PSC134 Final Exam Terms With
Complete Solutions
9/11 Resolution - ANSWER The joint resolution authorizes the President to "use all
necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he
determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred
on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent
any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations,
organizations or persons."
Advise and Consent (presidential appointments) - ANSWER A power of the United States
Senate to be consulted on and approve treaties signed and appointments made by the
president of the United States to public positions, including Cabinet secretaries, federal
judges, Officers of the Armed Forces, United States attorneys, ambassadors, and other
smaller offices.
Allison Graham (Conceptual Models and the Cuban Missile Crisis) - ANSWER 1. Rational
Actor Model (Realist Perspective): Weighing out the costs and benefits of all possible
actions and picking the decision that maximizes your benefits.
2. Organizational Process Model: The US government contains conglomerates of
semi-feudal organizations partially coordinated by government leaders, but no leader
can impose complete will on these orgs. (problem factoring).
3. Bureaucratic Model: Various agencies will participate along with the decision making
but will have different ideas from the executive branch. Decision makers take options
that are largely determined by organizational roles and policy is the output of diverse
political preferences advanced by other actors during the policy making process.
Asymmetric Bipolarity - ANSWER When two nations control liberal international order
but one has more dominance over the other (US and China)
Bas v. Tingy (1800) - ANSWER Quasi wars between the US and France was never
declared, so can normal rules about capturing prizes at sea still be used? The court
ruled that congress can wage a general war, but in this instance, they waged a limited
war and authorized hostiles on French Navy ships.
Bipartisanship - ANSWER Agreement or cooperation between two political parties that
usually oppose each other's policies.
Bricker Amendment (1954) - ANSWER Senator John W. Bricker proposed a
constitutional amendment to limit the treaty-making power of the president. The
amendment was co-sponsored by 63 senators and had so much initial success it
, received nationwide attention.
- Initial support for the amendment signaled the misgivings many Senators had about
the power the president had to negotiate "executive agreements" (often in lieu of a
treaty) with the heads of other nations.
- Eisenhower opposed the amendment and successfully worked to get it defeated.
Bush Doctrine - ANSWER A policy adopted by the Bush administration in 2001 that
asserts America's right to attack any nation that has weapons of mass destruction that
might be used against U.S. interests at home or abroad.
Case-Zablocki Act (1972) - ANSWER Resulted from making secret agreements with
Vietnam. Requires the president to at least tell congress of executive agreements
involved with another country, even if they aren't able to vote on them.
Congressional Oversight - ANSWER The United States Congress has the authority to
conduct hearings, investigations, and budget reviews of the actions by the executive
branch.
Cooper-Church Amendment (1970) - ANSWER The Cooper-Church Amendment was
introduced in the United States Senate during the Vietnam War. The amendment sought
to cut off all funding to American war efforts in Cambodia. Its proposal was the first time
that Congress had restricted the deployment of troops during a war against the wishes
of the president.
Curtis Wright Decision (1936) - ANSWER As Justice Sutherland put it, "as a member of
the family of nations, the right and power of the United States [in foreign affairs] are
equal to the right and power of the other members of the international family. Otherwise,
the United States is not completely sovereign."
Declaration of War - ANSWER Congress has the power to declare war and provide
militias to execute the laws of the union, repress insurrections, and repel invasions.
Department of Homeland Security - ANSWER US federal agency created in 2002 to
coordinate national efforts against terrorism
Deterrence - ANSWER The attempt to discourage criminality through the use of threats
and punishment.
Director of National Intelligence - ANSWER Overseer and coordinator of the activities of
the many agencies involved in the production and dissemination of intelligence
information in the U.S. government, as well as the president's main intelligence adviser
Diversionary Theory of War - ANSWER The hypothesis that leaders sometimes initiate
conflict abroad as a way of increasing national cohesion at home by diverting national
public attention away from controversial domestic issues and internal problems.
