AP Gov Exam Study Guide

Jim Crow Laws

Laws designed to enforce segregation of blacks from whites

cabinet department

One of the fifteen major departments of the executive branch, all headed by a Secretary

Engel v Vitale, 1962

Prohibited state-sponsored recitation of prayer in public schools by virtue of 1st Amendment's establishment clause and the 14th Amendment's due process clause; Warren Court's judicial activism.

ranked choice voting

Proposed reform to try and increase opportunities for third parties -We consider it the Australian ballot -the voter ranks their top 3 choices and based on that if a candidate receives a majority the candidate win -if there is no majority take the top 2 and vote again (Form of run-off voting) -Ex: Maine and San Francisco use ranked choice voting for local elections -Ranked choice voting leads to a more civilized campaign (more grassroots voter mobilization and less attack ads)

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

early voting*

The option in some states to cast a vote at a polling place or by mail before the election -old people like this

Executive Privilege

The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security, Nixon tried to keep Pentagon Papers secret using this

front loaded

The situation created when multiple states all place their presidential primaries or caucuses as early as possible in the nominating process

rise in independent voters

Western phenomenon -part of dealignment

preferred position

a doctrine that states the freedom of press, speech, and religion are in a ______ and indicates that certain fundamental rights have prerogative or truth; interpretation of the First Amendment that holds that freedom of expression is so essential to democracy that governments should not punish persons for what they say, only for what they do -Murdock v. PA established this

public opinion polls

a scientific instrument for measuring public opinion, public officials use these extensively -if conducting a poll you take a sample of pop. and use it to make an inference about public opinion -random sampling -sampling size -sampling error -random digit dialing -survey design and question wording shape respondents answers (wording, order of ?'s) -internet surveys are most efficient today, not as likely to reflect opinion of old, poor (has limits) -face-to-face surveys are less efficient, losing their value

line-item veto

a special form of veto that authorizes a chief executive (pres) to reject particular provisions of a bill enacted by a legislature without vetoing the entire bill

partisan

a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person, devoted, bias

impoundment

a traditional budgeting procedure by which the President of the United States once could prevent any agency of the Executive Branch from spending part or all of the money previously appropriated by Congress for their use; refusal of the prez to spend money appropriated by congress

staff organization

a type of membership group in which a professional staff conducts most of the group's activities

regulatory review

a way to control the bureacracy by controlling the rule-making process for agencies, presidents will review/evaluate rules created by agencies, expands presidential power, able to do this cuz congressional laws they are reviewing are mostly vague ex: Clinton and Bush used

Amendment 13

abolished slavery

Roe v. Wade 1973 (required)

abortion is legal, states hold power to regulate/shape it but can't make it illegal

Office of Personal Management (OPM)

agency that monitors the Civil Service -laws, rules, regulations -where you would go if you had a human resources concern as a Civil Service employee

Connecticut Compromise/Great Compromise

agreement in 1787 btw small and large states (VA, NJ) during constitutional convention that in part defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have in the gov 1) source of national power: federal system 2) structure of legislative branch: bicameral 3) reps in congress: House - proportional to pop. senate - 2 4)how congress passes laws: simply majority in House and Senate 5) powers of congress: congress has to have power to tax and regulate trade 6) executive element: 1 executive elected by people and removable by congress through impeachment 7) judiciary: dual court system - federal and st courts 8) who will approve new gov/constitution: state ratifying conventions

National Popular Vote Plan

all electoral votes go to winner of popular vote -proposal reform for electoral college -165 electoral votes are sworn into this plan

unit rule

an abandoned rule of the Democratic Party national convention in which the candidate with the most delegates from a state won all of that state's convention votes.

priorities USA

an independent expenditure PAC that supports the election of Democratic candidates.

town hall meeting

an informal public meeting in which candidates meet with ordinary citizens. Allows candidates to deliver messages without the presence of journalists or commentators

membership organization

an interest group that usually consists of dues-paying members who organize around a particular cause or issue

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)

an organization founded in 1895 by manufacturers to combat the growth of organized labor

White House Staff

analysts and advisors to pres ("special assistant") -help manage operation of executive branch -size expands and shrinks based on pres's need

reserved powers

any power not specifically granted to the national gov is reserved for the sts, maintained thru coercion, Amendment 10: emerged during Civil War, Doctrine of Nullification, starts in era of Dual Federalism -1950's Civil Rights Movement (most critical) cuz sts rights tied to racism, issues w/ sts rights complicates Civil Rights Movment -> mandated segregated schools -1990's devolution, inc efforts to return power to sts, conservative movement, strong fed gov jeopardizes freedom/individuality, ex: US v. Lopez ex: power to regulate edu, grant licenses, provide police/fire protection, revolves around domestic issues: protect health and safety of residents, regulating family and divorce (sts define marriage), regulation of livelihood (occupation/license to practice something), define private property, administer elections

digital citizenship

anyone can get info online and participate in society online

Communications Decency Act

attempt to ban porn on the internet for people under 18 but it was ruled unconstitutational in Reno v. ACLU

benign gerrymandering

attempts to draw district boundaries so as to create districts made up primarily of disadvantaged or underrepresented minorities

administrative discretion

authority given by congress to the bureaucracy to use best judgement in implementing laws, language of laws are vauge so bureaucrats must translate law and decide how the agency will enforce a law ex: taking a vague law about air quality and deciding the specifics about how to carry it out; 2010 National Highway Traffic Safety Commission - creates laws for highway traffic safety; gets to investigate whether corps follow those laws - Toyota car recall

popular sovereignty

authority of a st and gov is created and sustained by the consent of the people

Amendment 8

avoid cruel and unusual punishment

rational ignorance

b/c politics is timely we choose to remain ignorant, it takes too much time and effort to be knowledgeable, combating this is a problem, especially when Americans look to opinion leaders (ex: parents, youtubers, etc.) on problems -2 step flow of info -online process -political efficacy

supply-side economics

believe that lower taxes and less gov involvement in free market creates greater incentive for people to invest $ in economy resulting in greater economic productivity -reducing role of gov in economy will promote investment and economic growth -reducing tax rates is centerpiece of this strategy -lower taxes create incentives for more productive and efficient use of resources -emerged in 70s when keynesians solns had little impact on high inflation ratses

monetarism

believe that the best way to control economy in terms of gov responsibility is to manage money supply and interest rates (federal reserve system/the FED) -created by Milton Friedman -inflation occurs when there is too much $ in economy -big supporters of free market system (capitalists) -soln in recessions should be to lower interest rates so people can borrow more $ to help stimulate economy -monetary -emphasizes need to control inflation and devotes little attention to unemployment -dominant theory until late 70s but impractical today, instead policy makers manipulate interest rates to ensure a healthy, stable economy

keynesianism

believe the gov's role is to create the right amount/level of demand (influencing/increasing demand thru gov spending) -health of economy depends on how much people can save in regards to income and how much they can spend -when demand is low gov has to pump more $ into economy to stimulate it -if demand is too high, gov should inc taxes or cut funding (take $ out of economy) -managing budget to control economy growth/stability -more willing to tolerate inflation than monetarists for the sake of stimulating economy -fiscal -John Maynard Keynes created it -gov can stimulate economy to pull out of recession by inc public spending, creating jobs, or cutting taxes -link well-being of workers to health of economy -popular in 1960s when new economic conditions arose, increased international trade rendered keynesian remedies less useful cuz consumer spending power could leak out of national economy as consumers bought goods abroad

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

biggest opposer of NRA

money

biggest predictor of person being elected, need a ton for campaigning -growing public trend is to not accept public money (restrictions in place)

closed rule

bill cannot be changed only debated

cracking

breaking up a minority group

equal-time rule

broadcast co's must provide equal opportunity for candidates running for same political office to communicate their message to public

bureaucratic discretion

bureaucrats' use of their own judgement in interpreting and carrying out the laws of Congress, power has expanded (more power delegated to executive)

lobbying congress

by petitioning

individual donors

can donoate to PACs, directly to candidates, and party committees thru mail, internet, face-to-face, etc. -restrictions on all

sampling error

can occur when sample sizes are too small

independent 527 committees and 501 c(4)s

can raise and spend unlimited amounts of $ on political advocacy not directly aligned w/ a candidates campaign

candidates using $

candidates can spend their own money to campaign for office, thus benefiting the wealthy candidate

appellate jurisdiction

cases a court will hear on appeal; if 1 of the parties believe that some procedure was not applied during legal process (due process not done properly) then they appeal, most cases that hit supreme court are appellate, 90% of losers will accept decision -can only look to see if lower court made a mistake interpreting law, not the facts of the case -US Court of Appeals = Circuit Court -have jurisdiction over both state and federal level decisions

Economic Development Agencies (probs not on test)

charged w/ conducting federal programs designed to strengthen particular economic segments ex: Department of Agriculture helps advance American economy thru agricultural sector and thru partnership w/ Small Business Administration

revenue agencies

charged w/ specific task of tax collections ex; IRS, US Customs, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms

presidential diplomatic powers

chief rep when dealing w/ other countries - Head of State -creates treaties -receive ambassadors -appoint ambassadors -diplomatic recognition ex: Eisenhower w/ Israel in 1948 -executive agreements (have force of treaty but don't sign senate approval) ex: NAFTA (North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement) as of 1972 all agreements must be documented

referendum

citizens vote directly on laws that have been put on the ballot -used by all 50 sts -have to follow this process if we want to change state constitutions -increases voter turnout -example of direct democracy

