POS EXAM 1 REVIEW Exam 1.docx

POS EXAM 1 REVIEW Exam 1.
What are some main characteristics of American political culture? - ANS >> Liberty, equality,
m m m m m m m m m m m m m


democracy
m




-What was the first framework of government adopted by the U.S. after becoming independent? -
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mANS >> The Articles of Confederation
m m m m m




-Examine how the Articles of Confederation was designed to limit national power? - ANS >> In
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


morder to protect states' rights, the Articles set strict limits on congressional authority. Under the
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mArticles, the states, not Congress had the power to tax. Congress could raise money only by asking
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mthe states for funds, borrowing from foreign governments, and selling western lands.
m m m m m m m m m m m




-What are some major examples of checks and balances in the Constitution? - ANS >> To further
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


msafeguard against an abuse of power, the Constitution gave each branch of government a way to
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mcheck and balance the power of the other branches. An example of these checks and balances
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mwould be the president's power to veto laws passed by Congress.
m m m m m m m m m m




-What is the commerce clause in the Constitution? - ANS >> The Commerce Clause (Art. I, § 8, cl.
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


m3 of the U.S. Constitution) is well known as the source of Congress' authority to make federal laws
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mregulating interstate commerce. Another consequence of that clause is to prohibit states from
m m m m m m m m m m m m


mmaking laws that unduly restrict interstate commerce.
m m m m m m




-What was the process used for ratifying the U.S. Constitution? - ANS >> Ratification. The process
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mset out in the Constitution for its ratification provided for much popular debate in the States. The
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mConstitution would take effect once it had been ratified by nine of the thirteen State legislatures;
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


munanimity was not required. To ratify amendments, three-fourths of the state legislatures must
m m m m m m m m m m m m


mapprove them, or ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states must approve them.
m m m m m m m m m m m m




What was the Connecticut Compromise? Examine other political compromises from the meetings at
m m m m m m m m m m m m


the Constitutional Convention which ended up becoming part of the Constitution. - ANS >> The
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


compromise provided for a bicameral federal legislature that used a dual system of representation:
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


the upper house would have equal representation from each state, while the lower house would
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


have proportional representation based on a state's population. The Great Compromise settled
m m m m m m m m m m m m


matters of representation in the federal government. The Three-Fifths Compromise settled matters
m m m m m m m m m m m m


of representation when it came to the enslaved population of southern states and the importation
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


of enslaved Africans.
m m m




-What is federalism? - ANS >> A sharing of power between states and national government
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m




-What part of the federal government was designed in the 1787 Constitution to be directly elected
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mby the framers? - ANS >> The Constitution establishes a federal democratic republic form of
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mgovernment. That is, we have an indivisible union of 50 sovereign States. It is a democracy
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m

, m because people govern themselves. It is representative because people choose elected officials by
m m m m m m m m m m m m


m free and secret ballot. The original idea was for the most knowledgeable and informed individuals
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


m from each State to select the president based solely on merit and without regard to State of
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


m origin or political party.
m m m




-What is bicameralism? Why was this structure created in the legislative branch? - ANS >> The
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mfounders established Congress as a bicameral legislature as a check against tyranny. They feared
m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mhaving any one governmental body become too strong. This bicameral system distributes power
m m m m m m m m m m m m


mwithin two houses that check and balance one another rather than concentrating authority in a
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


msingle body. m




-What are the three branches of the federal government? - ANS >> The Federal Government is
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mcomposed of three distinct branches: legislative , executive , and judicial , whose powers are
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mvested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, the President, and the Federal courts, respectively.
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m




-What methods have been used in the U.S. to restrict voting rights? - ANS >> White primary
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


munconstitutional in 1944. m m




Poll tax banned by 24th amendment.
m m m m m




Literacy test banned by Voting Rights Act 65.
m m m m m m m




Grandfather Clause declared unconstitutional.
m m m




-What is Judicial Review? - ANS >> The Supreme Court's authority to decide if a law violates the
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mConstitution

-What is the term length of a Supreme Court Justice? - ANS >> America is alone among modern
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mconstitutional democracies in allowing its high-court justices to serve for decades without term or
m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mage limits, resulting in some Presidents appointing no justices and others appointing as much as a
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mthird of the Court.
m m m




-What is the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution? - ANS >> The Supremacy Clause is the
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mprovision in Article Six, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution that establishes the United
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mStates Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties as "the supreme law of the land." It provides
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mthat these are the highest form of law in the United States legal system, and mandates that all
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


m...It says that federal law overrides state law
m m m m m m m




-What Supreme Court case is recognized as setting the precedent of Judicial Review? - ANS >>
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mMarbury v. Madison is a major U.S. Supreme Court case that was decided in 1803. It is a
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mlandmark case that established the principle of judicial review, which is the power of the U.S.
m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m


mSupreme Court to review and strike down laws passed by Congress.
m m m m m m m m m m