Class,
Here is an assignment that I want you to complete:
Go to this link: http://typology.people-press.org/typology/
Go ahead and take the typology quiz and print out your results which you will turn in with your binder when we have our first binder check.
I want you to also do another one at:http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz
and print out those results as well. Answer the following questions to accompany the quizzes you take typewritten or handwritten:
1. Where your results for both tests the same? Generally summarize where you are politically on the scales and briefly describe the characteristics of your ideology (i.e. When I took the scales I turned out to be a Republican. Republicans generally believe in....)
2. Where you surprized where you ended up on the political scales? Why or why not?
3. Does your political ideology match up with your parent's or relative's political ideology?
4. Knowing yourself as you do, do you think that your political ideology will change or stay the same as you get older?
5. Do you think it is important to know where you stand politically? Why or why not?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Panetta Institute Tomorrow
For those attending the Panetta Institute tomorrow, a couple of things: A reminder, meet in front of the flagpole right after Period 3. For some of you, I said to meet at 10:45. Why not wait until the passing bell rings at the end of 3rd? We'll have the cars ready to go at 11:01-no need to get out of class 15 minutes early! As far as dress is concerned, please don't wear jeans or t-shirts to the event. Guys and gals should both wear slacks. A nice blouse for girls and a polo shirt for guys should be fine. A light sweater or jacket would be appropriate since it will be cold tomorrow. Also, bring some money. We will be stopping for a quick bite on the way to the event. We will be participating until 4:45 which is a long time without eating. If you want to bring a bag lunch to save money, that will work as well. See you tomorrow! MTB
Thursday, May 6, 2010
2010 FRQ's
Class,
The 2010 FRQ's from Monday's test are posted in the links section of the webpage. Attached below are my answers. See if you came up with some of the same stuff I did to guage how you may have done.
2010 FRQ #1
(A) The Constitution and specifically the Bill of Rights indeed protect individuals and groups of promoting interests related to politics. The First Amendment for example protects (1) free speech which most recently the US Supreme Court upheld in relation to private donations and campaign contributions. Certainly alternative political opinions are upheld in the (2) right to assemble provision in the Bill of Rights as well. Organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Commission demonstrated for African-American rights during the civil rights movement and their assembly and protest activity were protected by the Constitution.
(B) (1)Grassroots mobilization by interest groups can take many shapes and forms. For example, the National Rifle Association can initiate a phone calling campaign amongst its members to rally support against a particular initiative that might threaten the NRA’s main interests. Letter writing and even political protest (i.e. picketing in front of a Congressman’s office) are effective strategies that have been used.
(B)(2) Interest group lobbying can be used as well in an attempt to shape public opinion or a politician’s voting record. Paid lobbyists set up shop in Washington DC and regularly attend congressional sessions and contact staffers of the Congressman or woman in order to “bend their ear.” The most impactful way of lobbying a Congressman is to donate vast sums of money to their campaigns or that of their opponents. Millions of dollars are spent each year by lobbyists.
(B)(3) Litigation is also employed by interest groups in order to achieve their objectives. Perhaps one of the better known methods is the use of the amicus curiae brief. The NAACP invoked an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Linda Brown in the famous Brown v. Board case. As the result of the litigation brought forth by the NAACP a century’s long practice of “separate but equal” was overturned.
(C) The MacCain-Feingold (MF) Bill is one example of federal regulation on interest groups. It bans “soft money” donations to political campaigns and requires for financial disclosure for political donations. This is one check on the ability of interest groups to “buy off” a candidate although the recent Supreme Court decision has reversed some of the provisions of “MF.”
2010 FRQ #2
The “merit system” was employed by federal government during the late 19th Century as a remedy to the “Spoils System.” The Spoils System was the exchange of government jobs for money by “party bosses.” One of the most famous icon of that era was Boss Tweed. (A) With the reforms of the Progressive Era now jobs were earned through merit such as through the passing of a Civil Service examination that was offered fairly and was designed to measure a prospective employee’s potential ability and competence as opposed to who they might be politically connected with.
(B)(1) While the federal bureaucracy has been criticized for its hierarchical structure and numbing rules and regulations, this organizational hierarchy does lead to a level of agency “expertise” and independence. Most career civil service employees are specialists at what they do and work independently within their sphere of duty. They rely on written regulations and laws that cannot be easily manipulated by uninformed “outsiders.”
(B)(2) As mentioned in the previous paragraph, agency personnel do develop a level of expertise associated with their work. The complexity of issues such as employment law or environmental regulation demands that agencies have the authority and the expertise to enforce the law. Congress oftentimes call upon agency personnel to testify on matters pertaining to the law. For example the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has its own cadre of attorneys who testify and convict violators of civil rights law as pertains to the workplace. Members of the environmental protection agency have their own law enforcement officers who can institute fines and litigation for violators of clean air standards, for example.
(C)(1) The main control that the Congress has over the bureaucracy is through the “power of the purse.” Each year federal agencies must go before Congress and have their funding reviewed. During this time agencies must justify the work they do and how efficient they are with the resources granted to them. The justification of an agencies’ existence in exchange for funding leads to a form of powerful oversight by Congress
(C)(2) The courts can get involved in influencing federal agencies through injunctions or writs of mandamus. If the courts sees that laws are not being enforced properly by the agencies tasked with carrying out the law, the court can reach in and stop or otherwise shut down an agencies operations citing legal arguments.
(C)(3) Interest groups can have a wide influence on federal agencies through their lobbying and other methods. “Iron Triangles” describe the relationship between Interest Group, federal agency and congressional entity. Oftentimes former experts having worked for a particular agency will become hired on as a lobbyist thus perpetuating the “revolving door” syndrome.
FRQ #3
(A) One interesting and specific trend noted in the figure is the spike in the percentage of southern state electoral votes for the Democratic presidential candidate (Jimmy Carter). This was a year of major political realignment for the country following the resignation of Richard Nixon and the short term and controversial presidential pardon by Gerald R. Ford.
(B) (1) Southerners tended to choose democratic congressional candidates at a higher frequency than democratic presidential candidates in part due to the fact that incumbency held many of these representatives in place much more effectively. There are a number of advantages related to incumbency to include franking privileges and a re-election rate that can be factored at about 70% nationally. Presidential candidates on the other hand, must appeal to the national as a whole and in a bipartisan manner. Southern Democratic presidential hopefuls had little chance attempting to appeal to narrow southern state interests that included segregation, states’ rights, and other matters of opinion not shared by the rest of the nation.
(B)(2) Gerrymandering is the drawing up of political districts for political benefit. Districts are measured through a population census held every ten years. When population increases, the number of representatives can be lost or gained depending upon the head count. Historically, many southern states excluded blacks from the census count. Many southern voting campaigns featured disanfranchizing tactics such as poll taxes and literacy tests for blacks. Only with the intervention of the US Supreme Court in ( ) which ruled gerrymandering based on race as illegal and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned such practices as poll taxes and literacy tests as illegal, did blacks begin to gain their voice and representation on the political field.
(C)(1) Catholic political support for both members of Congress and the president has changed over the past few decades. Generally, Catholics tend to be conservative on issues such as national defense, abortion, and capital punishment. However, like other voting blocs, Catholics have been known to swing their support between Republican and Democratic candidates depending upon prevailing public opinion and/or the overall state of the economy. Catholics have supported Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980 as well as Barack Obama in 2008.
(C)(2) Women have increasingly gone to the polls over the past few decades. In the wake of the 20th amendment granting woman the right to vote, woman have over time become more affiliated with the Democratic Party than in decades past. Each decade of America’s history has seen changes in the national mood between more conservative to more liberal inclinations. Women in the 1950’s like their male counterparts, where generally more conservative in part due to the mood of the country that was in the grip of the Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation. Women like the national as a whole voted more conservatively for the Republican Party in the early 1980’s. More recently, women have voted more consistently for the Democratic Party and showed up in great support for Barack Obama.
(C)(3) Southern states staged a major realignment politically beginning in the late 1960’s. Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” lured many traditional Southern “Dixiecrats” away from the Democratic Party who were disenchanted with the presidencies of both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson with their push towards Civil Rights. Social conservatism reached high points during both the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush. Groups such as the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family played major roles in wooing Southerners to vote conservative Republican.
FRQ #4
(A)(1) Federalism is the separation between national government and state government. In most cases federal law supersedes state law but there have been some exceptions. For example, in some states gay marriage has been sanctioned by local legislatures. In Massachusetts for example, a gay married couple has many rights including spousal support that are particular to the laws of that state. Regardless of how president Obama feels about gay marriage, he cannot impose his views to change the law that has been established in Massachusetts. Only the Congress through a Constitutional Amendment could possibly limit the Massachusetts law by passing and amendment defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman. The courts then might weigh in and strike down that law as unconstitutional in potential violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause against discrimination.
(A)(2) Checks and Balances as argued in the Federalist Papers is a characteristic of American democracy that controls one branch of government from overstepping its authority between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The national executive (presumably the President of the United States) is limited by Congress in one instance through his Supreme Court nominees. For example, the President is held to the “advice and consent” of the Congress who can reject the President’s choice for Supreme Court Justices through a vote. The Supreme Court or Judicial Branch can limit the President’s authority through the interpretation of the constitution and determine that the president has overstepped his authority. While the president enjoys broad authority during wartime, his powers are not unlimited. Recently the US Supreme Court ruled that prisoners at Guantanamo Bay had the right to counsel and could not be held indefinitely without charge. The Supreme Court overruled the Bush Administration’s desire to keep “enemy combatants” away from legal representation.
(B)(1) The Establishment Cause basically states that there is no official government religion in the United States and a “wall of separation” exists between church and state. In this, the government may not impose nor discriminate based upon religious belief. The Supreme Court over the years has ruled against such practices as school sponsored prayer during class time. It has also spelled out the need for accommodations for persons of differing faiths to practice their religion even during hours of employment as long as it did not burden the employer. The United States has a strong tradition related to the concept of separation between church and state.
(C)(2) The Guarantee to a Public Trial is part of our habeas corpus tradition. American citizens can expect that under the Bill of Rights individuals have the right to due process and a fair and impartial trial. The government from time to time has tried to limit these rights. Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War. That was determined to be a violation of constitutional rights. Additionally, as mentioned above, the previous administration using war time authority has attempted to deny due process. Jose Padilla, an American citizen was accused of attempting to plant a dirty bomb in Chicago several years ago. He was held as a terrorist until the US Supreme Court ordered him to stand trial. This is a strong example of the Judicial Branch overturning the Executive Branches’ decision.
(C)(1) The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was added to the Constitution immediately following the emancipation of slaves. It was created in order to provide the right of citizenship to newly freed African-Americans. The Fourteenth Amendment over time has been interpreted even more broadly and has been used repeatedly throughout our history to protect the rights of all American citizens. For example, in Gideon v. Wainwright, the State of Florida attempted to block a man’s right to counsel given that he could not afford to provide for his own defense. Through interpretation of the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Court compelled the state government to pay for and mount a line of defense for the indigent and otherwise incapable. This is a strong example of the national government imposing its will on the states.
The 2010 FRQ's from Monday's test are posted in the links section of the webpage. Attached below are my answers. See if you came up with some of the same stuff I did to guage how you may have done.
2010 FRQ #1
(A) The Constitution and specifically the Bill of Rights indeed protect individuals and groups of promoting interests related to politics. The First Amendment for example protects (1) free speech which most recently the US Supreme Court upheld in relation to private donations and campaign contributions. Certainly alternative political opinions are upheld in the (2) right to assemble provision in the Bill of Rights as well. Organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Commission demonstrated for African-American rights during the civil rights movement and their assembly and protest activity were protected by the Constitution.
(B) (1)Grassroots mobilization by interest groups can take many shapes and forms. For example, the National Rifle Association can initiate a phone calling campaign amongst its members to rally support against a particular initiative that might threaten the NRA’s main interests. Letter writing and even political protest (i.e. picketing in front of a Congressman’s office) are effective strategies that have been used.
(B)(2) Interest group lobbying can be used as well in an attempt to shape public opinion or a politician’s voting record. Paid lobbyists set up shop in Washington DC and regularly attend congressional sessions and contact staffers of the Congressman or woman in order to “bend their ear.” The most impactful way of lobbying a Congressman is to donate vast sums of money to their campaigns or that of their opponents. Millions of dollars are spent each year by lobbyists.
(B)(3) Litigation is also employed by interest groups in order to achieve their objectives. Perhaps one of the better known methods is the use of the amicus curiae brief. The NAACP invoked an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Linda Brown in the famous Brown v. Board case. As the result of the litigation brought forth by the NAACP a century’s long practice of “separate but equal” was overturned.
(C) The MacCain-Feingold (MF) Bill is one example of federal regulation on interest groups. It bans “soft money” donations to political campaigns and requires for financial disclosure for political donations. This is one check on the ability of interest groups to “buy off” a candidate although the recent Supreme Court decision has reversed some of the provisions of “MF.”
2010 FRQ #2
The “merit system” was employed by federal government during the late 19th Century as a remedy to the “Spoils System.” The Spoils System was the exchange of government jobs for money by “party bosses.” One of the most famous icon of that era was Boss Tweed. (A) With the reforms of the Progressive Era now jobs were earned through merit such as through the passing of a Civil Service examination that was offered fairly and was designed to measure a prospective employee’s potential ability and competence as opposed to who they might be politically connected with.
(B)(1) While the federal bureaucracy has been criticized for its hierarchical structure and numbing rules and regulations, this organizational hierarchy does lead to a level of agency “expertise” and independence. Most career civil service employees are specialists at what they do and work independently within their sphere of duty. They rely on written regulations and laws that cannot be easily manipulated by uninformed “outsiders.”
(B)(2) As mentioned in the previous paragraph, agency personnel do develop a level of expertise associated with their work. The complexity of issues such as employment law or environmental regulation demands that agencies have the authority and the expertise to enforce the law. Congress oftentimes call upon agency personnel to testify on matters pertaining to the law. For example the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has its own cadre of attorneys who testify and convict violators of civil rights law as pertains to the workplace. Members of the environmental protection agency have their own law enforcement officers who can institute fines and litigation for violators of clean air standards, for example.
(C)(1) The main control that the Congress has over the bureaucracy is through the “power of the purse.” Each year federal agencies must go before Congress and have their funding reviewed. During this time agencies must justify the work they do and how efficient they are with the resources granted to them. The justification of an agencies’ existence in exchange for funding leads to a form of powerful oversight by Congress
(C)(2) The courts can get involved in influencing federal agencies through injunctions or writs of mandamus. If the courts sees that laws are not being enforced properly by the agencies tasked with carrying out the law, the court can reach in and stop or otherwise shut down an agencies operations citing legal arguments.