American political community

citizens who are eligible to vote and who participate in American political life

bully pulprit

coined by Roosevelt, a public office or position of authority that provides its occupant w/ an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue ex: State of the Union Address -can guide american public by promoting own agenda

pluralism

competition amongst groups is healthy for democracy, the more groups that compete for power the more demand is placed on compromise

legislative branch power over social policy

congress - makes laws, policies regarding spending, creates agencies to address problems, oversight power to ensure laws are being enforce properly

override

congress can override a president's vote w/ 2/3rds vote in House and Senate

indexing

congress must ensure that social security payments keep up w/ needs of time -cost of living adjustments -inflation -(you don't get back what you put in)

midterm

congressional elections that don't coincide w/ presidential election

categorical grants

congressional grants given to the states and localities on the condition that expenditures are limited to a problem area specified by the law

house and senate powers

congressional oversight: must make sure the laws they pass are carried out correctly (ensures bureaucratic accountability)

Amendment 27

congressional salaries, can't get a raise until term is finished

Quasi-Suspect Classifications

considered less dangerous...second tier -intermediate scrutiny test - revolves around discrimination against women (gov must have valid reason for treating women differently) -US v. VA 1996

presidential delegated powers

constitutional powers assigned to 1 gov agency but exercised by another ex: powers given to pres by congress, Clean Air Act - congress created law, delegates enforcement of law to EPA, 1970 congress creates OSHA Act (standards for work safety) but only states purpose, 1972 Consumer Product Safety Act -executives carries it out and agencies create thousands of rules and regulations thru bureaucratic discretion

Who attempts to shape economic policy?

consumer groups, environmentalists, businesses, labor, interest groups, and individuals

restrictive covenants

contracts btw buyers and sellers of homes to prevent selling to African Americans

national convention

convention where political parties choose their candidates nomination for president and defining their platform

inner cabinet

councils or committees that can be comprised of heads of agencies or cabinet departments ex: NSA - pres's foreign advisory council, Secretary of St, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Treasury

free media

coverage of a candidate's campaign by the news media

Civil Rights Act 1964

covers voting, employment public accommodations, education - 1 cannot be discriminated against based on sex, race, religion, during Pres Johnson

racial gerrymandering

cracking and packing

Laissez-faire

created Adam Smith believed that most governmental interference depressed economic growth, gov should leave economy alone, free enterprises will foster growth and innovation -means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit w/ minimal or no governmental interference -influencial in 1930s when Great Depression proved gov role inefficient in times of need

Judiciary Act of 1789

created dual court system; created inferior courts to Supreme Court cuz constitution already set up SCOTUS but allowed congress to create inferior courts, let states create own courts

Amendment 12

created electoral college

executive office of the president (EOP)

created in 1939, describes set of permanent agencies that preform specific management tasks for pres -Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - prepare pres's budget and help design programs -Council of Economic Advisors - analyzes economic trends - predict and prevent economic downturns

Montesquieu

created the 3 branches of gov and checks and balances

Amendment 23

creates DC and gives them 3 electoral votes

direct popular election for pres

creates more independent and powerful presidency accountable to people rather than branch

random sampling (probability sampling)

critical for accurate polling

pork barrel

direct appropriation of money for specific project, impression that money is being "wasted" -reps attaches "earmark" to bill (typically highway bills), when bill is passed, all earmarks passed at same time ex: "The Bridge to Nowhere" (2005) - $2 M highway bill passed in Alaska to find a bridge connecting a barely inhabited part of Alaska to another, when another transportation system was already in place that only took a 5 min ferry ride (6,000 earmarks attached to one bill) ex: 2007 Ethics Committee Rule - requires that the writer of earmark must guarantee no personals take in project (don't benefit financially from earmark)

facilitation vs regulation

discernment btw fed and st, important in 1930's -facilitation of interstate trade can't be hindered by st laws, ultimately the national gov is responsible in ensuring that commerce is fairly distributed -regulation of trade still on st level ex: minimum wage, child labor/working conditions -dual federalism shows distinction btw sts and fed gov

magistrate judges

do a lot of real work for district court judges (429+ within federal district court system)

revenue sharing

doesn't exist, giant chunks of $ given to sts, sts have ultimate flexibility, failed experiment in 1970's

plurality system

don't need majority, just need most votes -used in almost all US elections -maintain power of 2 major parties

West VA Board of Education v. Barnette 1943 (hw and in notes)

education (Establishment Clause) Board of Edu in WV required public schools to include salutes to the flag by teachers and students, Jehovah witnesses refused and were sent home for non-compliance, they were threatened w/ reform schools used for criminally active children and parents faced prosecution for causing juvenile delinquents Court overruled decision in Minersville School District v. Gobitis and said forcing to salute was unconstitutional, 1st A can't enforce unanimity of opinion on any topic 6:3 Barnette wins, can't require schools to say the pledge, violates free exercise clause (Free Exercise Clause case)

Engel v. Vitale 1962 (required)

education (Establishment Clause) said that it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose a school prayer (no prayer in public schools), banned prayer in public schools -said the Establishment Clause was violated

campaign

efforts made by political candidates and their staff to win the support of donors, party activists try to further mobilize the public and win their support Steps: 1) create an exploratory committee 2) candidate must work closely w/ advisors 3) conducting and using polling data to get feel for what voters want 4) fundraising 5) campaign strategy 6) broadcast media 7) presidential debates 8) microtargeting 9) primary

direct election

elect people directly to gov, mostly on st level, happens through referendums and initiative referendums - people petition gov for a policy to be brought to a vote ex: voting on marijuana in sts initiative - policy brought by people to a vote in st gov

primary

elections used to select a party's candidate for general election (actual ballot) -presidential primaries have indirect element where we send delegates to go to national conventions -congressional primaries we go and vote for congressperon 2 types: 1) closed primary 2) open primary

types of ballots

electronic ballot, paper ballot, punch ballot

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 2002

eliminated soft $, ensures that you can only spend $2,000 per election cycle, $ amount must be disclosed

Amendment 24

eliminates poll tax

purposive benefits

emphasis on pursuit and accomplishment of important group goals, many being ideological -gov/election reform, civil rights, economic equality, family values

Blue laws: McGowan v. Maryland (hw)

employer of a discount department sold items like floor wave and notebooks on a Sunday which violated MD's blue laws which only allowed drugs, tobacco, etc. to be sold on Sundays Court found that MD blue laws didn't violate the Free Exercise Clause cuz the employees allege only economic injury and not infringement o their own religious practices, blue laws didn't violate division btw church and state 8:1 MD wins (Free Exercise Clause case)

Necessary and Proper Clause/Elastic Clause

enables gov to make laws necessary and proper according to the Constitution to execute laws even if they aren't stated in the Constitution ex: National Bank, rules constitutional in McCulloch v. Maryland; draft for war

Miller v. Johnson (1995)

ended benign gerrymandering (aka minority-majority districts)

National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & McLaughlin Steel Corp (1937)

ends era of dual federalism, Supreme Court upholds congressional legislation for workers rights (no longer st choice), national gov does have power to regulate commerce, national level can facilitate and regulate now not just facilitate, cooperative federalism (marble cake federalism) begins ex: go on strike, organize

Americans w/ Disabilities Act 1990

ensures that people with disabilities would not be discriminated against when it comes to jobs -gov buildings must be handicap accessible

Shaw v. Reno 1993

equal protection in the 14th A ex: NC packed 2 black majority districts that limited them, gives blacks a voice in district but dilutes them elsewhere, 14th A protection clause can be used to combat (racial) gerrymandering

US v. Windsor (2013)

equal treatment for same sex married couples regarding taxes and other federal laws

spoils system

established when Andrew Jackson was pres, when you give jobs to friends, brought a lot of turnover in the bureaucracy (reshaping bureaucracy) -> led to gov corruption and assassination of Pres Garfield

solicitor general

evaluate the writs w/ law clerks, US Attorney who works for the Department of Justice, can write/file certioraris for gov (granted), agenices

law clerks

evaluate the writs, summarize them into 3-5 pages, make recommendations

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

evaluates Pres's budget proposal (analyzing proposal) and then is passed to House and Senate committees for their evaluations to be evaluated -informs Congress of cost of policies and their potential impact -helps to establish national spending priorities -non-partisan group of economic experts that reviews/advises Congress in terms of pres's proposal, changes to budget can be suggested

direct democracy

every person in society participates, whole populous is gov, only possible in small environment ex: Ancient Greece

Exclusionary Rule

evidence can not be used in a criminal trial if that evidence was illegally obtained by law enforcement

regulated federalism/standards

ex: No Child Left Behind Act (trying to create national standards), part of cooperative federalism

When is different treatment ok?

ex: Reasonable Distinction at State Park - gov can charge visitors a small fee to enter -visitors vs. members/non-members SCOTUS determines what is reasonable 1)Suspect Classifications 2)Quasi-Suspect Classifications 3) Non-Suspect Classifications

Plain View Evidence

ex: warrant out for underage drinking and your sorority bought a keg, they search your sorority house but we are all drunk and left cocaine on the table, it's in plain view so you can get in trouble for that even if it doesn't involve the warrant

8th Amendment

excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted

vice-presidency

exists for 2 reasons 1) succeeds pres if he dies, resigns, or is deemed incapacitated -presiding over senate - cast tie-breaking vote if necessary ticket-balancing - pres chooses VP's that appeals to those who may not support pres himself

majority opinion of the court

explanation of why SCOTUS decided how they did, senior justice of the majority will do the actual writing of this

Privileges & Immunities Clause

extradition and you can't discriminate against a non-state US resident (from a dif state), part of og constitution, reflect civil liberties or rights, protections for us or restrictions on gov

Shays Rebellion

farmers rebellion, shows that articles couldn't assist debtors or physically intervene, reveals weaknesses of national level, made it clear that a stronger national gov is necessary

inherent powers

fed gov powers that congress and the president need in order to get the job done right, not specified in the constitution, but reasonable and logical, it just seems like something the nat. gov should take care of Ex: immigration, acquiring territory, undocumented aliens, protecting the country

civil service

federal employees that work for the gov -hired thru competitive process (merit system) ex: Inspector for the Department of Agriculture

