Examples Bank

• The Connecticut Compromise (1787)

  Decision that all states would have 2 Senators whereas the House of Representatives would be proportionate to the population of each state
• The Necessary and Proper Clause Article 1 (Elastic Clause)
• The Bill of Rights (1791)

  First 10 amendments to the constitution

  Right to freedom of speech, assembly, protest and religion

  Right to bear arms

  Protection from cruel and unusual punishment

  Establishment of reserved power to the states
• Marbury vs Madison (1803)


  Supreme Court has the power to invalidate laws they find violate the constitution - Judicial review
• Reconstruction Amendments (1865, 1868, 1870)

  13th Amendment - abolished salvery

  14th Amendment - equal protection before the law

  15th Amendment - barring race discrimination in the right to vote
• Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka (1954)


  Ruled segregation was unconstitutional
• The Equal Rights Amendment (Failed - 1923-1972)


  Proposed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex
• The "Johnson treatment" and other methods of persuasion

  Biden bargaining with Joe Manchin to push through the Inflation Reduction Act (2022)
• The Congressional Black Caucus (1971-)


  Represents a congressional voting block who advocate for the interests of Black Americans (56 members)
• The War Powers Resolution (1973) and associated breaches


  A federal law intended to check the US presidents power to commit the US to an armed conflict without the consent of Congress - must notify Congress within 48 hours of military action, forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days without Congressional approval

  Breaches : Clinton in Yugoslavia (1999) and Obama in Libya (2011)
• US vs Nixon (1974)


  SC ordered President Nixon to deliver tape recordings and other subpoenaed material related to Watergate - overriding his claims to executive privilege
• Flag Desecration Amendment (Failed - 1990)


  Limitation of Presidency - Trump was unable to affect change with SC support

  Shows how hard it is to change the constitution
• John Murtha 


  Congressman from Pennsylvania, believed to have steered $2 billion in pork barrelling from 1992-2008
• Robert Byrd

  Senator from West Virginia who directed $3.3 billion in pork form 1991-2008 e.g. The Coast Guards Maritime built Centre in landlocked Kerneysville
• Failed Presidential campaigns of Ross Perot (1992, 1996)


  Texan billionaire ran unsuccessfully as independent in 92 and as a Reform Party candidate in 98. Failed to win a single electoral college vote on either occasion despite winning 18.9% / 20 million votes in 1992
• In 2020, 55% of Asian Americans voted Democrat
• In 2020, 60% of Latinos voted Democrat
• Obama electoral mandate 2008

  52.9%
• Trumps electoral mandate 2016

  46.1%
• Differences in legislation from state to state

  Driving age Alaska - 14, California - 16

  Marijuana
• Amendment proposed that got through Congress but rejected by the States


  The Equal rights act 1972
• Trumps executive order banning immigration from predominantly muslim countries 2017 - overturned by Biden
• Executive order struck down by Supreme Court

  Obama's DACA - allowing children of immigrants to claim US citizenship
• Executive Agreement Example


  Obama 2015 - Iran (lift trade embargo to stop nuclear weapons production) - senate wrote an open letter saying they wouldn't honour the deal
• Example of signing statement

  2015 Obama on National Defence Authorization Act - ignored the 30 day warning that had to be given to the senate before moving prisoners for Guantanamo Bay/ said he wouldn't use drone strikes on US soil, Trump later ignored this
• Split decision on Supreme Court meaning initial state ruling stays in place - effectively blocked

  DAPA 2014 Obama - parents claiming citizenship
• Votes on bills initiated by President but failed

  American Healthcare Act 2017 - Trump despite having a Republican majority in both chambers
• Example of overturned Veto

  Trump on National Defence Authorisation Act
• Examples of poor quality legislation

  pork-barrelling

  too much compromise - Bernie Sanders on BBB 2022
• Protection of States rights in Senate

  1970 Amendment to abolish Electoral College was filibustered by a group of Southern Senators
• PAC


  political action committee - can donate up to $5,000 directly to an election campaign
• Super PACs


  send/raise unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose campaign but cant be directly donated to the campaign
• Cost of 2020 election

  nearly $6 billion
• open primary states


  texas, alabama
• semi-closed primary states


  norths Carolina, new hampshire
• closed primary states


  florida, new york
• caucus states


  Iowa, Nevada, Colorado
• Advantages of primary/caucuses

  • raises key issues (policy can be adopted by winning candidate)
  • Voter choice and Democracy (choice of competing ideologies esp within two party system)
  • Electability (tests abilities to be attractive to electorate/overcome personal issues)
• Disadvantages of Primaries and caucuses

  • Creates internal divides within the party
  • Timing (early states influence late, long drawn-out process)
  • Specific Procedures (low turnout, specific voters only, different processes for different states)
• Protection of states rights essay plan

  Citizens Rights, Criminal punishment, Electoral regulation