(C)(3) Interest groups can have a wide influence on federal agencies through their lobbying and other methods. “Iron Triangles” describe the relationship between Interest Group, federal agency and congressional entity. Oftentimes former experts having worked for a particular agency will become hired on as a lobbyist thus perpetuating the “revolving door” syndrome.
FRQ #3
(A) One interesting and specific trend noted in the figure is the spike in the percentage of southern state electoral votes for the Democratic presidential candidate (Jimmy Carter). This was a year of major political realignment for the country following the resignation of Richard Nixon and the short term and controversial presidential pardon by Gerald R. Ford.
(B) (1) Southerners tended to choose democratic congressional candidates at a higher frequency than democratic presidential candidates in part due to the fact that incumbency held many of these representatives in place much more effectively. There are a number of advantages related to incumbency to include franking privileges and a re-election rate that can be factored at about 70% nationally. Presidential candidates on the other hand, must appeal to the national as a whole and in a bipartisan manner. Southern Democratic presidential hopefuls had little chance attempting to appeal to narrow southern state interests that included segregation, states’ rights, and other matters of opinion not shared by the rest of the nation.
(B)(2) Gerrymandering is the drawing up of political districts for political benefit. Districts are measured through a population census held every ten years. When population increases, the number of representatives can be lost or gained depending upon the head count. Historically, many southern states excluded blacks from the census count. Many southern voting campaigns featured disanfranchizing tactics such as poll taxes and literacy tests for blacks. Only with the intervention of the US Supreme Court in ( ) which ruled gerrymandering based on race as illegal and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned such practices as poll taxes and literacy tests as illegal, did blacks begin to gain their voice and representation on the political field.
(C)(1) Catholic political support for both members of Congress and the president has changed over the past few decades. Generally, Catholics tend to be conservative on issues such as national defense, abortion, and capital punishment. However, like other voting blocs, Catholics have been known to swing their support between Republican and Democratic candidates depending upon prevailing public opinion and/or the overall state of the economy. Catholics have supported Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980 as well as Barack Obama in 2008.
(C)(2) Women have increasingly gone to the polls over the past few decades. In the wake of the 20th amendment granting woman the right to vote, woman have over time become more affiliated with the Democratic Party than in decades past. Each decade of America’s history has seen changes in the national mood between more conservative to more liberal inclinations. Women in the 1950’s like their male counterparts, where generally more conservative in part due to the mood of the country that was in the grip of the Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation. Women like the national as a whole voted more conservatively for the Republican Party in the early 1980’s. More recently, women have voted more consistently for the Democratic Party and showed up in great support for Barack Obama.
(C)(3) Southern states staged a major realignment politically beginning in the late 1960’s. Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” lured many traditional Southern “Dixiecrats” away from the Democratic Party who were disenchanted with the presidencies of both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson with their push towards Civil Rights. Social conservatism reached high points during both the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush. Groups such as the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family played major roles in wooing Southerners to vote conservative Republican.
FRQ #4
(A)(1) Federalism is the separation between national government and state government. In most cases federal law supersedes state law but there have been some exceptions. For example, in some states gay marriage has been sanctioned by local legislatures. In Massachusetts for example, a gay married couple has many rights including spousal support that are particular to the laws of that state. Regardless of how president Obama feels about gay marriage, he cannot impose his views to change the law that has been established in Massachusetts. Only the Congress through a Constitutional Amendment could possibly limit the Massachusetts law by passing and amendment defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman. The courts then might weigh in and strike down that law as unconstitutional in potential violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause against discrimination.
(A)(2) Checks and Balances as argued in the Federalist Papers is a characteristic of American democracy that controls one branch of government from overstepping its authority between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The national executive (presumably the President of the United States) is limited by Congress in one instance through his Supreme Court nominees. For example, the President is held to the “advice and consent” of the Congress who can reject the President’s choice for Supreme Court Justices through a vote. The Supreme Court or Judicial Branch can limit the President’s authority through the interpretation of the constitution and determine that the president has overstepped his authority. While the president enjoys broad authority during wartime, his powers are not unlimited. Recently the US Supreme Court ruled that prisoners at Guantanamo Bay had the right to counsel and could not be held indefinitely without charge. The Supreme Court overruled the Bush Administration’s desire to keep “enemy combatants” away from legal representation.
(B)(1) The Establishment Cause basically states that there is no official government religion in the United States and a “wall of separation” exists between church and state. In this, the government may not impose nor discriminate based upon religious belief. The Supreme Court over the years has ruled against such practices as school sponsored prayer during class time. It has also spelled out the need for accommodations for persons of differing faiths to practice their religion even during hours of employment as long as it did not burden the employer. The United States has a strong tradition related to the concept of separation between church and state.