Title VI

federal funds can be withheld from any school system practicing racial segregation, gives Attorney General power to initiate lawsuits rather than wait for the complaint

privatization

federal gov hiring a private contractor to fulfill responsibility/certain jobs

Equal Pay Act 1963

federal law requires employers to pay all employees equally for their work (equal pay for equal work)

presidential election campaign fund

funding from tax returns which benefits the 2 big parties

super pacs

fundraising arm of an interest group, so huge fundraisers, tend to air negative commercials about opposing candidates

digital divide

gap who has access to internet

Baker v. Carr (1962)

gave court power to assess constitutionality of gerrymandering -14th Amendment is critical, court should be about to decide under Equal Protection Clause

Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission 2012 (hw and in notes)

gay couple was refused service at a wedding cake shop, couple filed charges of discrimination w/ CO Civil Rights Division under Co Anti-Discrimination Act, then filed formal complaint w office of Admin Court Court reversed decision of CO Civil Rights Commission that favored Craig and Mullins and evaluated that the Free Exercise Clause was being violated for the cake shop owner, gay persons are afforded same civil rights protections but it would'e violated his freedom of religion 7:2 Cakeshop wins, cake shop owner can discriminare based on his religion (Free Exercise Clause case) (could be concept application question on AP exam)

gender

gender gap - women and men have different views on certain political issues -most women are liberal and tend to favor policies that support healthcare, welfare, edu. -most men like to talk about military intervention, defense spending marriage gap - married couples tend to have different views, if you are married you are more likely to be conservative

promoting stable markets (stability)

gov goal to protect welfare and property of individuals/businesses is done by: -promoting law and order -enforcing laws designed to protect individuals and businesses in economic transactions -regulating competition (certain companies were exercising monopolistic control over industries which negatively impacted competition leading to unequal distribution of wealth, state regulation of industry was varied and inconsistent so fed gov had to step in) -providing public goods

subsidies

gov grants of cash or other valuable commodities such as land to individuals or organizations to promote activities desired by gov to reward political support or buy off political opposition -purpose to encourage people to do what they have not done, continue what they are doing, or alleviate what they have done

foreign air

gov spending abroad ex: foreign health (health care), economic development, humanitarian aid, part of UN to reduce diseases -promotion of democracy -spend less than 1% on foregin budget

Van orden v. Perry 2005

gov sponsored religious displays (Establishment Clause) 10 commandments carbed into stone marker at state capital, part of larger display of Texas history, Perry sued, SCOTUS protects state capital grounds cuz argues the commandments played role in Texas history, more historical

McCreary County v. Kentucky ACLU 2005

gov sponsored religious displays (Establishment Clause) 2 courthouses each had a display of the 10 commandments, ACLU sues McCreary county, SCOTUS says it's unconstitutional so they have to take the plaques down, could argue it's a meddling of gov and religion, more legal

Democracy

government by the people

prior restraint

government censorship of information before it is published or broadcast

independent regulatory commission

government entity w/ regulatory power, protected from direct presidential control -make sure rules are followed in whatever policy arena -members serve longer terms (aren't as responsive to political pressure) ex: FCC (federal communications commission), FEC (federal election committee), Federal Reserve Board

implied powers

governmental powers which are not specifically stated in the Constitution, Necessary & Proper Clause, expands national gov, Article 6 Supremacy Clause justifies it, Article 1 Section 8 ex: draft, creating of gov run institutions like the national bank and Federal Aviation Administration, create IRS, establish federal reserve system of banks, set minimum wage

due process

guaranteed by the Constitution in the 5th and 14th Amendments, limits gov's power to act arbitrarily towards us, establishes rules and regulations that restrain the gov and prohibits it from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without going through certain prescribed steps known as this, keeps the gov from becoming too powerful/tyrannical the due process clause of the 14th amendment states that the same rules that stop the national gov from restricting your rights apply to states as well, this clause is probably the most important constitutional development since writing the constitution, gov can search you, convict you, take your property, and kill you, but only after certain steps

obscenity and pornography

hard to define until 60s, Miller Test 1973 (obscenity) - Nixon pushed for this, Reno v. ACLU, involves idea of SLAPs test -S - scientific -L - literary -A - artistic -P - political purpose

payroll tax

helps pay for social security, medicare, other forms of social insurance -payment for this tax is withheld from a person by his/her employer -regressive tax

Women's Campaign Fund (WCF)

helps women candidates dedicated to ending political gridlock and polarization

GI Bill

higher edu for veterans, go to college

presidential military powers

highest military authority in US - commander in chief -Power of War - shared w/ congress who declares and funds it -joint resolutions - both chambers support pres action -War Powers Resolution of 1973 - pres has 60-90 days to deploy troops before he needs a declaration of war or resolution -Article 4 Section 4 - presidential protection of states (also st. obligations to one another), protect from invasion or domestic violence, typically power is requested by states by declaring a state of emergency -controls Department of Defense and national military - head of CIA, FBI, NSC ("council"), NSA ("administration")

merit system

hiring people into government jobs on the basis of their qualifications -Civil Service Act of 1883

2016 election republicans

hot mess, 16 candidates (deep party divisions) Trump -outsider, populist candidate 9(reped masses) b/c he didn't have political or military experience -won primary by plurality of 40%

rule of access

how SCOTUS chooses which cases to hear -case/controvery -standing -mottness

537 committees

how we get around soft $ restrictions, important to our electoral process b/c they can raise and spend unlimited amounts of $ as long as they don't endorse a candidate

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (1996)

huge welfare reform piece, establishes time limits for receiving welfare -2 years at a time, no more than 5, can reapply -block grant to states (gives states flexibility to shape welfare program = federalism) -goal was to reduce caseloads/ welfare recipients (cut by 60%) -replaced w/ block grants for TANF

log rolling

idea of I'll support your bill if you support mine -one of the ways congress decides what their vote will be

single-member districts

idea of winner take all, helps reinforce 2-party system

race: linked fate

idea that all African Americans have a sense of very deep connectedness -why they tend to vote in an entire block -71$ of AA feel discrimination still exists -80% AA support Affirmative Action, 27% whites support Affirmative Action -80% AA argue criminal justice unfairly targets/treats AA differently

media consolidation

idea that all media outlets are controlled by a small # of huge corporations -more than 500 TV stations are affiliated w/ 1 of 4 networks -reduces diversity in the news, diversity of opinion is harder to find -a result of deregulation of broadcast media in 80s/90s -bad for minority viewpoints or unpopular opinion -1996 Telecommunications Act

individualistic

idea that even in a wealthy country, no on e has a legal right to welfare benefits (Reagan mentality)

electoral college

intermediate element that elects president -indirect democracy -presidential electors are chosen from each state from each party (usually party activist) -when we vote we are really voting to send the elector to the electoral college -if state votes blue then we send the democrat electors -538 total votes

2 ways political parties form

internal and external mobilization

party nominations and primaries

internal process by which the party chooses the candidate they want to run -happens thru party primaries (voters can participate in only 1) -caucus

senate judiciary committee

interrogate the nominee and pull out his philosophy, the majority of judicial nominations are confirmed

crowdsourcing

inviting broad communities of people - customers, employees, independent scientists and researchers, and even the public at large - into the new product innovation process

procedural (know)

involve how legal proceedings will take place (how the laws will be applied or enforced), ensures due process ex: how to gather evident -> need a warrant

iron triangle

involves an executive agency/department, a congressional committee, and an interest group -efforts to link the interests of the agency the committee and the interest group to influence the making or implementation of a law -formal -for law and rulemaking ex: in 80s Reagan tried to get rid of Department of Edu but iron trangle made it impossible and preserved it

traditional media

involves print and digital forms of communication, intended to convey info to the masses -access to media is a constitutional right (basically), it's a civic responsibility

federal debt

involves the sum of $ that has been borrowed but not yet repaid (about $16 trillion today) -biggest problem arising from debt = care for the elderly and social security

ballot initiative

is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can bring about a public vote on a proposed statute or constitutional amendment (direct democracy)

FCC v. Wisconsin Right to Life 2007

issue ads may not be banned from the months preceding a primary or general election

wedge issues

issues that could divide a single party -ex: economy for democratic party

salient issues

issues that mean the most to you

valient issues

issues the public seems most concerned about

Which branch do Americans have the most trust in?

judicial

public opinion and governmental policy

lawmakers have to be attentive to public opinion to certain degree b/c they represent us -House is more concerned w/ public opinion b/c they have 2 year terms, influences decisions in congress -public opinion has less of a voice when policies are super complex like social or economic policies -not all opinion is counted equally, people w/ more $ and resources have more influence

Latinos

legal immigrants treated like citizens, illegal aliens and children in US are eligible for health care and education -Proposition 187 -Arizona v. US 2012

Loving v. VA (1967)

legalized interracial marriage

safe seat

legislative district in which the incumbent regularly wins by a large margin of the vote, not worried about losing to other party

congressional gridlock

less and less bills have passed through to laws over time

stare decisis

let the decision stand; refers to the obligation to follow precedents unless there's an emergency or something

Buckley v. Valeo (1976) (hw)

limited amount of $ people could contribute to campaigns (after Watergate), SCOTUS - restrictions on $ limits violate 1st A and are unconstitutional political campaigns and elections (freedom of speech case)

issue networks

loose networks of elected leaders, public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn together to by a specific policy issue ex: welfare, environment

feminization of poverty

majority of poor in our country are single mothers

party leadership in house and senate

majority party determines rules in each chamber and get top leadership posts leadership -party caucus (Democrats)/conference (republicans) -start of congressional session (2 years) (now 115th congress) -choose leadership -closed meeting -each party meets separately -identify policy priorities -determine majority/minority leaders, whips, Speaker of the House

petit jury (trial jury)

makes decisions on case itself

Help Americans Vote Act of 2003

mandates all states use computerized voting and registration systems -reduced voter fraud but could be subject to hacking b/c of complication in Bush/Gore election

gerrymandering

manipulation of the redistricting process in an effort to benefit a party/person -cracking and packing

strict constructionism/judicial conservatism/judicial restraint

marked by the belief that judges should limit the exercise of their own power; should be hesitant to strike down laws unless they are obviously unconstitutional and should base their judicial decisions solely on the concept of stare decisis, feel that policy decisions should be left to executive and legislative branches, believe that thru judicial review activist judges have taken certain legal rights beyond what fathers intended; also believe that foreign law and precedent should not be a factor in US legal matters

loose constructionism/judicial liberalism/judicial activism

marked by the belief that the US constitution is a living document which thru process of judicial review is open to new evaluation and modernization, that foreign law and precedent should be a factor in US legal matters and certain rights or restrictions should be expanded

