Text of the APS Unit I Review
What philosophe argued in favor of a three branch government?
Montesquieu
Who was the first to introduce the idea of natural rights that should be protected?
John Locke
What document defined the first gov’t of the U.S.?
Articles of Confederation
***What were three key weaknesses of this document?
no executive, no power to tax, coin money, regulate trade, pay for a military
Identify three of the men who stood out as early leaders of the Constitutional Convention.
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, James Madison
Which early plan became the basis for the new constitution? Who was its primary author?
The Virginia Plan, James Madison
Which plan was devised to represent the needs of the small states?
The New Jersey Plan
Why did the New Jersey Plan want to keep the unicameral legislature?
Because it made representation equal for all states, regardless of size
After the New Jersey Plan was rejected, what question deadlocked the Convention?
Whether representation should be equal for all states or determined by population
***What was the name of the compromise that resolved this issue? What did it do?
Connecticut Compromise, provided for 2 houses - the House (by population) & the Senate (equal for all states)
What issue was resolved by the 3/5 Compromise? How did it resolve the issue?
How to count slaves in a state’s population, 1 slave = 3/5 of a free man (for both representation and taxes)
What 2 groups quickly formed during the debate over ratification
Federalists (for the Cons.) and Anti Federalists (against the Cons.)
Identify two reasons the Anti-Federalists opposed the new Constitutions.
Drafted in secret, the convention had overstepped it’s bounds, main reason: had no Bill of Rights
***What famous Patriot was opposed to the Constitution because it lacked a bill of rights? What was his argument?
Patrick Henry, if people are not explicitly given rights the government will take them away
Why did the federalists argue that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary?
because most of the states already had them in their constitutions
What did the federalists promise in order to move the Constitution toward ratification?
that a Bill of Rights would be the first order of business for the new gov’t
What did John Jay and Alexander Hamilton do to try and assure ratification in New York?
They wrote The Federalist Papers
Who served as the first President and Vice President of the United States?
George Washington and John Adams
Which branch did the framers intend to have the most power?
The legislative branch (Congress)
How many sessions is each term of congress divided into? How long does a modern session last?
2, January to November
What is the age requirement for serving in the House? The citizenship requirement?
25 years of age, 7 years a citizen
***How many representatives currently serve in the House? How are these reps divided between the states?
435, by population
How long is the term of office in the house?
2 years
***What organization determines the population of each state? How often is this done?
The Census Bureau, every ten years
Who is in charge of redistricting a state after the census?
The legislature of each state
***Identify the two main ways that state legislatures have traditionally abused this power.
creating districts of unequal population and gerrymandering
What is gerrymandering?
it’s when districts are drawn to benefit a specific political party
***What did the "one person-one vote" decision require?
that all districts contain approximately 600,000 people, assuring equal power for each vote
What is the age requirement to be a senator? The citizenship requirement?
30 years of age, 9 years a citizen
How long is the term of office for a senator? What portion of the senate is up for reelection every two years?
6 years, 1/3 is up for reelection
What is censure?
a formal vote that disapproves of a member’s behavior
What is the most common profession amongst the members of Congress?
lawyer
Describe the average member of congress in terms of age, ethnicity, profession and gender.
over 50, white, lawyer and male
What percentage of incumbents won reelection between 1945-1990?
90%
Identify two reasons why incumbents are generally more successful.
money from PACs, gerrymandering, voter recognition
When did the tide begin to turn against incumbents?
the "Voter Revolution" of 1994
Identify the three House leaders chosen by the majority party.
Speaker, majority leader, majority whip
***What are two of the main powers of the Speaker?
assigning bills to committees, presiding over House debates, playing a key role in the calendaring of bills
What do the party leader and whip do, respectively?
leader sets the agenda and priorities, whip maintains party discipline
What is the primary role of congressional committees?
to closely evaluate proposed bills, hold hearings on them, and decide whether they go on to the full house or senate
Which committee controls the proceedings of the house and gives final consent to the calendar?
the Rules Committee
Who appoints Justices & Ambassadors? Who approves them?
President, Senate
Who has the power to negotiate treaties and enforce the laws?
President
Who has the power to declares laws/acts unconstitutional?
Judicial Branch/Supreme Court
Who has the power to tax, regulate trade and coin money?
Congress
Who is commander in Chief of the armed forces and also in charge of federal departments (Defense, Treasury, State, etc.)
the President
Who has the power to declare war, raise an army, and approve treaties?
Congress
What branch has used many precedents over time to add to its powers?
executive branch
What are two ways the President can try to influence Congress?
veto, call special session, make State of the Union Address
What are two powers Congress has over the President?
approve treaties, cabinet officials, & judges, veto override, control the budget
What percentage of bills actually become laws?
roughly 5%