(C)(2) The Guarantee to a Public Trial is part of our habeas corpus tradition. American citizens can expect that under the Bill of Rights individuals have the right to due process and a fair and impartial trial. The government from time to time has tried to limit these rights. Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War. That was determined to be a violation of constitutional rights. Additionally, as mentioned above, the previous administration using war time authority has attempted to deny due process. Jose Padilla, an American citizen was accused of attempting to plant a dirty bomb in Chicago several years ago. He was held as a terrorist until the US Supreme Court ordered him to stand trial. This is a strong example of the Judicial Branch overturning the Executive Branches’ decision.
(C)(1) The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was added to the Constitution immediately following the emancipation of slaves. It was created in order to provide the right of citizenship to newly freed African-Americans. The Fourteenth Amendment over time has been interpreted even more broadly and has been used repeatedly throughout our history to protect the rights of all American citizens. For example, in Gideon v. Wainwright, the State of Florida attempted to block a man’s right to counsel given that he could not afford to provide for his own defense. Through interpretation of the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Court compelled the state government to pay for and mount a line of defense for the indigent and otherwise incapable. This is a strong example of the national government imposing its will on the states.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Good Luck Tomorrow!
To all APGOPO testers tomorrow, I wish you an enthusiastic "good luck!" Do your best, that's all you can do. Don't give up if you hit an FRQ that seems unanswerable. Remember, you have a lot of time on the test and 50% correct answers on both the multiple choice and the FRQ (2 out of 4) questions will earn you a passing score. However, I don't recommend leaving any FRQ blank. If you come up short and don't know where to start, look through the multiple choice, there may be enough info in the multiple choice questions for you to steal and insert for a passing score!
USE THE OUTLINE FORM FOR ANSWERING THE FRQ'S. ADDRESS NUMBER FOR NUMBER, LETTER FOR LETTER.
DON'T FORGET TO BRING A PICTURE ID, A LEAST 4 NUMBER 2 PENCILS, TWO BLACK OR BLUE PENS FOR THE FRQ'S. BRING A WATCH. LEAVE YOUR CELL PHONE AT HOME!!!
ALSO, THERE WERE AT LEAST 7 STUDENTS WHO HAD NOT TURNED IN THEIR PARENTAL PERMISSION SLIPS TO THE OFFICE ON FRIDAY. BRING THOSE SIGNED PERMISSION SLIPS TO THE TEST. YOU WILL STILL GAIN ENTRANCE. DON'T FORGET THE PERMISSION SLIPS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, CALL ME AT: (831) 998-3900.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
USE THE OUTLINE FORM FOR ANSWERING THE FRQ'S. ADDRESS NUMBER FOR NUMBER, LETTER FOR LETTER.
DON'T FORGET TO BRING A PICTURE ID, A LEAST 4 NUMBER 2 PENCILS, TWO BLACK OR BLUE PENS FOR THE FRQ'S. BRING A WATCH. LEAVE YOUR CELL PHONE AT HOME!!!
ALSO, THERE WERE AT LEAST 7 STUDENTS WHO HAD NOT TURNED IN THEIR PARENTAL PERMISSION SLIPS TO THE OFFICE ON FRIDAY. BRING THOSE SIGNED PERMISSION SLIPS TO THE TEST. YOU WILL STILL GAIN ENTRANCE. DON'T FORGET THE PERMISSION SLIPS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, CALL ME AT: (831) 998-3900.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday Post
Class. Most of you came by and picked up the AP Exam for tonight's homework. It should be completed in time for tomorrow's class. We will quickly go over the answers in class. Additionally, we will cover the enclosed questions found in the blog for Units 2 and 3. Please remember to bring your notes. See you tomorrow!
Unit 3: Study Guide for Lecture Notes
1.Why did one Founding Father call factions “inevitable?”
2.When political parties can’t get things done what steps in to fill the vacuum?
3.What is an amicus curiae brief? Give an example of an interest group filing one on behalf of someone or something else?
4.What type of interest group lobbying is most effective?
5.List some primary functions of lobbyists. Why are they called the “third house” of Congress?
6.What are PACs? What do they do?
7.How many times more can a PAC contribute to a candidate than an individual? Are there any limits to the amount of money a PAC can contribute in one year?
8.What percentage of PAC money went to incumbents? To challengers?
9.Who gets more money from PACs, presidential candidates or congressional candidates and why?
10. One PAC group has given more money than any other since the 1970’s. Which group?
11.What does it mean to say that PACs have overrepresented the wealthy and underrepresented the poor?
12. What is the legal basis for PACs? In the First Amendment, PAC’s have the Right to _________________?
13.How has the nomination of the presidency changed over time? What came before primaries?
14.What is considered the “linking mechanism” between the people and their government?
15.Which Founding Father wrote that factions were harmful?
16.Who was part of FDR’s “grand coalition?”
17.What was Nixon’s “Southern Strategy?”
18.Define ‘divided government.’ What has been the pattern of the last few decades related to Republicans and Democrats?
19.The single-member, winner-take-all system is most closely associated with what type of political system?
20.Why did Ross Perot, a third party candidate in 1992, while winning a substantial amount of the popular vote, not receive one electoral vote?