Gross National Product (GNP)

market value of the goods and services produced in the economy

marriage gap

married couples tend to have different views, if you are married you are more likely to be conservative

judicial review

most important power of Supreme Court, power to evaluate constitutionality of laws/policies, appellate review, SCOTUS has struck down nearly 160 laws by congress: more likely to happen on state level, more than 1300 acts of legislation struck down, SCOTUS least likely to evaluate administrative law (congress gives bureaucracy power to make those laws)

lobbying president

most skilled and well-connected lobbyists

partisan loyalty

most voters have a tie to a particular political aprty

dealignment

movement away from major political parties (2 parties) -In 60s people became skeptical of gov (Nixon) -Thought parties were weak, corrupt Causes of this since 60s 1) Decline in partisan attachment 2) rise in independent voters 3) rise in split-ticket voting 4) media Recent Trends in Party Affiliation

Civil Rights Movement

movement in the United States beginning in the 1960s and led primarily by Blacks in an effort to establish the civil rights of individual Black citizens

horse race journalism

news coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on the issues

citizen journalism

news reported and distributed amongst citizens rather than a journalist ex: African American pulled over by police and videoed encounter and posted it -creates new opinion leaders -typically tons of factual errors, people could manipulate/frame stories -less fact checking/quality

niche journalism

news reporting (station) that is devoted to a targeted topic ex: sports news

print media

newspapers, oldest form, no longer primary form -og newspapers were controlled by political parties -most influential today among political elite/most politically knowledgeable (looking for knowledge from professional journalists) -breaks stories 1st -30% decline in print-based journalism over last 20 years b/c decline in journalists (40%)

Privileges and Immunities Clause

no state can discriminate people from other states, comes from Article 4 Section 2

caucus

nominating a candidate for a primary that name goes down in a caucus, closed meeting amongst political party-white men usually chosen

501c(4) committee

nonprofit groups that also engage in issue advocacy. Under Section 501c(4) of the federal tax code such a group may spend up to half its revenue for political purposes engage in issue advocacy

527 committees

nonprofit independent groups that receive and disburse funds to influence the nomination, election, or defeat of candidates. Named after Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, which defines and provides tax-exempt status for nonprofit advocacy groups give money to candidates to influence campaigns -organized under IRS -can accept and spend unlimited amounts of $ but can't spend $ on ads where candidate is clearly referred to -use issue ad, promote cause/concern

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)

one of the strongest interest groups for the elderly (elderly receive most general social policies, "deserving poor"

divided government

one party controls the presidency and one controls the government/congress

rule of 4

only 4 of 9 justices requires to vote in favor of putting the case on the docket

nonworking poor

only nonworking poor that receive $ are parents caring for children, get from TANF, AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children), food stamps -no political organization or influence seen as underserving

Affordable Care Act 2010 (Obamacare)

open market for purchasing health insurance, prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage based on a preexisting condition -biggest controversy around it was mandated insurance

US v. VA 1996

opened VMI up for women (public institution), their og policy failed the intermediate scrutiny test

Anti-federalists

opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, strict interpretation of the constitution ex: Thomas Jefferson

Amendment 25

order of succession, VP is next, then Speaker of the House

government corporation

organizations that are established by the government, but act like businesses -have a lot more freedom from rulemaking process (especially w/ hiring and firing) -allowed to make profit thru sale ex: AMTRAK (tickets), US Postal Service (stamps)

political parties

organizations that seek to control and influence gov, inside influence -organize our political world and help simplify complex policy issues for public -goal is to win elections and gain political power -mobilize better/faster than interest groups -expand scope of an issue/invite entire voting public -supports democracy in 3 ways 1) linkage - btw voter and candidate 2) linkage - amongst gov institutions/branches 3) competition - competitive relations amongst parties, voters win when a political party competes for our favor

political culture

our shared values about gov and how it should function 1) liberty - freedom from gov control, participate in free market, challenged by post 9/11 world need for national security 2) equality - equality of opportunity but not equality of results, want competition 3) democracy - popular sovereignty, consent of gov, balancing majority rule and minority rights

Fair Housing Act of 1968 and redlining

outlawed housing discrimination, banks and homeowners got around this by redlining - banks denying loans for houses to African Americans, 1970 gov required major banks to report their mortage lending patterns to gov so they could detect whether discrimination against African Americans was present

Title VII

outlaws job discrimination by private and public employees, gives the Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission the power to investigate discrimination

digital media

outlet of choice for all groups of people under age of 50 ex: online newspaper, blogs, youtube, twitter, buzzfeed -news aggregator -online news sources make $ off of advertisements -more diverse news, interactive (can comment) (has increased activists) -more unreliable b/c don't know who is sharing the info

9) primary

people vote on delegates to attend the national convention

centralists

people who favor national action over action at the state and local levels, support a strong central gov

decentralists

people who favor state or local action rather than national action

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

permanent agency part of the executive office of the pres (EOP) that prepares pres's budget and helps design programs

1996 Telecommunications Act

permitted consolidation of those networks, media consolidation would have been a violation of FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations if this act was not in place -stopped FCC's attempt to regulate competition in broadcast industry -passage in this resulted in greater conc of media ownership

incumbency

person in power running to keep their position advantages: -constituents are already aware of them and what they've done (name recognition and credit taking) -best means of communicating w/ constituents -franking - free post, can more easily reach constituents -house has 98% chance of reelection, senate has 90% -gerrymandering/redistricting -name recognition -credit taking (for bills people liked)

ideologue

person who strongly and uncompromisingly advocates for an ideology

political ideology

philosophy about role of gov (not parties) -liberals -conservatives -libertarians -socialists -most Americans describe themselves as liberal, conservative, or moderate -majority of voters btw age 18-33 identify as liberal or moderate -older generation is more conservative

estate tax

places in $ or porperty given from 1 person to another, passed on from 1 living person to another, purpose to avoid evasion fo estate tax

tort

plaintiff is suing for personal injury compensation ex: drunk driver injures you then they have to pay for damages

restore our future

political action committee (PAC) created to support Mitt Romney in the 2012 U.S. Presidential election.

prospective voting

political elites/opinion leaders do this more, potential of this candidate, the more knowledgeable you are the more likely to be a prospective voter

democracy

political participation, civic engagement; a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part int he governmental process -relies on free and fair elections -1 of 3 core values

candidate centered

politics that focuses directly on the candidates, their particular issues, and character, rather than on party affiliation

selection bias

polling error that results in the over or under representation of opinions; when the bias focuses coverage on a specific aspect of an event, avoiding coverage on other parts of event, focuses on event ex: during Great Depression public opinion for FDR was taken using car registration and telephones for polling but only rich people had those

constitutional authority

power can be deemed illegitimate by the people and gov rebuilt ex: American Revolution during Enlightenment

federal

power center: division of power btw sts and national ex: USA, Canada, Germany costs: unclear lines of power benefits: unity w/o unformity (all sts have to abide by fed laws but have freedom to enforce differently = st experimentalism)

unitary

power center: national ex: China, France costs: tyranny, gov further from people benefits: strong central gov

confederal

power center: states ex: European Union/America under Articles of Confederation, US during Civil War costs: weak central gov benefits: state rights

borrowing money

power reserved for congress and is done thru sale of bonds

Authority

power that is legitimate/a government possesses, power comes from a constitution

presidential judicial powers

power to pardon (clemency) (Article 2 Section 2) 1) reprieve - get sentenced delayed 2) amnesty - pardoning a group

finance

power to raise money to run gov thru taxation and the borrowing of money -any money taken must be for public purpose -direct and indirect taxes; direct - pay directly to gov, ex: income tax; indirect - when buying gas the gas station uses the money to pay gov

expressed/enumerated powers

powers directly expressed in the constitution; delegated/enumerated powers, expressed in Article I Section 8 ex: power to tax, regulate trade and interstate/foreign commerce, declare war, create post offices, coin/issue money, establish national courts, negotiate treaties, maintain a military

enumerated powers

powers given to the national government alone, Article 1 Section 8, national gov's expressed powers

concurrent powers

powers that both the fed gov and st govs have ex: levying taxes, building roads, crime and punishment, healthcare

rule

precise statement of how a law is implemented ex: -Department of Agriculture makes rules to tell meat and poultry processors how to handle their food -gas mileage standards in the EPA

State of the Union address

pres articulates priorities of congress -> initiate legislative action, gives public impression that pres is a primary actor in law-making

How can we take advantage of benefits of bureaucracy while keeping it accountable to the people?

pres as chief executive is how we control bureaucracy -"managerial presidency" -pres playing a hands on role in rule-making and implementation process -pres is aware of all rules that are made -all executive policies have to pass thru white house to white house staff has increased -expand their own power to monitor/oversee/control operations of executive branch - regulatory review - presidents will review/evaluate rules created by agencies

ticket-balancing

pres chooses VP's that appeals to those who may not support pres himself

permanent campaign

pres constantly collecting data and acting in a way that is forward thinking and considering reelection

legislative initiative

pres had power to create agencies, which will play a role in laws congress (congress confirms nominations and funds) makes ex: Nixon EPA 1971, Bush Department of Homeland Security can address counter-terrorism efforts

