US Constitution: Branches and Articles

The New Deal and Presidential Powers

• The New Deal was a series of social programs initiated by US President Franklin Roosevelt that transformed people's views of the federal government's role.
• The US Supreme Court under Franklin Roosevelt's administration granted the president broad latitude to use emergency powers in foreign affairs.

The Judiciary

• The US court system is a "dual court system".
• The US Supreme Court primarily acts as a court of appellate jurisdiction.
• The highest form of law in the United States is constitutional law.
• Marbury v. Madison was an early landmark case that granted the US Supreme Court its most significant power: judicial review.

Congressional Committees and Powers

• Select Committees are created to consider specific policy issues or address concerns.
• Examples of Standing Committees include the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee.
• The Hopper is a wooden box where House members insert proposed bills.
• Filibuster is a procedural move that attempts to halt the passage of a bill.
• Congressional Oversight is the process by which Congress checks the executive branch to ensure laws are administered in keeping with legislators' intentions.

The Legislative Branch

• The US Senate has two senators per state.
• The 17th Amendment shifted the power to elect senators from state legislatures to popular elections.
• The Senate Majority Leader is the majority party member with the greatest seniority and has the most power in the US Senate.
• The president of the senate is the US Vice-President.
• The US House of Representatives was created to closely represent the people's views.
• The Speaker of the House is the most powerful person in the US House of Representatives.

The Presidency and Executive Branch

• Statutory Powers are presidential powers granted by Congress.
• The Electoral College has 538 electors, and a presidential candidate must secure 270 electors to be elected.
• The president's cabinet has 15 departments.
• The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for creating the president's annual budget.
• The Head of the Department of Justice is the Attorney General.
• The Chair of the Federal Reserve Board is appointed by the president and plays a significant role in managing the US economy.

The US Constitution

• The US Constitution has three foundational government bodies: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
• The main factor in the ratification of the US Constitution was the promise to add a bill of rights.
• Article III of the US Constitution describes the powers and structure of the judicial branch.
• Article V of the US Constitution outlines the process of constitutional amendment.
• The Supremacy Clause states that national laws prevail over conflicting state laws.
• The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

Civil Rights and the Bill of Rights

• The Freedoms contained in the Bill of Rights are broad principles.
• The Bill of Rights includes the freedoms of speech, petition, and press.
• Amendments 4, 5, 6, and 8 are known as "criminal due process rights".

Additional Key Concepts

• Incumbency is a key factor in a successful congressional campaign.
• Casework is a special form of representation, providing personal aid to constituents.
• Ombudsperson is a role played by a member of Congress advocating on behalf of a constituent with a bureaucratic agency.
• Pork Barrel is the appropriation of federal funds for projects in a congressional district.
• The U.S Code is a compilation of all laws passed by US Congress.
• Presidential Succession is the order of succession to the presidency if both the president and vice president are unable to govern.
• The National Security Council is a group of top foreign policy advisors and relevant cabinet officials that advise the president on foreign policy and national security issues.