21. Strong grass-roots organizations have contributed to the percentage of what kind of candidate?
22.What were two reforms of the Progressive Era related to elections?
23.Describe the “quota system” established by the Democratic Party with the aim of greater inclusion?
24.Besides the media, what are other important sources of “political socialization” for Americans?
25.Critics say that the media devotes the largest amount of presidential campaign coverage to what activities?
26.What is “horse race” coverage?
27.Why is the media referred to as a “gatekeeper?”
Unit 3: Study Guide for Lecture Notes
1.Why did one Founding Father call factions “inevitable?”
2.When political parties can’t get things done what steps in to fill the vacuum?
3.What is an amicus curiae brief? Give an example of an interest group filing one on behalf of someone or something else?
4.What type of interest group lobbying is most effective?
5.List some primary functions of lobbyists. Why are they called the “third house” of Congress?
6.What are PACs? What do they do?
7.How many times more can a PAC contribute to a candidate than an individual? Are there any limits to the amount of money a PAC can contribute in one year?
8.What percentage of PAC money went to incumbents? To challengers?
9.Who gets more money from PACs, presidential candidates or congressional candidates and why?
10. One PAC group has given more money than any other since the 1970’s. Which group?
11.What does it mean to say that PACs have overrepresented the wealthy and underrepresented the poor?
12. What is the legal basis for PACs? In the First Amendment, PAC’s have the Right to _________________?
13.How has the nomination of the presidency changed over time? What came before primaries?
14.What is considered the “linking mechanism” between the people and their government?
15.Which Founding Father wrote that factions were harmful?
16.Who was part of FDR’s “grand coalition?”
17.What was Nixon’s “Southern Strategy?”
18.Define ‘divided government.’ What has been the pattern of the last few decades related to Republicans and Democrats?
19.The single-member, winner-take-all system is most closely associated with what type of political system?
20.Why did Ross Perot, a third party candidate in 1992, while winning a substantial amount of the popular vote, not receive one electoral vote?
21. Strong grass-roots organizations have contributed to the percentage of what kind of candidate?
22.What were two reforms of the Progressive Era related to elections?
23.Describe the “quota system” established by the Democratic Party with the aim of greater inclusion?
24.Besides the media, what are other important sources of “political socialization” for Americans?
25.Critics say that the media devotes the largest amount of presidential campaign coverage to what activities?
26.What is “horse race” coverage?
27.Why is the media referred to as a “gatekeeper?”
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Unit Two Review
Class, below you have Unit 2 review of the lecture notes. The questions chosen specifically address the bolded sections of the lecture notes whose points most frequently came up on past tests.
For those students who want a head start, stop by my class tomorrow (schedule 2,4,6) and pick up the first practice test (60 questions) to be completed at home and quickly graded in class the next day. I will be giving you 4 tests (1 each night) leading up to the Exam on May 3rd.
Unit 2 Political Culture: Study Guide
1.Read out all 10 characteristics of American political culture (A-J).
2.Name the first two features related to equality.
3.What historical event especially brought out Americans distrust for government?
4.Why do you think “political tolerance” as a characteristic is more “abstract than concrete?” What is political tolerance?
5.Next page under “Liberalism,” Roman numeral number II, according to the viewpoint of classic 18th Century thinkers including our Founding Fathers, what is the role of government?
6.Name four characteristics of modern 20th Century liberalism (read out 1 to 4)
7.Who are the “neoliberals” and what are their beliefs?
8.Under “Conservatives” read numbers 6 & 7 out loud.
9.Next page, Roman numeral four, read aloud the definition of socialism. Why do you think Obama is being called a socialist?
10.Roman numeral five, what is libertarianism (Read letters A and B aloud)?
11. Next page. What are the 3 characteristics of “elites?”
12. What are three ways in which public opinion are measured?
13. Next page, what is the “horse race mentality?”
14. How did the Election of 2000 demonstrate problems related to exit polls?
15. How well aware are Americans with its political process?
16. What is “political socialization?”
17. What is the strongest agent of political socialization?
18. How are schools agents of political socialization?
19.How is religion an agent of political socialization?
20. Evangelicals traditionally support the ___________party?
21. Why have Catholics supported both Republicans and Democrats?
22. Jews typically vote for the _______ party?
23. Which group is the strongest supporter of the Democratic party?
24. Persons with higher incomes support which party? With lower incomes?
25. What was significant about 1992 and the “Year of the Woman” in terms of Congressional representation?
26. What are some “conflicting elements” related to one’s political socialization?
27. Next page, read aloud the seven historical qualifications of suffrage (letters A to G)
28. How was the income qualification turned back-which amendment and what was banned?
29. How was the literacy qualification turned back?
30. Read aloud how the US voter turnout compares with foreign nations (Letters B and C)
31. Read aloud the six “institutional barriers” related to low US voter turnout.
32.Which “types” of elections have the highest voter turnout in the US?