War Powers Resolution

pres has 60-90 days to deploy troops before he needs a declaration of war or resolution

executive branch power over social policy

president - "bully pulpit" b/c of his power, should have everyone's attention in social policy bureaucracy - rulemaking power: writing rules for implementation of those lawks

War Powers Resolution (1973)

president must report to congress when he sends troops into conflict if there is no declaration of war -pres has 60-90 days to keep soldiers there before congress has to create a resolution or declaration of war, if congress doesn't approve of a declaration of war then the pres has to withdraw troops, if resolution is made then troops can stay w/o declaration of war

king caucus

presidential nominations were controlled by each party's congressional causes (all House and Senate members) -national convention replaces this

current trends in voter turnout+

pretty low -since 60s only 60% vote in presidential election and only 33% in midterm elections -turnout in state/local elections is much lower

primary/caucus

primary involves a vote, caucues involves a discussion and debate to select those candidates -January to June (long process) -open and closed caucues -state determine method for winning -Iowa caucus -determines how each state/delegates will vote at national convention

priming

process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria/info to mind when evaluating a politician or issue ex: btw 2004-08 media focus was on terrorism, we were primed to look at Bush's performance in office around countering terrorism -could lead to bandwagon effect, primed to evaluate candidate

redistricting

process of redrawing election districts in order to reapportion legislative seats -happens every 10 years -> occurs w/ census -plays big role in incumbency getting reelected -all districts must be roughly same size pop. (about 700,000) -gerrymandering - deliberate manipulation of district lines to benefit a certain party or group -Miller v. Johnson (1995) -Baker v. Carr (1962)

Pendleton Civil Service Act

product of Garfield's assassination, merit based Civil Service System thru competitive exams, in early stages of the enforcement of the act, only 10% of jobs fell under merit based system, today 90% do

criminal (know)

prohibit behavior that the gov deems harmful to society -exist on state and federal level -crimes themselves are against the state and/or federal gov -penalty = jail time, paying a fine, community service, capital punishment (debt to society)

Amendment 18

prohibition

Title IX 1971

prohibits discrimination based on sex when it comes to participation in any type of educational activity -sports, clubs -now used to combat sexual assault on college campuses, ensures that colleges take necessary steps to address sexual assault allegations

Title VII 1964

prohibits job discrimination based on gender and gives the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission the power to investigate those allegations

ballot initiative

proposed law/policy is placed on the ballot by citizens/interest groups for a popular vote, have to petition to get it on the ballot -not used in all sts -typically surround controversial subjects ex: minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, election reforms -increase voter turnout -ex of direct democracy

Noncontributory Programs

provides assistance to people based on demonstrated need ex: food stamps

outdoor relief

providing cash assistance that allowed individuals to remain in their own homes

marketplace of ideas

public forum where beliefs and ideas are shared and exchanged, competition btw views; 3 factors: 1) media: -opinion makers in their own right, enormous influence on public opinion 2) gov and politicians: -all govs try to influence/manipulate their citizens beliefs ex: FDR fireside chats, State of the Union, Obama 1st pres to use social media -messages that are most important when shaping public opinion regard foreign policy (we know least about) 3) interest groups: -lobby for the interests of public, the more $ you have the more you can do

Common Cause

public interest group maintained and funded by direct mail solicitation

news aggregator

pulls together all news stories from various sources and creates a single forum to access it, they'll pick stories to get the biggest hits ex: google news, reddit

push polling

quesitons are designed to shape your opinion

sound bites

quick, dramatic, short characterizations of na event or circumstance, a blurb

candidates characteristics

race, gender, social background

broadcast media

radio and TV, TV is our top source of news today -majority of Americans prefer TV -TV provides few topics and little depth of coverage (little context for analysis) -sound bites -revolves on very little organic reporting, rely on newspapers (newspaper set the agenda = agenda setting)

Suspect Classifications

rarely constitutional, top-tier -involved fundamental rights being denied or restricted, gov has to show that there is compelling interest in treating people differently (race) -suspect classifications are suspect to strict scrutiny tests (standards used by courts to evaluate classification) -Korematsu v. US 1944 -Loving v. VA 1967

redistricting

redrawing of district boundaries -states redraw their state legislative districts and congressional districts every 10 years w/ census, to reflect pop/ changes

public opinion

refers to the attitudes people have about issues, events, personalities, politics, politicians; aggregation of attitudes toward... -shaped by people actually willing to take polls

civil (know)

regulates interactions btw individuals -revolves around contracts, agreements ex: rent, negligence: application of civil law to a DUI charge _> injured person can sure drunk driver and have him pay for expenses, crime against gov and person

Amendment 21

repeals prohibition

media leaks

reports of info leaked by gov officials that discloses confidential info ex: Edward Snowden leaked global surveillance programs; Nixon's Pentagon papers

right to privacy

reproductive rights -Griswold v. Connecticut 1965 -Roe v. Wade 1973 -"privacy" is not written in the constitution

agency representation

reps are accountable to their voters if they fail to represent voters properly -don't have similar backgrounds so have to win people's favor thru ideas/initiatives -do lots of casework = work closely w/ voters, requires lots of communication

symbolic representation

reps are intended to be models for us, stand for American ideals, attend local events ex: speaking at a graduation or at UN

sociological representation

reps have same/similar background to constituents -not necessarily true today, majority = old white protestant men -most are lawyers

private bills

requests for our reps to provide a specific person w/ some kind of relief/exemption -75% are for reps to request citizenship status for people in their st (not costly for gov)

Lau v. Nichols 1974

required that public school districts provide an alternative edu program for students who have limited English (English as 2nd language)

1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act

requires all organizations employing lobbyists to register with Congress and to disclose whom they represent, whom they lobby, what they are looking for, and how much they are paid

prior restraint

restrictions placed on press before article/thing is actually published -NY Times v. US 1971

fiscal policy

revolve around taxing and spending, controversial, gov's power to tax and spend to manipulate economy, use of taxing, monetary, and spending power to manipulate the economy -should we raise or lower taxes? -work to inc or dec fed debt? -introduce or eliminate programs? -Article 1 Section 8 -requires cooperation btw pres and congress -gal is to provide adequate funds for gov operations w/o adervsely affecting overall economy (want to boost economy) -> if it doesn't result in economic growth the gov can spend $ or cut taxes

Arizona v. US 2012

revolves around "stop and frisk" procedures -can't pull someone over just cuz they look suspicious

Amendment 6

right to a speedy and public trial

Amendment 11

right to appeal to gov if you think court made a mistake in your case

Amendment 2

right to bear arms

Gideon v. Wainwright 1963 (required)

right to counsel/the right to an attorney -ensured the right to a lawyer in civil and criminal trials (initially only applied to civil cases)

right to assemble to petition gov for change

right to gather peacefully to petition gov, most critical during Civil Rights Movement

Amendment 7

right to trial by jury

26th Amendment

right to vote at 18

Amendment 15

right to vote can't be denied because of race/previous condition of servitude; anti-discrimination

15th Amendment

right to vote for African Americans

substantive guarantee

right/freedom to work

Miranda v. Arizona 1966

rights of criminal defendants/the accused -Protection Against self-incrimination -you can't be compelled or forced to confess your guilt -right to remain silent and right to an attorney

Amendment 5

rights of the accused, due process

open rule

room for amendments to bill

executive order

rule or policy issued by pres that has the force of law and doesn't require senate approval -used to enforce congressional laws -enforce constitution -enforce treaties w/ other countries -can tell members of executive branch how to do their jobs/operate -can be retracted by successor -thru judicial review they can be deemed unconstitutional ex: Truman desegregating armed forces, Emancipation Proclamation, Internment of Japanese-Americans

news leak

secret information deliberately given to journalists with the hope that they will publish the item

8) microtargetting

send certain ads to certain groups of people

Plessy v. Ferguson

separate but equal

Federalist 51

separation of powers & checks & balances protects against tyranny, written by James Madison

12th Amendment

separation of votes for President and Vice President

expectations of journalists

serve as watch dogs, they should constantly be in tune with what's going on in gov, if we lose that investigating truth we won't be as knowledgable

Senate

serves as a guard against excessive democracy, state and nation minded, 6 year term, 17th Amendment allowed for direct election

promotion of general welfare

services, regulations, agencies ex: -Department of Housing and Urban Development -FDA -Department of Agriculture etc.

pres and policy

shapes rather than observing political events -presidents can utilize legislative initiative thru a sponsor in the House in the pres's favor -congress expects pres to propose federal budget -shape solutions to major problems ex; New Deal, Great Society, Affordable Care Act -popular mandate - when a pres wins an election, he/she may feel they have a popular mandate, idea that they have green light to carry out their promises

delegate

shares similar backgrounds of their constituents, speaks on behalf of people

social desirability effect (not on quiz)

someone who is taking an opinion poll gives the response they think the pollster wants to hear, comfort ability level

appellate review

something has to happen 1st for it to be reviewed (you can't present a case to court hypothetically)

material benefits

special goods, services, even $, anything that can be measured monetarily ex: health, retirement insurance, discounts

information beenfits

special newsletters, training programs, conferences offered by default for payment of member dues

expressed powers

specific powers granted to the pres under Article 2 of constitution -military -judicial -diplomatic -executive -legislative -delegated power -inherent power

attitudes/opinions

specific view of event/issue; factors: race, age, gender, wealth, edu., etc. influence attitudes/opinions ex: people w/ diff incomes have different views on healthcare and social programs (welfare); African Americans and whites normally have diff views; emotional response to candidates influence us

sedition

speech that criticizes gov, is it lawful?, historically the type of free speech most closely monitored

fighting words

speech that directly incites damaging conduct

slander

spoken defamation of character

Interstate Compact Clause (Article 1)

st can enter into a contract w/ another st w/ approval from Congress, helps dictate interstate relations, an agreement among 2 or more sts, Article 1 Section 10 says that no st can enter one w/o Congress consent; this would not exist w/o federalism cuz there'd only be a national gov ex: use of water like Mississippi River, national Popular Vote Plan - 11 sts bought into it, winner of national popular vote will automatically receive all of the electoral votes for that st, for Adult Offender Supervision and for Juveniles

