Pork-Barrel Legislation

Key Terms

Revenue

Hearing

Joint Resolution

Cloture

Appropriations

Excise Tax

Capital Gains

Regressive Tax

Progressive Tax

Dissenting

Appellate

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Affirmative Action

Treaty

Executive Order

Amnesty

Civil Service

Pardon

1. Why does the Senate have more prestige than the House?

2. How long is the term for the House of Representatives? For the Senate?

3. Every two years, how many Senate seats are up for election? How many House seats?

4. What is the Vice President’s role in the Senate and what is his responsibility with voting?

5. Who does most of the work on bills and why do so few bills become a law?

6. How does impeachment work regarding the House’s role and Senate’s role?

7. What are a few key differences between the House and Senate?

8. What can a standing committee do with a bill?

9. What is the Speaker of the House?

10. What is the necessary and proper clause?

11. What is a veto and what can Congress do about it?

12. How does the Office of Management and Budget help Congress create the budget?

13. Why can Congress create the lower courts in the Judicial Branch?

14. What are the three constitutional requirements to be president of the United States?

15. What are the first four positions in line to be president in the order of succession?

16. What is an executive privilege? Where does it come from in the Constitution?

17. What are the key positions the president appoints? Who approves them?

18. What role does Congress have in the treaty making process?

19. What powers does the president have over the Judicial Branch? Hint: commutation

20. What is the State of the Union Address? What is its purpose?

21. What does each title give the president authority over:

Commander in chief

Chief diplomat

Chief legislator

22. Why has the President’s power expanded over the years?

23. What is the President’s cabinet? How is it different from a department?

24. What are some examples of the Senate checking the power of the executive branch?

25. How do federal judges get their job?

26. What is the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction?

27. What is the relationship between Plessy v Ferguson and Brown v the Board of Education?

28. What are libel and slander? How are they different?

29. Why are the Miranda Rights important?

30. State two things the First Amendment establishes regarding religion.

31. What is jurisdiction? How is original jurisdiction different from appellate jurisdiction?

32. What was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and how does it relate to Jim Crow laws?

33. Why is Roe v Wade important to women?

34. What is the role of the Office and Management in making a budget?

35. What are entitlements and how do they affect the budget?

36. Why does the federal government rely on borrowing to fund the federal budget?

37. How large is the national debt and what challenges does it pose for the nation?

38. Know these amendments: