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Edexcel A-level politics Unit 3 - US government and politics notes (31,000 words) $19.65   Add to cart

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Edexcel A-level politics Unit 3 - US government and politics notes (31,000 words)

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A comprehensive document written by an A* predicted student covering A-level government and politics Unit 3 - US government and Politics. Clear font, table of contents, infographics and examples used throughout. Information accumulated over 8 months of study from several sources and updated e...

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  • May 5, 2021
  • 228
  • 2020/2021
  • Class notes
  • Samantha handy, ali visser
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US politics

Table of Contents

Definitions:.....................................................16
Chapter 17 – Constitution & Federalism definitions..........................16

Chapter 18 – US Congress definitions..............................................20

Chapter 19 – US presidency definitions...........................................23

Chapter 20 – US Supreme Court and civil rights definitions..............27

Chapter 21 – US Democracy and participation definitions.................29

Chapter 17 - US Constitution and federalism. . . .34
History of America.........................................................................34

Features of the constitution...........................................................35

Codified.................................................................................................................... 35

Federal..................................................................................................................... 35

Popular Sovereignty.................................................................................................36

Separation of Powers................................................................................................36

Limited Government................................................................................................. 36

Judicial Review.......................................................................................................... 37

Representation of the States....................................................................................37

Codified and Uncodified constitution...............................................38

Codified constitution pros and cons..........................................................................38

Uncodified constitution pros and cons......................................................................39

Presidential system.......................................................................39

Separation of powers.....................................................................40

The branches of the US government...............................................42

Centralisation and decentralisation................................................43

Advantages of centralisation –..................................................................................43

, Advantages of decentralisation –..............................................................................43

Federal system..............................................................................44

Advantages –............................................................................................................ 44

Disadvantages –....................................................................................................... 44

The amendment process................................................................45

Key amendments –................................................................................................... 45

Federalism....................................................................................46

Powers of the national government................................................47

Federalism in the constitution........................................................49

Exclusive powers of the national government –........................................................49

Exclusive powers of the state government –............................................................50

Shared powers by National and state governments –...............................................50

Advantages of Federalism..............................................................51

Disadvantages of Federalism.........................................................52

Comparisons with the UK...............................................................53

The US Vs. UK Constitution............................................................54

Sources of the constitution.......................................................................................54

Principles.................................................................................................................. 55

Sovereignty.............................................................................................................. 56

Separation of powers................................................................................................56

Checks and Balances................................................................................................57

Protection of rights................................................................................................... 57

Flexibility.................................................................................................................. 57

Debates........................................................................................58

Is the amendment process effective today?.............................................................58

How strong is the constitution?................................................................................59

Chapter 18 – Congress.....................................60
The Senate Elections.....................................................................60

, Current US senate.................................................................................................... 60

Qualifications to be a Senator...................................................................................61

Organisation of the Senate.......................................................................................61

House of Representative elections..................................................61

Current US house of representatives........................................................................61

Qualifications to be in the HoR.................................................................................62

Organisation of the HoR...........................................................................................62

Coattails Effect......................................................................................................... 62

Split ticket voting...................................................................................................... 62

History of Congress.......................................................................63

Article 1.................................................................................................................... 63

The importance of congress...........................................................63

Legislation................................................................................................................ 63

Issues of congress composition................................................................................64

Congress pressures.................................................................................................. 64

The functions of Congress..............................................................67

The legislative process and committees...................................................................67

Process of a bill.............................................................................69

Committee consideration.......................................................................................... 70

Scheduling................................................................................................................ 70

Floor action............................................................................................................... 70

Resolving differences................................................................................................ 71

Presidential action.................................................................................................... 71

Representation......................................................................................................... 72

Oversight.................................................................................................................. 74

Leadership in congress..................................................................79

Speaker of the house................................................................................................79

President Pro-Tempore............................................................................................. 80

Majority Leader......................................................................................................... 80

, Minority leader.......................................................................................................... 81

House majority leader..............................................................................................81

House minority leader..............................................................................................81

Political parties.............................................................................82

Importance of political parties..................................................................................82

Party discipline......................................................................................................... 82

Influence of the party leadership..............................................................................82

USA Congress Vs UK Parliament.....................................................83

Legislative function................................................................................................... 83

Chapter 19 – US presidency.............................85
The presidency & the constitution..................................................85

Powers of the presidency...............................................................86

Formal powers.......................................................................................................... 86

Pros and cons of executive powers...........................................................................89

Restrictions on the president’s power.......................................................................89

The president & the cabinet...........................................................90

Biden’s cabinet......................................................................................................... 91

Firsts within the cabinet........................................................................................... 92

Cabinet statistics...................................................................................................... 93

Informal sources of presidential power...........................................95

The cabinet............................................................................................................... 95

The functions of cabinet meetings for the president................................................97

The function of cabinet meetings for cabinet officers.............................................100

The importance of the Vice President............................................101

Role of the Vice President.......................................................................................101

Succession.............................................................................................................. 102

The executive office of the presidency...................................................................102

The federal bureaucracy...............................................................104

Powers of the president...............................................................105

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