33. What age group of Americans have the lowest turnout?
34. What was the 26th Amendment? Did it help increase voter turnout?
35. Next page, read aloud the four political reasons Americans don’t tend to vote.
36. Read aloud the five characteristics of those US citizens most likely to vote.
37. Next page, read through the five predictors of voting
38. Among the five, what is the greatest predictor of voting?
39. Read the six (A through F) other forms of political participation.
40. Next page. What is the “Solid South?”
41. What are “realigning” elections? What are some years of these and what events influenced them?
42. What is the strongest predictor of voting behavior?
43. Who are the “Independents?” How strong are they in politics?
44. Congressional Elections (two pages ahead). What are “closed elections”
45. Reelection consideration. What is the greatest factor to influence the outcome of congressional elections?
46. What is the re-election average of incumbents for HOR, for the Senate?
47. Read aloud 8 advantages of incumbents (A-H)
48. Skip notes a couple of pages to “Path to the Presidency.” What has been the trend of presidential primaries over the past 30 years?
49. What is “balancing the ticket?”
50. What are the characteristics of voters who are likely to participate in presidential primaries?
51. What are the characteristics of those who participate in caucuses and conventions?
52. Next page on The Electoral College: What is a “winner take all system?”
53.Where do presidential candidates tend to concentrate their campaigns?
54. How many electoral votes are needed in order for a candidate to win the presidential election?
55. What might influence a presidential candidate to win the election by plurality rather than majority?
56. During a presidential election, how are small states overrepresented?
57. How does a “winner take all system” discourage the chances of third party candidates?
POLITICAL BELIEFS/POLITICAL BEHAVIORS
1. Attentive public: those who follow politics and public affairs carefully.
2. Australian ballot: secret ballot printed at the expense of the state.
3. Balancing the ticket: occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket.
4. Blanket primary: election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and that allows voters to choose candidates from all the parties.
5. Caucus: local party meeting
6. Closed primary: party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents. Voters may not cross party lines.
7. Coattail effect: the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party.
8. Demographics: characteristics of populations (e.g., race, sex, income).
9. Direct election: election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College.
10. Direct primary: election in which the people choose candidates for office.
11. Fixed terms: terms of office that have a definite length of time (e.g., two years for a member of the House).
12. Front loading: scheduling presidential primary elections early (e.g., February or March) in an election year.
13. Gender gap: difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates.
14. General election: election in which the officeholders are chosen. Contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen.
15. Hard money: campaign contributions donated directly to candidates.
16. Ideology: set of beliefs about political values and the role of government.
17. Incumbent: an officeholder who is seeking reelection.
18. Independent: one is not registered with a political party.
Independent leaners - tend to vote for candidates of one particular party.
Pure independents - have no consistent pattern of party voting.
19. Issue advocacy ads: ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate.
20. Open primary: election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and in which voters may choose candidates from anyone party.
21. Party identification: a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party.
22. Party platform: a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention. Each position is called a plank.
23. Political culture: the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government.
24. Plurality: more votes than anyone else, but less than half (e.g., Clinton won a plurality - 43% - of popular votes in 1992, but not a majority). Plurality elections (such as those for Congress) are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority.
25. Political efficacy: capacity to understand and influence political events
26. Political socialization: process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs.
27. Realigning (“critical”) election: an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment (e.g.: 1932).
28. Safe seat: an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party.
29. Single member district system: system in which the people elect one representative per district. With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties.
30. Soft money: campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties.
31. Solid South: historically, the South voted solidly Democratic. However, the South is now strongly Republican: Bush carried every Southern state in 2000.
32. Split ticket voting: casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties (e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate).
33. Straight ticket voting: casting votes only for candidates of one's party.
34. Suffrage: the right to vote.
35. Superdelegate: a delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue. of holding an office.
36. Super Tuesday: a Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held.
37. Swing state: a state that does not consistently vote either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections.
For those students who want a head start, stop by my class tomorrow (schedule 2,4,6) and pick up the first practice test (60 questions) to be completed at home and quickly graded in class the next day. I will be giving you 4 tests (1 each night) leading up to the Exam on May 3rd.
Unit 2 Political Culture: Study Guide
1.Read out all 10 characteristics of American political culture (A-J).
2.Name the first two features related to equality.
3.What historical event especially brought out Americans distrust for government?
4.Why do you think “political tolerance” as a characteristic is more “abstract than concrete?” What is political tolerance?
5.Next page under “Liberalism,” Roman numeral number II, according to the viewpoint of classic 18th Century thinkers including our Founding Fathers, what is the role of government?
6.Name four characteristics of modern 20th Century liberalism (read out 1 to 4)
7.Who are the “neoliberals” and what are their beliefs?
8.Under “Conservatives” read numbers 6 & 7 out loud.
9.Next page, Roman numeral four, read aloud the definition of socialism. Why do you think Obama is being called a socialist?
10.Roman numeral five, what is libertarianism (Read letters A and B aloud)?
