G&P Route C, some one must be doing it?

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Reply 80

W_i_l_l

Who is sovereign in America?

Reply 81

Snapshot13

Sovereignty in the USA is a difficult question, you could argue either congress, or the executive or even that teh judiciary has alot of power with judicial review and how its seen as a "3rd house of the leglislater". Then you can look at federuralism and argue how each state holds their own soverienty ect due to amemndment 10.

Reply 82

vads92

how would you answer how powerful is the supreme court differently to are they politicians in disguise?
aint it more or less the exact same points?

Reply 83

tw68

vads92

how would you answer how powerful is the supreme court differently to are they politicians in disguise?
aint it more or less the exact same points?

There isn't a big difference. However, with the politicians in disguise question you really need to focus on the politicisation of the judiciary. So look at the selection process - they are chosen and confirmed by politicians and often share a similar ideology to those who selected them. Also look at decisions which are evidently political e.g. Bush v Gore. Then of course you can talk about how the Supreme Court is effectively a third house of the legislature and this point fits for both questions.

Reply 84

jamrit

tw68

you can also mention how they tend to keep in mind what the publics view point is at the time, if you get me?

Reply 85

acidicgirl

Is anyone only studying 3 topics? Is it too risky for this module?

Reply 86

vads92

cant you use the nomination process to show they are powerful hence the big fuss they are made off?
judicial review fits into both im asuming?
so does quasi-legislative powers?
interference with national security issues: ie states cant but court has in hamden
so do all of those fit under both questions assuming the opening sentence is reworded to link bank to the question??

Reply 87

vads92

acidicgirl

Is anyone only studying 3 topics? Is it too risky for this module?

as far as i know most people in my sixth form are doing only 3 with about 80% of them leaving out presidency!!

Reply 88

acidicgirl

vads92

as far as i know most people in my sixth form are doing only 3 with about 80% of them leaving out presidency!!

Well that is the biggest topic, so would be good to leave out. I thought I would leave out the supreme court stuff. I'm self teaching so can't get any advice!

Does anyone have the paper of even mark scheme from Jan 2010? Would be great to see what it was like.

Reply 89

rawwwwr!

acidicgirl

I have the questions but not the mark scheme :frown:

Here's Jans paper though;

Section A (15 marks)

1) Using examples, explain the limitations on the Supreme Courts powers.
2) Why, and to what extent, has there been disagreement about the consititutional importance of federalism?
3) How are Supreme Court judges appointed, and why has the process become so politically controversial?
4) How do Presidents veto legislation, and how significant is the presidential veto?
5) How significant is the role of political parties within Congress?

Section B (45 marks)

1) To what extent is there disagreement about how effectively the Constitution protects freedom?
2) 'Members of Congress are more concerned with local issues than with national or international issues' Discuss.
3) 'There are no effective checks on presidential power' Discuss.

I've also got the questions from the Specimen paper if anyone wants them too :h:

Reply 90

Snapshot13

Och, 2 45 mark essays on congress, hopefully it wont come up as much this time

Reply 91

Snake91

rawwwwr!

I have the questions but not the mark scheme :frown:

specimen paper would be lovely too, will rep ya! :wink:

Reply 92

rawwwwr!

Snake91

specimen paper would be lovely too, will rep ya! :wink:

A:

1. How important is the EXOP?
2. Explain the impact of New Federalism on the power and influence of the states.
3. How flexible is the Constitution of the USA?
4. Explain the significance of Supreme Court appointments since 2004.
5. Assess the power and influence of congressional committee chairmen.

B:

1. Presidents have only the power to persuade. Discuss
2. Are Supreme Court justices politicians in disguise?
3. The US system of checks and balances is ineffective. Discuss

There ya goo :biggrin:

Reply 93

Snapshot13

Right this is for my benifit and anyone else who wants to read it a quick short revision list :')

Chapter 1, Constitution

13 british colonies - turned into - 50 states

Had limited democracy at the start with the condeferation and women/colourd not having the vote.

James Otis - "Taxiation without representation is TYRANNY"

Connecticut compromise was a compromise between the New Jersey plan (small states) and then Virginia plan (Larger states), created a bi-cameral goverment with the lower house rep state pop and the upper house rep equally.

Constitution itself;
Art-1, Legislative powers
Art-2,Executive powers
Art-3, Judicial powers
Art 10- powers to the states

The amendment process, 2 stages both need "super majorities"
Stage 1-proposal, Congress or National constitution convention (never used)
Stage 2- retification, state legislature or state consitution convention (once again never used)

been no amendments since 1992
27 amendments passed in its lifetime including the first 10 about civil rights.

Why ammended so little?
1)FF wanted it to be difficult
2) however the consitution is already flexible, judicial review / activism alow this.
3) Americans have become carful not to change it to much, e.g amendment 18 (banning alchahol)

Seperation of powers
Divided into 3 branches to stop trynanny
Based on the writing of French political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, in his book "Spirit of the laws"
Impossible "in theory" to be in both branches, e.g when Obama became pres he had to resign in the senate.

Checks and Balances

Checks by Ex on Leg,
1) State of union adress gives pres to tell congress what he wants to concentrate on, e.g bush "War on Terror"
2)Power to veto in 3 ways, G.W.Bush used his reg 11 times, his dad 29 reg, 15 pocket

Checks by ex on jd
1) Nominates all fed judges, e.g Reagan and bork. (only nominates dosent confirm)
2)Power to pardon, Ford pardoned Nixon, Clinton pardoned 140 on his last day!

