Download Constitution: Terms and Concepts

Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Strict Constructionist:
Someone who interprets the
Constitution literally, “if it’s
not there, you don’t get it,”
views government’s power as
limited.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Loose Constructionist:
Someone with a liberal
interpretation of the
Constitution, “reads between the
lines,” views government’s
power as unlimited.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Revenue Bills
Revenue bills = Money bills
Revenue = money govt collects to carry
out its duties.
Expenditures = money govt spends to
carry out its duties.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Pocket Veto:
If Congress adjourns (suspends
action and goes home) less than
10 days after a bill is sent to the
president and the president does
nothing, the bill is vetoed.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Commerce Clause:
Article 1, Section 8,
Clause 3. Congress can
regulate economic
activity.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Expressed Powers:
Powers directly stated in
the Constitution; aka
enumerated powers.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Elastic Clause:
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18
Congress can make all laws that
are “necessary and proper.”
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
The Electoral College
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
The Electoral College
•Electoral Votes: 538
•Electoral Votes Needed to Win:
270
•Winner Takes All: Candidate need
only win plurality of states’ popular
vote to get all states’ electoral votes.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
The Electoral College
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
The Electoral College
The “Shade” of Things to Come?
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Commander in Chief:
The president controls, or
commands, the military;
civilian control of the
military.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Impeachment:
Process of removing public
officials from office for
criminal wrongdoing. Two
steps:
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Step 1: House Judiciary
Committee holds hearings,
recommends impeachment,
entire House votes. Official
is said to be impeached at
this point.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Step 2: Senate sits as jury with
Chief Justice presiding.
If found guilty and
convicted in Senate,
official must leave office.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Original Jurisdiction:
Court that hears a case
for the first time.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Appellate Jurisdiction:
Court that hears a case on
appeal from a lower
court.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Extradition:
Returning accused to the
locality where the crime was
committed to stand trial.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Amending the Constitution—Informal Methods
Judicial Interpretations:
Supreme Court decisions
reflect current legal thinking
on the Constitution and its
original intent.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Amending the Constitution—Informal Methods
Executive Actions:
Executive Agreements—between
president and another head of state;
force of treaty but no Senate approval.
Executive Privilege—president has
right to withhold information from
Congress and people.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Amending the Constitution—Informal Methods
Legislative Action:
Congress has broad powers
to write legislation that
stretches its constitutional
limits.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Amending the Constitution—Informal Methods
Social Change:
Role of minorities, women, and
others has changed, rights have
been extended, national/regional
issues cause powers to expand or
contract, political parties. . .
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Amending the Constitution—Informal Methods
Technological Change:
From postal trucks to the Air Force,
regulatory and enforcement duties
of the federal government have
changed with the times without
changes to the Constitution.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Double Jeopardy:
Unconstitutional; bringing a
person to trial over and over
again for the same crime.
Constitution: Terms and Concepts
Maximum number of years a
person can be president?
10