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Unit: Interactions among branches of government

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Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives

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Article I of the Constitution
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The Senate and the House of Representatives: lesson overview
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Practice
Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives: foundationalGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!
Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Structures, powers, and functions of Congress

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How a bill becomes a law
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The House of Representatives in comparison to the Senate
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Senate filibusters, unanimous consent and cloture
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Discretionary and mandatory outlays of the US federal government
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Earmarks, pork barrel projects and logrolling
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Structures, powers, and functions of Congress: lesson overview
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Practice
Structures, powers, and functions of Congress: foundationalGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!
Structures, powers, and functions of Congress: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Congressional behavior

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Representatives as delegates, trustees, and politicos
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Gerrymandering
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Baker v. Carr
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Divided government and gridlock in the United States
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Congressional behavior: lesson overview
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Practice
Congressional behavior: foundationalGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!
Congressional behavior: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Quiz 1

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Roles and powers of the president

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Article II of the Constitution
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Formal and informal powers of the US president
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Executive orders
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Presidential signing statements
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Roles and powers of the president: lesson overview
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Practice
Roles and powers of the president: foundationalGet 5 of 7 questions to level up!
Roles and powers of the president: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Checks on the presidency

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Senate checks on presidential appointments
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Checks on the presidency: lesson overview
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Checks on the presidency: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Expansion of presidential power

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Expansion of presidential power
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Changes to the role of the presidency
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Federalist No. 70
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Expansion of presidential power: lesson overview
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Practice
Expansion of presidential power: foundationalGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!
Expansion of presidential power: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Presidential communication

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The president's bully pulpit
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Technology and presidential communication
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Presidential communication: lesson overview
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Presidential communication: foundationalGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!
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Quiz 2

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The judicial branch

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Article III of the Constitution
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Marbury v. Madison
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Federalist No. 78
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The judicial branch: lesson overview
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The judicial branch: foundationalGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!
The judicial branch: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Legitimacy of the judicial branch

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Stare decisis and precedent in the Supreme Court
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Legitimacy of the judicial branch: lesson overview
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Checks on the judicial branch

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Executive and legislative disagreements with the Supreme Court
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Checks on the judicial branch
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State checks on the judicial branch
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Senate confirmation as a check on the judicial branch
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Judicial activism and judicial restraint
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Increased politicization of the Supreme Court
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Checks on the judicial branch: lesson overview
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Practice
Checks on the judicial branch: foundationalGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!
Checks on the judicial branch: advancedGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Quiz 3

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The bureaucracy: functions and responsibilities

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Introduction to the federal bureaucracy
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Iron triangles and issue networks
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The bureaucracy: lesson overview
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Practice
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The bureaucracyGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

The bureaucracy: authority and accountability

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Discretionary and rulemaking authority of the federal bureaucracy
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Congressional oversight of the bureaucracy
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Discretionary and rule making authority: lesson overview
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Practice
Discretionary and rule-making authorityGet 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Quiz 4

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Up next for you:

Unit test

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About this unit

How Congress, the presidency, the courts, and the bureaucracy compete, cooperate, and hold one another accountable in governing the United States. The legislative, executive and judicial branches are each granted formal, or enumerated, powers by the Constitution; each branch also exercises certain informal powers.