Principles of Democracy
FINAL EXAM
Study Guide ANSWERS for UNIT 4 Review
Describe the primary duty/role//job/responsibility, and checking power for each
branch
Legislative Branch:
Primary Role: Creates Laws
Checking power: impeach and confirm appointed officials
535 total elected members
Executive Branch:
Primary Role: Enforces Laws
Checking power: veto bills and appoint officials
2 elected officials
Judicial Branch:
Primary Role: Reviews Laws (Judicial Review)
Checking power: Declare laws and acts unconstitutional
9 Supreme Court Justices
Explain:
The 8 duties/roles of the President of the United States:
Chief of State
Chief of Administration
Commander in Chief
Chief of Party
Chief Executive
Chief Diplomat : EXPLAIN
Chief Legislator
Economic Planner
Formal requirements outlined in the United States Constitution to become;
President of the United States: 35 yrs old, natural born citizen, live in the U.S. for 14 consecutive yrs.
Representative in the House: 25 yrs old, live in state you represent, U.S. Citizen for 7 yrs.
United States Senator: 30 yrs. Old, live in state you represent, U.S. citizen for 9 years
Define:
Bicameral: two house legislative body, this is what the U.S. Congress is made of (Upper House: Senate, Lower
House: House of Representatives
Impeachment: The process to formally bring charges against a government official
Checks and Balances: each branch’s authority to keep each other in check through authorization of the U.S.
Constitution
Ex post facto: Congress cannot create laws that punish “after the fact”
Bills: introduced and passed in Congress that then become laws if approved by the President or overturned by
2/3 majority vote in Congress if President does not approve
President Pro-Tempore: In charge of the Senate when the Vice President in absent. And is the 3rd in line for
Presidential succession
Veto: Refusal to sign a bill to become a law by the President. Known as a Presidential check and balance power
and can be overturned by 2/3 majority vote in congress
Speaker of the House: Leader of the House of Representatives that is in charge of introducing the order of docket
and is second on the Presidential succession list
Judicial Review: the Supreme Courts authority to prove laws and acts unconstitutional or constitutional. This is
also the check and balance power the Judicial Branch has control of.
Presidential Cabinet: 15 total departments that the President has executive control over and distributes
enforcement of laws into each department that enforces laws that coincide with its office.
Jurisdiction: the capacity that is allowed for a governing body to make legal decisions and judgments
Verdict: a decision that is made by an official in the judicial branch to resolve a civil and or criminal case
Electoral College: The Process of electing a President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a
popular vote of “qualified citizens” (qualified citizens=535 members of Congress and 3 members from District of
Columbia)
Reapportionment: After U.S. Census ever y 10 years, the population of each congressional district is reviewed to
determine the number of representatives each state is entitled to according on their population.
Implied Powers: U.S Constitution states that congress has the power to do anything “necessary and proper” and
the U.S Constitution does not mention these powers specifically.
Enumerated Powers: Powers Congress has that are specifically outlined and listed in the U.S. Constitution
Supreme Court Cases You MUST KNOW who was involved, when did case take
place, historical significance, and the impact each case has on society today
Plessy v. Ferguson
Supreme Court rules separate is equal (approval of segregation)
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Supreme Court rules slaves are not citizens even if they go to a free state
Brown v. Board of Education
Supreme Court rules separate is NOT equal (segregation is against the law)
Roe v. Wade
Protected women’s privacy rights to choose an abortion
Miranda v. Arizona
Police have to inform of our due process rights when we are arrested
Marbury v. Madison
Rules Supreme Court has judicial review
Gideon v. Wainwright
Right to a lawyer is guaranteed even at the expense of the government
Extended Response Topics (be prepared to write multiple sentences about each of the
topics below)
Vetoing a Bill
KNOW: Who can do it, who can overrule it and how
Current New Mexico Senators and Representative for our district (US Congressional District #2)
KNOW: Who they are
Checks and balances compare & contrast
KNOW: which branch has specific checking powers and how they are used
Judicial Review
KNOW: What created it, what it is used for and who can use it
Three Branches main duties/responsibilities and how is each carried out
KNOW: main jobs for each branch and what each branch uses to do their main responsibility