Constitutional Convention and Executive Branch - US Government PDF

### **Constitutional Convention (Ch. 1)** **1. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Strong Executive in a Representative Republic\ **-- **Advantages:** Provides stability, efficiency in decision-making, and strong leadership.\ -- **Disadvantages:** Risk of tyranny, excessive power concentration, poten...

### **Constitutional Convention (Ch. 1)** **1. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Strong Executive in a Representative Republic\ **-- **Advantages:** Provides stability, efficiency in decision-making, and strong leadership.\ -- **Disadvantages:** Risk of tyranny, excessive power concentration, potential abuse of authority. **2. Aristotle's View on Democracy as Tyranny\ **-- Aristotle categorized democracy as a tyrannical form of government because it could lead to mob rule, where the majority oppresses the minority without legal constraints. **3. Strength of State Executives (Governors) in Revolutionary America\ **-- Generally weak; most state constitutions limited executive power due to fears of monarchy, giving legislatures dominant control. **4. Executive Branch under the Articles of Confederation\ **-- No separate executive branch; executive functions were carried out by committees of Congress, leading to inefficiency and lack of enforcement power. **5. Differences Between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans\ **-- **Virginia Plan:** Favored large states, proposed a strong national government with a bicameral legislature and a singular executive chosen by Congress.\ -- **New Jersey Plan:** Favored small states, proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation and a weak multi-person executive. **6. Hamilton's Proposed Plan\ **-- Advocated for a lifetime-appointed executive (akin to an elected monarch), arguing for a strong, independent leader free from legislative influence. ### **Creating the Executive (Ch. 2)** **7. Debates Over the Executive at the Constitutional Convention\ **-- **Unitary vs. Plural Executive:** Unitary (one president) prevailed over a multi-person executive.\ -- **Method of Selection:** Debate over congressional selection vs. direct election led to the Electoral College.\ -- **Terms of Office:** Settled on four-year terms with the possibility of reelection. **8. How the Electoral College Works\ **-- Citizens vote for electors, who then formally cast votes for the president. The number of electors per state equals its congressional delegation (House + Senate). A candidate needs a majority (270) of electoral votes to win. **9. The 22nd Amendment\ **-- Limits the president to two terms or a maximum of ten years in office (if serving as a replacement for another president). **10. Two-Step Process for Removing a President from Office\ **-- **Step 1:** The House of Representatives impeaches the president by a majority vote.\ -- **Step 2:** The Senate holds a trial and can convict and remove the president with a two-thirds vote. **11. Presidential vs. Parliamentary System\ **-- **Presidential System:** The executive (president) is separate from the legislature and elected independently.\ -- **Parliamentary System:** The executive (prime minister) is chosen by the legislature and can be removed by a vote of no confidence. **12. Enumerated Powers of the Executive Branch\ **-- Includes executing laws, vetoing bills, granting pardons, appointing officials, making treaties, and serving as commander-in-chief. **13. Treaty Ratification Requirements\ **-- Treaties require approval by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. **14. Veto Override Process\ **-- Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. **15. Presidential Pardon Power\ **-- The president can pardon individuals for federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment. **16. Judicial and Cabinet Appointments\ **-- The president nominates judges and cabinet members, but the Senate must confirm them. **17. Who Creates Cabinet Departments?\ **-- Congress establishes new cabinet departments through legislation. **18. Pocket Veto\ **-- When the president does not sign a bill within ten days while Congress is adjourned, preventing it from becoming law. **19. Recess Appointment\ **-- The president can appoint officials while the Senate is in recess, though such appointments are temporary. **20. Implied Powers Under the Take Care Clause\ **-- The president must ensure that laws are faithfully executed, which has been interpreted to justify broad executive actions. **21. Inherent Powers Debate (Vesting Clause, Article II)\ **-- Some argue the vesting clause gives the president broad powers beyond those explicitly listed in the Constitution. Others believe it only allows for the execution of enumerated powers. **22. Constitutional Role of the Vice President\ **-- Primarily serves as President of the Senate and casts tie-breaking votes; also assumes the presidency if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office. ### **Washington and Adams (Ch. 3)** **23. Precedents Set by Washington\ **-- **Cabinet Behavior:** Established the norm of seeking advice from department heads but maintaining executive authority. And remove them without congress.\ -- **Veto Use:** Used sparingly, only when legislation was unconstitutional.