lesson 4: the political process

1. are you at least 18 years old? 2. are you a citizen of the united states? 3. are you registered to vote? 4. did you vote in the last election?

1. no 2. yes 3. no 4. no

1. summarize the three main effects of third parties on american politics. 2. how is a special issue interest group like the AARP different from an organized labor interest group? 3. summarize three main things interest groups do to get laws passed in their favor. 4. members of congress get benefits from lobbyists. what are they?

1. people who didn't like either party still had a say with these parties. they've helped political leaders understand voters concerns. and altered the outcomes of elections 2. because they talk about public concerns like the american association of retired persons which helps older people's concerns 3. they get laws passed in their favor by publishing magazines or newsletters, interest group ads, and by hiring lobbyists to help them in their causes 4. lobbyists tell them what voters are interested in they count on them to explain the bills they have to read

1. what are excise taxes? 2. what are the two main sources of income for the federal government? 3. how does the government spend the nondefense discretionary part of the federal budget? 4. what are 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴?

1. taxes imposed on manufacture sales, or consumption of a commodity or service 2. personal income taxes, and payroll taxes 3. it spends its money on many types of programs and services 4. a federal benefits program for people who meet certain requirements such as age, or disability

1. what are motor-voter laws? 2. what is the purpose of voter registration?

1. these laws allow people to register to vote when they get their driver's license or have it renewed 2. to make sure people only vote once

imperialism

a foreign policy aimed at controlling foreign trade by holding colonies and defending them against other foreign powers

political party

a group of people who have the same political views and agendas

naturalization

a legal process by which a person becomes a citizen of the united states

duty

a moral or legal obligation

c-span

a nationwide television network that broadcasts things like the senate and house sessions

candidate

a person who is seeking nomination to an office

excise tax

a tax imposed on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of a commodity or service

propaganda

a term often used in reference to the spreading of information by politicians

interest group

a voluntary association that seeks to publicly promote and create advantages for its cause

open primary

election in which voters can vote for any candidate

due process

fair treatment by both the courts and the police

motor-voter laws

laws that allow people to register to vote when they get their driver's licenses or have them renewed

national labor relations board

oversees labor-management disputes

lobbyists

professionals hired by interest groups to help them in their causes

covert

secret, hidden, or not openly shown

constituent

someone who authorizes another to act as agent

conscientious objector

someone who refuses to fight in the military based on religious or moral principles

party platform

the goals and plans of a political party

revenue

the income a government receives (such as from taxes) for public use

jury duty

the legal obligation to serve on a jury when called to do so

monopoly

when one company controls the entire market for a particular good or service

key points

• a natural-born citizen is someone who becomes a citizen at birth. a naturalized citizen is someone who is not a natural-born citizen, but becomes a citizen through the process of naturalization. • the equal protection clause gives citizens the right to equal protection under the law. anyone charged with an offense should be treated the same way rich or poor, black or white, male or female. • the united states is a representative democracy people participate in the decision making through elected representatives. • as a citizen, you can make your voice heard by first becoming informed, then choosing a strategy, and finally contacting your representative and senators. • there are three ways citizens can contact their representatives to make their voices heard letters, phone calls, and emails. • an interest group is a voluntary association that seeks to publicly promote and create advantages for its cause. • to vote in the united states, a person must meet certain criteria.

key points

• a political party is a group of people who have the same political views and agendas. • the united states has two major parties: republicans and democrats. • each party holds a national convention at which it selects its candidate for president of the united states. each convention can choose only one candidate. • election day is the first tuesday after the first monday in november. • to be elected president of the united states, a candidate must receive at least one-half of the electoral votes, plus one. since there are 538 electors, a candidate must receive 270 votes to win. • special interest groups are organizations that form to influence legislation that will benefit the people that they represent. these groups use member education, media, and lobbyists to get laws passed in their favor. • lobbyists are professionals who are hired by interest groups to help them in their causes.

key points

• most of the money that goes to the federal government comes from personal income taxes and payroll taxes. • an excise tax is a tax imposed on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of a commodity or service. the government uses excise taxes to support highways, airports, and airways. • money received by the federal government goes to entitlement programs, defense, welfare, and interest on the federal debt. • the US government protects and defends its citizens through the police, the armed forces, and other government police and intelligence agencies. • the department of defense is housed in the pentagon in washington, DC. • an important policing agency of the federal government is the federal bureau of investigation (FBI). • the central intelligence agency (CIA) is a federal agency responsible for gathering intelligence and carrying out covert special operations. • media reporting may reflect opinions through the use of spin, faulty rhetoric, and misinformation. • propaganda is information (false or true) that's published in some way for the purpose of controlling or changing the attitudes or opinions of others. • the main person to craft american foreign policy has historically been the president and occasionally a strong secretary of state. • george washington and other early leaders wanted the united states to avoid becoming entangled with foreign alliances, a policy known as isolationism. • imperialism is a foreign policy aimed at controlling foreign trade by holding colonies and defending them against other foreign powers. • since the september 11, 2001 attacks, american foreign policy has focused on a war against international terrorism.