Congressional Budget Act of 1974

standardized the budget process -Pres submits budget to Congress -House and Senate committees evaluate it (look at analysis of Congressional Budget Office evaluations) -each committee proposes a budget resolution (sets total budget, sets budget for spending areas/budget ceiling (programs, policies, departments) -resolutions help shape debate over budget -Appropriations Bills

dual citizenship

state citizen and US citizen

Loving v. VA 1967

state law cannot prohibit interracial marriage, fails test

Obergefell v. Hodges 2015

state level protection of gay marriage (states must protect same sex couples)

Three-fifths Compromise

stated that 5 slaves counted as 3 people, preserves power of southerns states, effort to preserve union, helped avoid issue of slavery

Furman v. Georgia 1972

states determine what crimes get the death penalty, issue of federalism, disproportionally applied to black population

extradition

states have to cooperate with one another to bring fugitives to justice, part of Article 4 Section 2

Full Faith & Credit Clause

states have to honor court proceedings/records from other states, part of og constitution, reflect civil liberties or rights, protections for us or restrictions on gov

Full Faith and Credit Clause

states have to obey/be loyal to court proceedings from other states, part of Article 4 Section 1 ex: your license is valid in other states

socioeconomic status*

status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige (determined by income, edu, occupation)

what economic forces need

strong investment: -gov promotes the business, investors, and works to maintain consumer confidence in the market -gov often secures necessary capital that businesses need to grow technological innovation: -gov support of research that can be communicated to private businesses ex: National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Health (NIH), Military and bureaucratic research - ex: ARPANET productive workforce: -federal immigration policy ensures an adequate labor supply (today a productive workforce is highly educated by being funded w/ grants, tax breaks, and loans)

No Child Left Behind 2001

stronger fed requirements for school accountability -students btw 3-8th grade must take standardized tests in reading and math (school success gauged by these scores, subcategorized by age, race) -states in charge of making and distributing test (controversy cuz it's an unfunded mandate) -26 states have wave out of this

Windsor v. US 2013

struck down 1996 Defense of Marriage Acts (stated marriage is btw a man and women)

Hazlewood School District v. Kuhlmeir (hw)

student publish newspaper in journalism class on pregnancy and impact of divorce on kids, principal says the stories are private and invade privacy of other students and deletes them, students claiming 1st A rights were violated, SCOTUS - ruled that school officials could censor school-sponsored publications if they have valid edu reason for doing so (freedom of speech case)

patient's bill of rights

summary of a patient's rights regarding fair treatment and appropriate information

mass media campaigns

super $ intensive, seems to be most appealing, more popular today, pay less people in general but costs more

Separationist

support of a complete disconnect btw gov and religious corporations -churches don't pay taxes so they can't participate in religious campaigns

Federalists

supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, loose interpretation of the constitution ex: Alexander Hamilton

rider

tacked onto a bill, idea of a Christmas tree legislation (tacked on), not money related

4) fundraising

takes lots of $ for proper campaign -millions

income tax

tax on earnings -objective to encourage the capitalist economy by rewarding investment, allows individuals or companies to spend $ they can justify s an investment or "business expense" = deductions/loopholes - incentives to individuals and business to reduce their tax liabilities by investing $ in areas that gov designates -prior to 16th A, Americans paid an exicise tac on specific items -today 47% of fed revenue comes from income tacxs, corporate income taxes make up about 12% of fed revenue per year

regressive tax

tax that has a higher impact on low-income earners than upper income earners ex: social security tax

progressive tax

taxation that hits the upper income brackets more heavily, a tax in which the rate inc as the amount that is subject to taxation inc ex: sales tax, income tax -purpose is to raise gov revenue and act as a redistribution policy whose objective is to tax or spend in such a way as to reduce the disparities of wealth btw lowest and highest income brackets

tariffs

taxes on imported goods, can be called customs duties

7) presidential debates

televised debates, become increasingly more confrontational, 1st debate = Kennedy and Nixon in 60s

commander in chief

term for president's title w/ war powers

Amendment 22

term limits to 2 four year turns; product of FDR's 10 years in office

means testing

test taken to identity self as in need

budget deficit

the amount by which gov spending exceeds gov revenue in a s fiscal year, important issue in determining spending (gov spending works well when deficit spending is used to stop a recession and speed up recovery period but does not work well in the fight against inflation)

reserve retirement

the amount of liquid assets and ready cash that banks are required to hold to meet depositors demands for their $

majority

the candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election

social capital

the collective value of all social networks (who people know), and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other (norms of reciprocity); people give up their rights for the protection of the gov

inflation

the consistent inc in general level of prices, major problem in US in 70s/80s -soln was governmental regulation of wages and rental prices (b/c these measures didn't work, gov shifted to international trade tariffs, oil taxes, inc on income and social security taxes to reduce consumer spending but no real improvement) -too much fed spending can cause this -consequences = reduction in the standard of living -soln = raise taces (consumers can't win)

incumbent

the current officeholder

Amendment 20

the day the president takes office is inauguration day

gerrymandering

the deliberate manipulation of district lines to benefit a certain party or group

federalism

the division of power btw st and national levels; a system of gov in which the power is divided by a constitution btw a central gov and regional gov

Declaration of Independence

the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain; natural rights - in preamble, based on John Locke, gov consent; grievances - doesn't create new gov, demands one 1) power was concentrated in 1 place (unitary gov) 2) concentration of power contributed to abuse of power 3) form of gov that created this concentration of power was going to be avoided for this reason when colonists formed their own gov

congressional redistricting

the drawing/redrawing of House/congressional (not Senate) district line; the process of redrawing district boundaries when a state has more reps than districts, occurs every 10 years w/ national census

monopoly

the existance of a single firm in a market that controls all goods and services of that market in the absence of competition

preemption

the federal government's ability to take over a state government function; the right of a federal law or regulation to preclude enforcement of a state or local law or regulation; like supremacy clause but fed gov preemptively making a law that is supreme over sts ex: Internet Tax Freedom Act (1998)

Cooperative Federalism (marble cake federalism)

the federal system under which the national and state governments share responsibilities; began after 1930's w/ Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp, national gov can now facilitate and regulate

party organization

the formal structure of that political party, includes leadership, election committees, active members, and paid staff 1) National Convention -party rule 2) National Committees 3) Congressional Campaign Committees 4) State and Local Party Organizations

Accommodationist

the gov should function to accommodate religion without showing preference for one over another

popular consent

the idea that a just government must derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs

Political efficacy

the idea that if you participate in gov you can make a difference

statism

the idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation

illusion of saliency

the impression conveyed by polls that something is important to the public when actually it is not

departments

the largest elements of the bureaucracy, have the largest missions -15 departments and are highest ranked -agencies within departments ex: -oldest = Department of State -youngest = Homeland Security -National Park Service = part of the Department of the Interior

Public relations

the marketing function that evaluates public attitudes, identifies areas within the organization the public may be interested in, and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance

open-market operations

the method by which the Open Market Committee of the FRS buys and sells gov securities to help finance gov operations and reduce or inc total amount of $ circulating in economy

Election Day Registration

the option in some states to register on the day of the election, at the polling place, rather than in advance of the election

party system

the organization of the parties, inclues the # of parties competition for power, all the linkage institutions that are connected to those parties, the big issues or policies that tend to be the main focus of the 2 parties ex: linkage institutions = media, interest groups, political parties

media monopolies

the ownership and control of the media by a few large corporations

standing

the people involved have to have standing -they have to have a stake in the outcome -they have to be impacted by the outcome of the case

voter turnout

the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election

Chief of Staff

the person who oversees the operations of all White House staff and controls access to the president, gatekeeper

deregulation

the policy of reducing or eliminating regulatory restraints on the conduct of individuals or private institutions -can result in lower prices but when product shortages happen, prices rise heavily ex: enron debacle

White primary

the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation

executive privilege

the presidential assertion of the right to withhold certain information from Congress

rulemaking

the process by which an administrative agency formally adopts a new regulation or amends an old one, precise statement of how a law is implemented

selective incorporation

the process by which the supreme court reviews cases and apply amendments of the Bill of Rights to state policies or actions, incorporation BoR into states actions -today all of BoR has been incorporated except the 3rd A (quartering of troops) -how we get states to honor BoR -Barron v. Baltimore 1833 -Slaughterhouse cases 1873 -Gitlow v. NY 1925 -Robinson v. California 1962

political socialization

the process by which we acquire our political beliefs; factors/agencies of socialization: -family/peers, media, edu., geography, religion, socioeconomic factors (income, jobs), race/ethnicity/gender, political environment -going to shape entire opinion of American republic, and how they perceive an event or circumstance

Politics

the process of determining who gets what, when, and how; resources, jobs, services, taxes, and power distribution; through political process power and resources are gained or lost; involves cooperation and compromise ex: cut or raise taxes

implementation

the process of putting a law into practice thru lawmaking, translating laws into bureaucratic routine, primary roles of bureaucrats ex: OSHA workers inspecting worksites to make sure they are safe and that the rule are being enforced; reduce emissions from cars by 20% by 2025

