AP Gov Unit 2 Cheat Sheet: Interactions Among Branches

The basics

Exam weight: 25–36% — the largest unit on the AP Gov exam.

The big question: How do the three branches interact, check each other, and share power over policymaking — and how does the bureaucracy fit in?

Required foundational documents: Federalist No. 70 (Hamilton — strong executive), Federalist No. 78 (Hamilton — independent judiciary)

Required cases for Unit 2: Marbury v. Madison (1803), McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), Baker v. Carr (1962), Shaw v. Reno (1993)

House vs. Senate — key differences at a glance

Feature	House of Representatives	Senate
Size	435 members	100 members (2 per state)
Term length	2 years (all up every cycle)	6 years (1/3 up every 2 years)
Represents	People (population-based)	States equally
Revenue bills	MUST originate in the House	Can amend but not originate
Floor debate rules	Rules Committee controls debate	Unlimited debate (filibuster possible)
Filibuster	Does not exist	Yes — needs 60 votes (cloture) to end
Treaty approval	Not involved	2/3 vote to ratify
Judicial confirmations	Not involved	Simple majority to confirm
Impeachment	House impeaches (charges)	Senate tries and convicts (2/3)
Key leadership	Speaker of the House	Majority/Minority Leaders

Presidential powers — formal vs. informal

Formal (Constitutional) Powers

Veto & pocket veto · Commander-in-Chief · Treaties (with 2/3 Senate) · Appoint judges, cabinet, ambassadors · State of the Union · Pardon power · Convene Congress in special session

Informal Powers

Executive orders · Signing statements · Executive agreements (foreign, no Senate needed) · Bargaining & persuasion · Bully pulpit · Agenda setting through media

Checks ON the President

Congress: override veto (2/3), confirm appointments, control spending, declare war, impeach. Courts: strike down executive orders/actions. 22nd Amendment: 2-term limit.

Veto vs. Pocket Veto

Regular veto: president formally rejects a bill → Congress CAN override with 2/3 both chambers.
Pocket veto: president does nothing for 10 days while Congress is adjourned → bill dies, CANNOT be overridden.

The Judicial Branch — key concepts

Concept	What it means	Key source
Judicial Review	Power to strike down laws or executive actions as unconstitutional	Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Life Tenure	Federal judges serve until retirement or death — insulates from politics	Article III + Federalist 78
Stare Decisis	Follow precedent — "let the decision stand"	Common law tradition
Judicial Activism	Courts should boldly use review to protect rights / make policy	Warren Court era
Judicial Restraint	Courts should defer to elected branches and stick to precedent	Conservative judicial philosophy

Checks ON the judiciary

Constitutional amendment can overturn a Court decision (16th Amendment overturned income tax ruling)
Judicial appointments — president + Senate confirmation shift the Court's ideological balance
Congressional legislation can modify the impact of Court decisions
Jurisdiction stripping — Congress can limit which cases the Supreme Court hears on appeal
President and states delaying implementation of a Court ruling

The Federal Bureaucracy

Concept	Definition
Iron Triangle	Stable alliance: congressional committee + bureaucratic agency + interest group. Together they control policy in one area, closed to outsiders.
Issue Network	Loose, temporary coalition of groups/experts forming around one issue. More open than iron triangle. Dissolves after the issue is resolved.
Merit System	Hiring based on qualifications and exams — not political connections. Est. by Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883).
Discretionary Authority	Congress delegates power to agencies to interpret and implement laws — filling in details Congress left vague.
Rulemaking Authority	Agencies write regulations with the force of law (EPA emission standards, SEC financial rules, etc.).

Key agencies to know

Department of Homeland Security — national security, immigration
EPA — environmental regulation (discretionary rulemaking authority)
FEC — campaign finance law enforcement
SEC — financial markets regulation

Congressional tools to control the bureaucracy

Power of the purse — fund or defund agencies
Committee hearings — investigate agency actions
Oversight — ongoing monitoring of implementation

Common Unit 2 exam traps

Impeachment ≠ removal. The House impeaches (charges); the Senate tries and must convict with 2/3 to remove. Clinton and Trump were impeached but NOT removed.
Pocket veto CANNOT be overridden. Regular veto can (2/3 both chambers). Don't confuse them.
Executive agreements ≠ treaties. Executive agreements require no Senate approval but also have no Senate backing — can be cancelled by the next president.
Judicial review is NOT in the Constitution. It was established in Marbury v. Madison. The Court created its own most powerful tool.
Iron triangle ≠ issue network. Iron triangles are closed, stable, and hard to break; issue networks are open, fluid, and temporary.
The filibuster is ONLY in the Senate. The House has no filibuster — the Rules Committee controls debate instead.
Cloture requires 60 votes — not a simple majority, not 2/3. 60 is the magic Senate number.
Life tenure judges ≠ permanent policy. Their appointments shift ideology but the other branches can still check the Court.