70
Resolving differences................................................................................................ 71
Presidential action.................................................................................................... 71
Representation......................................................................................................... 72
Oversight.................................................................................................................. 74
Leadership in congress..................................................................79
Speaker of the house................................................................................................79
President Pro-Tempore............................................................................................. 80
Majority Leader......................................................................................................... 80
, Minority leader.......................................................................................................... 81
House majority leader..............................................................................................81
House minority leader..............................................................................................81
Political parties.............................................................................82
Importance of political parties..................................................................................82
Party discipline......................................................................................................... 82
Influence of the party leadership..............................................................................82
USA Congress Vs UK Parliament.....................................................83
Legislative function................................................................................................... 83
Chapter 19 – US presidency.............................85
The presidency & the constitution..................................................85
Powers of the presidency...............................................................86
Formal powers.......................................................................................................... 86
Pros and cons of executive powers...........................................................................89
Restrictions on the president’s power.......................................................................89
The president & the cabinet...........................................................90
Biden’s cabinet......................................................................................................... 91
Firsts within the cabinet........................................................................................... 92
Cabinet statistics...................................................................................................... 93
Informal sources of presidential power...........................................95
The cabinet............................................................................................................... 95
The functions of cabinet meetings for the president................................................97
The function of cabinet meetings for cabinet officers.............................................100
The importance of the Vice President............................................101
Role of the Vice President.......................................................................................101
Succession.............................................................................................................. 102
The executive office of the presidency...................................................................102
The federal bureaucracy...............................................................104
Powers of the president...............................................................105