Litigation

the process of taking legal action

adversarial journalism

the product of Vietnam war era, newspapers start to become super critical of gov, form of reporting, media takes a skeptical/hostile position against gov

interest rates

the rate at which you have to pay extra for when you borrow $

congressional reapportionment

the reallocation of the # of reps each st has in the House; the process by which seats in the House are distributed among the 50 sts according to the most recent constitutionally mandated decennial -important to the states cuz it inc or dec # of seats a st has in House, more reps mean more influence from st, and reapportionment inc or dec a st's # of electoral votes

eminent domain

the right of government to take private property for public use but they have to compensate you ex: Barron v. Baltimore

freedom of press

the right of journalists to publish the truth without restriction or penalty

suffrage/franchise*

the right to vote

presidential inherent powers

the rights, duties, and obligations of the pres (power by default) ex: a national emergency

isolationism

the strategy vision/idea is quiet strength and national autonomy

social policy

the study of social services and the welfare state -considers issues in regards to policy making and administration of social services ex: health, housing, edu -addresses how issues affect people who need those services ex: poor, elderly

framing

the subtle manipulation/change in structure/delivery of political info to get you to feel a certain way about it; power of media to influence how we interpret, shapes event, news cover strategy ex: if newspaper wrote "plane crash 50 dead" vs. "plane crash 200 survivors"; Obamacare when polls are wrong: 1) social desirability effect (not on quiz) 2) selection bias 3) push polling 4) bandwagon effect

Dual Court System

the system of courts that are state and federal

devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states, passing it down to a lower level, returning power to states

datamining

the use of analytic techniques to explore the data held within a dataset in order to isolate useful information, both political parties have giant database for potential voters

judicial philosphy

the way in which a judge understands and interprets the law

case/controvery

there has to be a literal controvery involved (can't be hypothetical)

retrospective voting

voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office

economy

voting retrospectively

Federalist 10

warning of factions and interest groups, written by James Madison

public criticism on bureaucracy

waste of time, takes forever for rules to be codified -1-3 years for single rule to be officially coded in federal register restraints on bureaucracy to act quickly -take into account public opinion -legal issues -homeless people caught in "Red tape" ex: Johnny finally getting benefits from training for Vietnam

patrol mode

watchdog mode, investigative reporting, searching for news -part of agenda setting

Ratification

way of adding amendments to constitution, less common, by st legislatures by 3/4ths of sts (more common) or by conventions 3/4ths of states ex of convention: repealing prohibitioin

Proposal

way of adding amendments to constitution, most common, congress 2/3rds vote in both Houses (more common) or National Convention called by congress at request of 2/3rds st legislatures

2 step flow of info

we don't look for political info ourselves we take it from opinion leaders, we aren't seeking our own info

self-selection

we tailor our views towards our beliefs already

Kelly v. Goldberg (1970)

welfare benefits can;t be taken away w/o due process

Filibuster

when a Senator talks a bill to death, no time limit -purpose to get people to back down or delay a vote/action on bill -biggest/longest were opponents to Civil Rights Movement -can propose unlimited # of amendments to delay vote -Senators can place holds on bills to delay debate/vote but requires a Senator identify himself if doing so since 2007 -stopped by Motion for Cloture

external mobilization

when a group of people outside of the gov organizes popular support to gain power ex: Nazi Party, Trump, etc. any new office you are running for

popular mandate

when a pres wins an election, he/she may feel they have a popular mandate, idea that they have green light to carry out their promises

presidential honeymoon

when a president first gets elected and is popular among the people and Congress will pass his laws more easily

casework

when a rep works on behalf of an individual voter to solve their particular problem ex: grandparents social security check isn't coming in so they appeal to district rep for help

rational-choice voting

when a voter seeks info and is knowledgeable and considers both/all candidates (not necessarily based on political party), issue based decision

popular mandate

when elected officials think they have the approval of the people b/c they were voted in

realignment

when new issues combine w/ an economic or political crisis that mobilizes new voters and ultimately convinces voters to reexamine their party loyalties -ex: realignment w/ north and south, north was republican in 1860s and now it's opposite

veto

when pres reject's congress bill

When does democracy work best?

when there are competing interests b/c we are hoping to reach a compromise

policy entrepreneurship

when you develop a policy/idea/platform to expand voting members -someone who proposes a policy, if they are persuasive they can change the party agenda

party-line voting

when you vote on party lines every tie, may not be as familiar or informed on every issue, very common

plurality (in demographics)

white people, they aren't the majority but a good percentage of the US population

entitlement

who is entitled? how do we determine that? Kelly v. Goldberg (1970) - welfare benefits can;t be taken away w/o due process

split-ticket voting

will reinforce/maintain a divided gov (gives voter more power, don't have to vote for all the people from 1 party)

gender gap

women and men have different views on certain political issues

Amendment 19

women's suffrage

19th Amendment (1920)

women's suffrage -argument that women would support war effort if they could vote

allocation

work hard to bring $ into district

policy represenation

working for laws that advance conditions of district/voter interest

briefs

written arguments on the case

Brutus 1

written by anti-federalists, bashes separation of powers and checks and balances, use the Supremacy Clause and Necessary & Proper Clause to show how gov is tyrannical/gonna be too powerful and abusive

press release

written by publicists or advocates, they are incorporated into daily news reports ex: Billy McFarland w/ Fyre fesitval, a press release was disseminated at news outlets and he did so to apologize -media outlets love them b/c they are cheap news gotten from other sources

libel

written defamation of character - when someone writes something false about you and tarnishes your reputation -NY Times v. Sullivan 1964

independent expenditures

you are an individual, group, pr party and you want to spend unlimited $ for a candidate and you who will operate totally separate/autonomous from (no connection to candidate)

equality of results

you are not guaranteed this as you are guaranteed equality of opportunity

Moral majority

"Born-Again" Christians become politically active. The majority of Americans are moral people, and therefore are a political force. -conservative, Reagan supporters

forma pauperis

"fee is waved", helps everyone have access to the courts, people who can't pay have their fee waived

"amicus curiae" briefs

"friend of the court" briefs - document written by interest outside sources (interest groups) w/ a stake in the case requesting that the case be heard (they aren't the plaintiff)

PACs/super-PACs

"political action committees", private groups that raise and distribute funds for use in election campaigns -fundraising arms of business, interest groups, etc. -raise $ to contribute to a candidate or political party but not to a 527 committee -can contribute more $ than an individual but still restrictions

natural law/natural rights

"state of nature" - a state of perfect freedom (it's dangerous), God given, high level of uncertainty, can't work cuz rights end when another person's begins ex: life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

soft $

$ contributed directly to a political party for voter mobilization, other campaign activities, was not regulated by campaign spending laws until 2002

soft $

$ that is unregulated and channels from individuals/corporations/party to candidate

SNCC

(Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee)-a group established in 1960 to promote and use non-violent means to protest racial discrimination; they were the ones primarily responsible for creating the sit-in movement

Clear and Present Danger Test

(freedom of expression) language could be limited if it immediately presented a clear and present danger to public safety, used so heavily to combat communism from 40s-60s, removed this practice

Imminent Lawless Action Test

(freedom of expression) used today, evaluates the likelihood of the speech and whether or not it would lead to some sort of lawless action

parties and the President's policy agenda

(hard to do for parties) Political parties have to find a balance btw utilizing party to support a president's agenda but ultimately the main goal of a political party is to get people elected into gov from your party

Tinker v. Des Moines 1968 (required)

(symbolic speech case) students wore black armbands to protest Vietnam war and were suspended, SCOTUS said they could wear them cuz free speech

foreign policy

-"hard power" - military intervention, force, how we accumulated so much power/influence -"soft power" - diplomacy, what we look for more today

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

-"means testing" -block grant -expanded Medicaid -payments below poverty line

Democrats and Whigs -1828-1856: Second Party Era

-1830s, groups opposing Jackson formed the Whig Party, giving rise to the second party system -Principle goal of both the Whig and Democratic Parties, was to utilize the expansion of voting rights to all white voters (propertyless) to gain a larger party base -This goal was achieved thru the presence of party bosses, party leaders who were typically installed in urban environments to tightly control electioneering -Party bosses chose party candidates for election as well, system of patronage -The Whig Party (1830s-1850s) later called the Republican Party (starting in mid 1850s) was stronger in the Northeast than in the South and West -Another name for this party was the Know-Nothing Party, arguably united for the sake of opposing Democrats, not united under any particular platform -Candidates emphasized heroic qualities and avoided discussing issues -Whigs first President, General William Henry Harrison 1840 -Whigs= reincarnation of the Federalists? -Late 1840s, early 1850s, conflicts over slavery produce sharp divisions within both the Whig and Democratic Parties -1856, Whigs disintegrate, and, along with anti-slavery Democrats join the new Republican Party -1860, Republican Abraham Lincoln elected

System of 1896 Republicans and Democrats

-1890s, profound and rapid social and economic changes led to the emergence of a variety of protest parties, including the Populist Party, which won support of voters in the South and West -Populists appealed to small farmers, western miners, and urban workers -1896 Populists merge with the Democrats, and nominate William Jennings Bryan (South and far-west supporters) -Devil vs. the Wizard:Presidential election of 1896 -Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan wants to switch from the gold standard to the silver standard, which would have devalued money but assisted those in debt and increase trade -Republican William McKinley argues Bryan is the devil -This is the moment when the Wizard of Oz was written with a hidden political motive. The author, Frank Baum, supported Bryan and the change to the silver standard. Therefore, Dorothy follows the yellow brick (gold) road only to find a powerless wizard at the end. She clicks her silver heels to return home. -Republicans, the "Grand Old Party" (GOP) win this election by carrying the more heavily populated northern and midwestern states and the gold standard in maintained -Next 36 years, Republicans dominate -McKinley thinks William Jennings Brain is the devil b/c Brian wanted to change from gold to silver standard, yellow brick road is a reverence to gold standard

promoting business development

-19th century national gov promoted markets -national transportation networks were built to tie diff regions together -national tariff policies promoted domestic products by restricting imported goods -national gov subsidized railroad system, agricultural sector, and business sector -promotes business development thru categorical grants, subsidies, loans, and tax breaks

Balanced Budget Act 1985

-1st time a cap was placed on federal spending -effort to reduce federal deficit

What do federal cases involve?