11. Next page. What are the 3 characteristics of “elites?”
12. What are three ways in which public opinion are measured?
13. Next page, what is the “horse race mentality?”
14. How did the Election of 2000 demonstrate problems related to exit polls?
15. How well aware are Americans with its political process?
16. What is “political socialization?”
17. What is the strongest agent of political socialization?
18. How are schools agents of political socialization?
19.How is religion an agent of political socialization?
20. Evangelicals traditionally support the ___________party?
21. Why have Catholics supported both Republicans and Democrats?
22. Jews typically vote for the _______ party?
23. Which group is the strongest supporter of the Democratic party?
24. Persons with higher incomes support which party? With lower incomes?
25. What was significant about 1992 and the “Year of the Woman” in terms of Congressional representation?
26. What are some “conflicting elements” related to one’s political socialization?
27. Next page, read aloud the seven historical qualifications of suffrage (letters A to G)
28. How was the income qualification turned back-which amendment and what was banned?
29. How was the literacy qualification turned back?
30. Read aloud how the US voter turnout compares with foreign nations (Letters B and C)
31. Read aloud the six “institutional barriers” related to low US voter turnout.
32.Which “types” of elections have the highest voter turnout in the US?
33. What age group of Americans have the lowest turnout?
34. What was the 26th Amendment? Did it help increase voter turnout?
35. Next page, read aloud the four political reasons Americans don’t tend to vote.
36. Read aloud the five characteristics of those US citizens most likely to vote.
37. Next page, read through the five predictors of voting
38. Among the five, what is the greatest predictor of voting?
39. Read the six (A through F) other forms of political participation.
40. Next page. What is the “Solid South?”
41. What are “realigning” elections? What are some years of these and what events influenced them?
42. What is the strongest predictor of voting behavior?
43. Who are the “Independents?” How strong are they in politics?
44. Congressional Elections (two pages ahead). What are “closed elections”
45. Reelection consideration. What is the greatest factor to influence the outcome of congressional elections?
46. What is the re-election average of incumbents for HOR, for the Senate?
47. Read aloud 8 advantages of incumbents (A-H)
48. Skip notes a couple of pages to “Path to the Presidency.” What has been the trend of presidential primaries over the past 30 years?
49. What is “balancing the ticket?”
50. What are the characteristics of voters who are likely to participate in presidential primaries?
51. What are the characteristics of those who participate in caucuses and conventions?
52. Next page on The Electoral College: What is a “winner take all system?”
53.Where do presidential candidates tend to concentrate their campaigns?
54. How many electoral votes are needed in order for a candidate to win the presidential election?
55. What might influence a presidential candidate to win the election by plurality rather than majority?
56. During a presidential election, how are small states overrepresented?
57. How does a “winner take all system” discourage the chances of third party candidates?
POLITICAL BELIEFS/POLITICAL BEHAVIORS
1. Attentive public: those who follow politics and public affairs carefully.
2. Australian ballot: secret ballot printed at the expense of the state.
3. Balancing the ticket: occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket.
4. Blanket primary: election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and that allows voters to choose candidates from all the parties.
5. Caucus: local party meeting
6. Closed primary: party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents. Voters may not cross party lines.
7. Coattail effect: the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party.
8. Demographics: characteristics of populations (e.g., race, sex, income).
9. Direct election: election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College.
10. Direct primary: election in which the people choose candidates for office.
11. Fixed terms: terms of office that have a definite length of time (e.g., two years for a member of the House).
12. Front loading: scheduling presidential primary elections early (e.g., February or March) in an election year.
13. Gender gap: difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates.
14. General election: election in which the officeholders are chosen. Contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen.
15. Hard money: campaign contributions donated directly to candidates.
16. Ideology: set of beliefs about political values and the role of government.
17. Incumbent: an officeholder who is seeking reelection.
18. Independent: one is not registered with a political party.
Independent leaners - tend to vote for candidates of one particular party.
Pure independents - have no consistent pattern of party voting.
19. Issue advocacy ads: ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate.
20. Open primary: election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and in which voters may choose candidates from anyone party.
21. Party identification: a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party.
22. Party platform: a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention. Each position is called a plank.
23. Political culture: the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government.
24. Plurality: more votes than anyone else, but less than half (e.g., Clinton won a plurality - 43% - of popular votes in 1992, but not a majority). Plurality elections (such as those for Congress) are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority.
25. Political efficacy: capacity to understand and influence political events
26. Political socialization: process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs.
27. Realigning (“critical”) election: an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment (e.g.: 1932).
28. Safe seat: an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party.
29. Single member district system: system in which the people elect one representative per district. With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties.
30. Soft money: campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties.
31. Solid South: historically, the South voted solidly Democratic. However, the South is now strongly Republican: Bush carried every Southern state in 2000.
32. Split ticket voting: casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties (e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate).
33. Straight ticket voting: casting votes only for candidates of one's party.
34. Suffrage: the right to vote.
35. Superdelegate: a delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue. of holding an office.
36. Super Tuesday: a Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held.
37. Swing state: a state that does not consistently vote either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections.
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