Checks by the leg on the executive
8 checks! (fear of tyrnanny)
1) congress can amend / block / reject leglislation recomended by pres, clinton health care reform
2) Override pres veto with 2/3 majority. Overrode 4 out of 11 of Bushs vetos in 8 years. however clinton had 94% success rate.
3) "Power of the purse", all money pres wants to spend is controled by congrees, e.g they could have limited G.W.Bushs spending in Iraq war
4) Pres is CnC but only congress can declare war
5) Senete rafifies treates, e.g did not ratifiy comprehensive test ban treaty.
6) Senete can decline appointsment to the edecutive / jud branch, e.g bork
7) Power of investigation, e.g investigation of g.w.bush handing of national security during 9/11, e.g2 Investigation of watergate.
8)Impeachment, 2 attempts again clinton, Nixon would have got inpeached but he resigned before hand.
9) *in my opion* divided gov can check pres.

Checks by leg on jud,
1)Impeachment, 1985-1989 removed 3 fed judges
2)Can change consitution through amendments. When S.C said income tax was unconstitutional they made 16th amendment which said they could.

Checks by jud on leg,
Judicial review, Clinton v New york, declared line veto unconstitutional

Checks by Jud on Ex
Judicial review, United states vs Richard Nixon, forced him to turn over white house tapes (smoking gun)

Federalism
10th amendment, all remaining powers to the states and the people.

Grown of fed gov,
1)Westward expansion, 13 to 50
2)Growth in population,greater gov needed to rep them all
3)Industrialasion, need gov reg departmends to look over all of the labour, new deal ect.
4)improvment in communication
5)great depression, states turned to fed gov for help, (new deal)
6) Foreign policy, WWII, war on terror.
7)supreme court decisions, Amendment 14(nor shall state deprive any person of life, liberty or property withotu due process of the law), used to restrain state power. Amendment 16, alowed fed gov to impose income tax which alowed rooservelts new deal to take palce.

Fed gov under bush grew by 33%
department of def from $290 million to $651 million for example

Chapter 5 Congress
Not since 1935 have senate rejected a treaty of a president of its own party
Only twice in the last 50 years has congress overwritten a vero of a pres from same party

Art 1, was the longest on constition, sugested that FF wanted the leg to be the most powerful.
senate, 100 members
rep, 435 members

Seen as unrep, 2005 senate had 14 women and 1 african american!

powers of house, Elects pres if the college fails to do so, impeachment(1st stage)

Powers of Senate, Elects VP is senate fails, impeachment trials (2nd stage)
confirm appointments
ratify treaties

Senate is more prestigious, politicans move from house to the senate, only 2 per state, longer terms, exclusive powers, Senators more likely to become VP or P e.g Obama (3 years in senate). higher avrage age (30 in senate, 25 in house)

Key people in congress
Vp runs the senate
Speaker runs the house
maj and min leaders
standing committee chairs
party Whips. ( The one rep who was going to vote against rep views on healthcare reform was heavily "whipped" as they had their "toe on the party line")

House speaker is important as can be seen when Obama used Nancy pelosi to assiest in purswading house to pass health care bill in 2010.

Committees have huge power, this is where all legsliation stats. can also call witnesses, eg stage of,McCarthyism, Reds under the bed scare.

The legislative process
First reading, comittee stage, timetabling, secodn reading, third reading, presidential action.
Bills can be fillibusterd (talk a bill to death)

Congress intorduce between 10,100 to 14,00 bills per session, only 3-5% become law!
Thus change is stacjed against the people

Is the leg process successful?

YES:
1) It is representative, views of the people are reflected through their elected rep in both houses
2) It can successfully act as a check adn balance on teh power of the pres and the jud

NO:
1) Simply to many bills
2) Process is too complicated, its a "Legislative labyrinth"
3) Need huge magorities to get things done, espcially to override presidents veto.
4) To much power help in committees and comittee chairs
5) because its bicamerial its hard for the houses to come together to combat the trynanny of the pres sometimes
6)Split goverment and split houses can cause grid lock, and go at loggerheads with each other, e.g clinton health care reform. Obama health care reform, consumed to much time!

However, Neustadt "What the constitution separetes, the political partys do not combine" Shows that just because the pres and congress are of the same partys it dosent mean that things will go smoothly.

Anyone else mind doing a few for the pres for me? =/

Reply 94

Lee2592

Is Vice Presidency included in the specification under the Presidecy chapter?

Reply 95

Snapshot13

It is yes, one important quote i know for vice prediency is by John Adams (the first ever VP in the USA) "I am the Vice President, in this I am nothing, but i may be everything"

As well as Dick Cheney "I have a differnt understanding with the president"

Increasing power of the president can be seen in his abilty to almost make forign policy,
e.g kenedy and the "Bay of Pigs"
G.W.Bush
Both went to war without congress's consent on the issue

Reply 96

rawwwwr!

Thanks for them notes Snapshot, theyre on the 2 topics im yet to do so very helpful :biggrin:

Reply 97

rawwwwr!

If you're awake and still cramming, i found this thread from last year where someone posted a lot of notes on the first page :smile:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=874214

Reply 98

Snapshot13

Thanks for that :') Just read through all of the president stuff, very useful. Iv read over so much in the past months, hopefully the exam questions will like trigger of my brain and everything will come to me at once :smile:

Lets hope they go easy on us (a) Good luck everyone! =]