\ -- **Foreign Affairs:** Advocated for neutrality and non-involvement in European conflicts. And more power for precedents **24. Birth of Political Parties & First Party System (1790s--1816)\ **-- Emerged during Washington's presidency, dividing into:\ - **Federalists:** Led by Hamilton, favored a strong central government, commerce, and Britain.\ - **Democratic-Republicans:** Led by Jefferson, favored states' rights, agrarianism, and France. **25. Main Issues Dividing the Parties\ **-- National Bank, interpretation of the Constitution (loose vs. strict), economic policies, foreign alliances. **26. Controversy Over the Neutrality Act\ **-- It prevented U.S. involvement in European wars, angering those who supported France.\ -- Sparked debates over executive vs. congressional war powers. **27. Controversy Over the Jay Treaty\ **-- Agreement with Britain to resolve lingering post-Revolutionary War issues.\ -- Criticized for being too conciliatory to Britain, causing public backlash and weakening Washington's approval. **28. Election of 1796\ **-- First contested presidential election; John Adams (Federalist) won, but his opponent (Jefferson) became VP due to electoral rules. **29. Relationship Between Adams and His Party\ **-- Adams had tensions with Hamilton, who sought greater influence over Federalist policies. **30. Alien and Sedition Acts\ **-- Laws passed by Federalists under Adams, targeting immigrants and restricting speech critical of the government. ### **Jeffersonians (Ch. 4)** **31. Main Tenets of Democratic-Republican Ideology\ **-- Limited federal power, strict constitutional interpretation, agrarian economy, support for France. **32. Importance of the Election of 1800\ **-- Marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties in U.S. history. **33. Dilemma Faced by D-R Presidents in Office\ **-- Had to balance ideological commitment to small government with practical governance challenges. **34. The 12th Amendment\ **-- Revised the Electoral College to prevent a president and VP from being elected from opposing parties. **35. Why Congress Was Stronger Than the Executive During D-R Presidencies\ **-- D-Rs feared executive power, leading to congressional dominance in policymaking. **36. "King Caucus"\ **-- A system where congressional party leaders selected presidential nominees, limiting broader democratic participation. **37. Impact of the War of 1812 on the Party System\ **-- Weakened the Federalists due to their opposition to the war, leading to their decline. **38. "Era of Good Feelings"\ **-- A period of reduced political strife following the collapse of the Federalist Party under Monroe's presidency. **39. Monroe's Presidency -- Foreign and Domestic Policies\ **-- **Foreign:** Monroe Doctrine (opposed European interference in the Americas).\ -- **Domestic:** Continued expansion, infrastructure improvements, and economic stability. **40. The Election of 1824\ **-- No candidate won a majority, so the House decided the winner (John Quincy Adams) in what was called the "Corrupt Bargain." **41. Long-Term Effects of the Election of 1824\ **-- Led to the formation of new political factions and the rise of Andrew Jackson's Democratic Party. ### **Polarization (Topic 5)** **42. Congressional Polarization Since 1879\ **-- Data shows that polarization between parties has steadily increased over time.\ -- The late 20th century saw a significant rise in ideological division, especially from the 1970s onward. **43. Trend Towards Polarization in Views Toward the President\ **-- Began around the 1980s, intensifying in the 1990s with partisan media influence.\ -- Partisan approval ratings of the president have widened significantly. **44. Negative Partisanship\ **-- Voting behavior driven more by opposition to the other party rather than loyalty to one\'s own party. **45. Party Identification vs. Ideology\ **-- **Party ID:** Psychological attachment to a political party.\ -- **Ideology:** A set of beliefs about government policy and role.\ -- People can have a party ID that does not perfectly align with their ideological beliefs. **46. Partisanship vs. Ideology: Today vs. the 1950s\ **-- In the 1950s, party ID and ideology were more loosely connected.\ -- Today, they are highly correlated---Democrats are overwhelmingly liberal, Republicans overwhelmingly conservative. **47. Importance of Party ID in Predicting the Vote\ **-- Party ID is the **\#1 predictor** of voting behavior.\ -- Strong partisans are highly likely to vote for their party's candidates. **48. Indirect Influence of Party ID on Voting\ **-- Affects perception of political events and candidate evaluations.\ -- Shapes policy preferences and media consumption. **49. "Pure" Independent\ **-- A voter who does not lean toward either major party and votes unpredictably. **50. % of Electorate That Are Pure Independents\ **-- Roughly **10% or less** of the electorate; most self-identified \"independents\" actually lean toward one party. **51. Weak and Leaning Partisan Identifiers\ **-- **Weak Partisans:** Identify with a party but are not strongly committed.\ -- **Leaners:** Claim to be independent but consistently vote for one party. **52. Leaners vs. Pure Independents\ **-- Leaners behave much like partisans in voting and political views.\ -- Pure independents have less consistent voting patterns.