Institutions of the National Government 35-45%

Students must become familiar with the organization and powers, both formal and informal, of the major political institutions in the United States- Congress, presidency, bureaucracy, and the federal courts. Students should understand that these are separate institutions sharing powers and the implications of that arrangement. The functions these institutions perform and do not perform, as well as the powers that they do and do not possess, are important. It is necessary for students to understand that power balances and relationships between these institutions may evolve gradually or change dramatically as a result of a crisis. Students are also expected to understand ties between the various branches of national government and political parties, interest groups, the media, and state governments. For example, a study of the conflicting interests and powers of the president and Congress may help explain recent and repeated struggles to adopt a national budget.

  1. Congress
  2. Reasons for a Bicameral legislature
  3. Differences between the House and the Senate
  4. Size, Term, Qualifications
  5. Election
  6. Special Powers
  7. House of Representatives
  8. Reapportionment
  9. Redistricting
  10. Gerrymandering
  11. Baker vs. Carr
  12. How Congress is Organized
  13. Majority Party
  14. House of Reps.
  15. Speaker of the House
  16. Other House leaders
  17. Senate
  18. Leaders in the Senate
  19. –
  20. –
  21. –
  22. The Committee System
  23. Importance
  24. Standing
  25. Other Types
  26. House Committees
  27. How a Bill becomes a law
  28. Read the handout I gave you in class
  29. Congress and the Executive Branch
  30. Oversight
  31. Refers to the congressional review of the activities of an executive agency, department, or office
  32. Senate’s special oversight
  33. Setting guidelines for new agencies(Power of the Pen), holding hearings and conducting investigations, using budget control (Power of the Purse), Reorganizing agencies
  34. Foreign Policy
  35. Constitutional Division of Power
  36. War Powers resolution
  37. Executive Branch
  38. Formal Powers of the President
  39. Appointment
  40. State of the union
  41. Veto
  42. Less than Ten percent of Vetoes have been overridden
  43. Line Item Veto
  44. Pocket Veto
  45. Commander in Chief (Deploy Troops)
  46. Negotiates Treaties
  47. Pardon
  48. Informal Powers
  49. Executive Order
  50. Executive Agreement
  51. Executive Privilege
  52. Bully Pulpit
  53. Threat of a Veto
  54. Working with Congress
  55. Strategies for Influencing Congress
  56. Patronage
  57. Media
  58. Approval Ratings
  59. President and the Media
  60. Approval Levels
  61. Honeymoon Period
  62. Foreign Policy Success
  63. Foreign Crisis
  64. Strong Economic Growth
  65. Bureaucracy
  66. Groups
  67. White House Staff
  68. Cabinet
  69. Independent Regulatory Agencies
  70. Government Corporations
  71. Independent Executive Agencies
  72. Implementation
  73. Congress usually provides federal agencies with general mandates. As a result, the agencies often have administrative discretion to set specific guidelines.
  74. Checks and Balances
  75. President
  76. Appointments
  77. Executive Orders
  78. Economic Powers
  79. Congress
  80. Budget
  81. Setting New Guidelines
  82. Hold Hearings
  83. Abolishing an Organization
  1. Judicial Branch
  2. Federal Court System
  3. Constitution
  4. Federal Judiciary Act of 1789
  5. Jurisdiction
  6. Original
  7. Appellate
  8. Supreme Court
  9. How the Supreme Court works
  10. Selecting Cases
  11. Original Jurisdiction
  12. Writ of Cert
  13. Rule of 4
  14. Solicitor General
  15. Writing Opinions
  16. Majority
  17. Concurring
  18. Dissenting
  19. Factors that Influence the Supreme Court’s decisions
  20. Stare Decisis- “Let the Decision Stand”
  21. Exceptions
  22. Judicial Philosophy
  23. Judicial Restraint
  24. Judicial Activism
  25. Public Opinion
  26. List 2 ways the Supreme Court is insulated from public opinion
  27. List 2 ways the Supreme Court is held accountable or aware of public opinion