Enumerated Powers - ANSWER Powers specifically given to Congress in the
Complete Solutions
9/11 Resolution - ANSWER The joint resolution authorizes the President to "use all
necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he
determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred
on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent
any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations,
organizations or persons."
Advise and Consent (presidential appointments) - ANSWER A power of the United States
Senate to be consulted on and approve treaties signed and appointments made by the
president of the United States to public positions, including Cabinet secretaries, federal
judges, Officers of the Armed Forces, United States attorneys, ambassadors, and other
smaller offices.
Allison Graham (Conceptual Models and the Cuban Missile Crisis) - ANSWER 1. Rational
Actor Model (Realist Perspective): Weighing out the costs and benefits of all possible
actions and picking the decision that maximizes your benefits.
2. Organizational Process Model: The US government contains conglomerates of
semi-feudal organizations partially coordinated by government leaders, but no leader
can impose complete will on these orgs. (problem factoring).
3. Bureaucratic Model: Various agencies will participate along with the decision making
but will have different ideas from the executive branch. Decision makers take options
that are largely determined by organizational roles and policy is the output of diverse
political preferences advanced by other actors during the policy making process.
Asymmetric Bipolarity - ANSWER When two nations control liberal international order
but one has more dominance over the other (US and China)
Bas v. Tingy (1800) - ANSWER Quasi wars between the US and France was never
declared, so can normal rules about capturing prizes at sea still be used? The court
ruled that congress can wage a general war, but in this instance, they waged a limited
war and authorized hostiles on French Navy ships.
Bipartisanship - ANSWER Agreement or cooperation between two political parties that
usually oppose each other's policies.
Bricker Amendment (1954) - ANSWER Senator John W. Bricker proposed a
constitutional amendment to limit the treaty-making power of the president. The
amendment was co-sponsored by 63 senators and had so much initial success it
, received nationwide attention.
- Initial support for the amendment signaled the misgivings many Senators had about
the power the president had to negotiate "executive agreements" (often in lieu of a
treaty) with the heads of other nations.
- Eisenhower opposed the amendment and successfully worked to get it defeated.
Bush Doctrine - ANSWER A policy adopted by the Bush administration in 2001 that
asserts America's right to attack any nation that has weapons of mass destruction that
might be used against U.S. interests at home or abroad.
Case-Zablocki Act (1972) - ANSWER Resulted from making secret agreements with
Vietnam. Requires the president to at least tell congress of executive agreements
involved with another country, even if they aren't able to vote on them.
Congressional Oversight - ANSWER The United States Congress has the authority to
conduct hearings, investigations, and budget reviews of the actions by the executive
branch.
Cooper-Church Amendment (1970) - ANSWER The Cooper-Church Amendment was
introduced in the United States Senate during the Vietnam War. The amendment sought
to cut off all funding to American war efforts in Cambodia. Its proposal was the first time
that Congress had restricted the deployment of troops during a war against the wishes
of the president.
Curtis Wright Decision (1936) - ANSWER As Justice Sutherland put it, "as a member of
the family of nations, the right and power of the United States [in foreign affairs] are
equal to the right and power of the other members of the international family. Otherwise,
the United States is not completely sovereign."
Declaration of War - ANSWER Congress has the power to declare war and provide
militias to execute the laws of the union, repress insurrections, and repel invasions.
Department of Homeland Security - ANSWER US federal agency created in 2002 to
coordinate national efforts against terrorism
Deterrence - ANSWER The attempt to discourage criminality through the use of threats
and punishment.
Director of National Intelligence - ANSWER Overseer and coordinator of the activities of
the many agencies involved in the production and dissemination of intelligence
information in the U.S. government, as well as the president's main intelligence adviser
Diversionary Theory of War - ANSWER The hypothesis that leaders sometimes initiate
conflict abroad as a way of increasing national cohesion at home by diverting national
public attention away from controversial domestic issues and internal problems.
Enumerated Powers - ANSWER Powers specifically given to Congress in the