-2 or more states -ambassadors and other high-ranking public figures -federal crimes (treason, piracy, counterfeiting) -bankruptcy -patent, copyright, trademark -admiralty (maritime law) -antitrust -securities and banking regulation -other cases psecificed by federal statue

government protecting consumers

-2st came about in 1900s w/ unsanitary foods products, led to creation of FDA -Consumer Product Safety Commission

Federal Courts

-3 level of courts: trial, appeals, Supreme -derives powers from US Constitution and federal laws -hears cases involving federal law -most judges appointed for life -US Supreme Court can hear appeals from state supreme courts

State Courts

-3 levels of courts: lowest = trials/county courts, court of appeals (only 75% of states have these), state supreme* court: operation mirros SCOTUS (*structure and names of courts vary by state) -derives powers from state constitution and state laws -hears cases involving state law -most judges elected or appointed for set terms -state level judges are appointed by governors -state appeals courts never hear cases that originate in federal courts -bound by state constitution but function similarly in all 50 states

welfare reform

-60s: Great Society -80s: stricter welfare requirements in order to be deemed entitlement but far more resources: provided child care and transportation to jobs, child support payments better enforced/collected -90s Clinton: Earned Income Tax Credit (1994) - if earned an income of $37,000 or lower, would get extra on tax return -Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (1996) -Obama: 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

monetary policies

-Article 1 Section 8 efforts to regulate economy thru manipulation of supply of $ and credit -Federal Reserve Board, most powerful institution regarding this -policies in which amount of $ in circulation and the interest rate in which money is borrowed is determined -controls amount of $ in circulation and interest rate in which it is borrowed

How have we tried to reduce federal spending?

-Balanced Budget Act 1985 -Budget Enforcement Act of 1990

types of interest groups

-Business and Agricultural Groups -Labor Groups -Professional Associations -public interest groups -Ideological Groups -Public Sector Groups

Civil War and Post-Civil War Republicans and Democrats

-Civil War, Lincoln relies heavily on Republican governors and state legislators to fund the Union's war effort, Democrats had lost many politicians due to succession of the South -With defeat of Confederacy in 1865, some congressional Republicans sought to convert the south to a Republican stronghold thru -Reconstruction initiatives such as granted suffrage to newly freed men Reconstruction program collapses in 1870s due to internal conflict and resistance from Southern states/KKK -End of Reconstruction to 1890s, Republican Party remains the party of the North with strong business and middle-class support, while Democrats were the party of the South, with support from the working class and state's rights advocates

commerce

-Commerce Clause regulating interstate and foreign trade -Gibbons v. Ogden -US v. Lopez -congress can't tax exports (1 ex where commerce clause doesn't expand national power) -Congress can't favor 1 trade port over another

participants in policy making

-Congress -Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) -Office of Management and Budget (OMB) -Secretary of Treasury -Federal Reserve (the Fed)

registration requirements

-Created in the early 19th century to combat the growing size of immigrant population -decentralization/unique patchwork of state registration rules -states/national government do not register you, your political participation, unlike other democracies, is a 2-step process -No state, except North Dakota, offers same-day registration -Registration requirements reduce voting by the young, those with lower levels of education, and the less affluent/the electorate tends to be the opposite of this voter ID requirements, 32 states require some form of ID, partisan issue

stereotypical republican

-Cubans -men -Catholics -white protestants (Evangelical Christians) -upper income -support cutting taxes, decreasing regulations on business, and lower social spending/positions that protect interests of the wealthy -working class whites -red -mountain west and south -older voters

astroturf lobbying (outside of washington lobbying)

-Designed to look like spontaneous, independent grassroots style participation but the action itself has been coordinated from the top down from some central organization -If detected its typically ignored b/c it says more about a group's ability to make participation accessible rather than the people who support the issue

Civil Rights and Political Equality: African Americans

-Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857 -Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Board of Education -NAACP -De jure v. de facto segregation -Civil War Amendments - 13, 14, 15 -Civil Rights Act 1964 -Votings Rights Act 1965 -Title VI -Title VII -Heart of Atlanta Motel 1964 -24th Amendment -Shelley v. Kraemer 1948 -Fair Housing Act of 1968 and redlining -Fair Housing Amendments Act 1988

Combating Gender Discrimination

-ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) -Equal Pay Act 1963 -Title VII 1964 -Title IX 1971

state and local party organizations

-Each of the 2 major parties has a central committee in each state, some are further decentralized, ex: city or district committee for that party -Tight-knit well organized parties, political party is finely tuned to inform public, to advocate for votes - party machine

Congressional Campaign Committees

-Each party forms a house and senate campaign committee -Depending on which party controls the white house, national committee and congressional campaign committees can often be rivals Ex: republican pres running for reelection and opposing party controls the senate, they are both pitching for $ from the same people

The Contemporary American Party System -Sixth Era 1968-present

-Election of Nixon, first moment of the 20th century where dominant parties in the executive and legislative branches are not the same -Nixon's "southern strategy" to appeal to disaffected white southerners who largely opposed desegregation in the south and did not align with the Democratic Party's support for Civil Rights Movement -Leadership of Reagan 1980s, "golden era" Republicans add 2 groups to their coalition -Religious conservatives turning away from the Democratic Party's position on abortion and gay rights, and alleged disdain for religious values -Working class whites drawn to Reagan's tough approach on foreign policy and opposition to affirmative action -Despite success of Republican presidential candidates, Republicans did not do well in state/local elections until the 1990s, with support from the religious right -GW Bush enjoyed temporary control of Congress, same with Obama -This era is marked by the dealignment trend, in which more voters identify themselves as independent, making no single party entirely dominant, this forces candidates, in may respects, to convey more of a middle ground, which can sometimes blur the ideological differences, making it appear to the public as though the 2 candidates are similar to a certain degree. Party activists help balance this need to attract the middle while reaffirming the core ideological values of the party -result=political gridlock,hyper partisanship, makes it difficult to hold an politician or political party accountable

Mapp v. Ohio (packet and in notes)

-Exclusionary Rule -4th Amendment is incorporated w/ this rule on state level -Ohio prohibited gambling and raunchy literature at time, girl was suspected of runnning a gambling ring, gov gor a warrant to search her home for gambling and found a large collection of porn literature but they didn't have warrant for that so can't convict her for porn she appealed her conviction on the basis of freedom of expression and court said evidence couldn't be used cuz it was obtained illegally

Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans -1790s-1820s: First Party Era

-Hamilton and Adams organize the Federalists in support of banking, business, and the educated elite, strong national government -Represented mainly New England merchants and supported protective tariffs to encourage manufacturing, repair war debt, creating a national bank, and maintaining commercial ties with Britain -Federalists, in control of government, sought to outlaw criticism of government with the Alien and Sedition Acts in order to lower the voice of the Jeffersonians, who were gaining ground in the South and Middle Atlantic states -Jefferson and Madison organize the Jeffersonian Republicans in support of farmers and the masses in general, state power Led by Southern agricultural interests, favored free trade, promoting of agricultural over commercial interests, and friendship with France -1800s, TJ beats incumbent John Adams, leads to gradual weakening and eventual end of Federalist Party -Until 1830s, one-party politics (absence of party competition), Jeffersonian Republicans, who gradually became known as the Democrats -This period, however, is marked by intense conflict within the Democratic Party itself -supporters/opponents of Andrew Jackson, first populist president with mass support in South and West -Jackson loses in 1824, but wins in 1828 and 1832

4 characteristics if a case determine jurisdiction

-How is fed gov involved? (does it involve a treaty/congressional legislation) -Who are the other parties involved? (states, agencies, etc.) -Where did the case arise? -severity of offense

ballot measures

-Initiatives and referenda increases voter turnout -When citizens are asked to vote directly on controversial policy issues, public awareness of politics and policy debates increases -Positive impact of direct democracy -ballot initiative -referendum

direct lobbying (capital hill strategies)

-Lobbyist working to speak directly with legislatures and bureaucrats -More likely to target like-minded politicians instead of opposition

environment and the economy

-National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) -Clean Air Act -Clean Water Act these laws regulate every aspect of the economy, they help assess a project's feasibility, environmental compliance can be costly

senate leadership

-President of senate = Vice Pres -President Pro Tempore -Majority Leader -Minority Leader

party machine

-Pressure people to vote along party lines, with incentives -Existed during spoils system, relied on patronage -Don't have party machines now b/c we have system of merit

grassroots lobbying (outside of washington lobbying)

-Relies on participation of group members ex: Letter writing, protests -Pretty effective b/c politicians don't want to go against needs of constituents

The New Deal Party System -Fifth Party Era, Democratic Realignment 1932-1964

-Republican Hoover inherits an excessively free market from Republican presidents Harding and Coolidge, little government regulation, leads to Stock Market Crash -Overwhelming support for Democrat FDR and his New Deal Programs, backed by a Democratic Congress -FDR widened the democratic party base by appealing to urban dwellers (switch), members of labor unions, Catholics, Jews, the poor, now mobilized, and the South, which had always been a strong democratic base -Republicans -Geographically speaking, we see a dramatic shift in party support over time! -Republican break in this era with Eisenhower, likely due to his military successes in WWII, but JFK's "New Frontier," and LBJ's "Great Society" Voting Rights Act 1965, reclaim the era of democratic dominance -We cannot ignore the complications the New Deal Coalition faced in the 1960s by conflicts involving Civil Rights(divides northern and southern Democrats and the Vietnam War (upper income liberal Democrats opposed expansion of US involvement in Southeast Asia) -This cracks in the Coalition's foundation will contribute to Nixon's Republican victory in 1968

hold

-Senators can place holds on bills to delay debate/vote but requires a Senator to identify himself if doing so since 2007

presidential legislative powers

-State of the Union Address - pres articulates priorities of congress -> initiate legislative action, gives public impression that pres is a primary actor in law-making -veto power -legislative initiative - pres had power to create agencies, which will play a role in laws congress makes ex: Nixon EPA 1971, Bush Department of Homeland Security can address counter-terrorism efforts

state electoral laws and participation

-States "regulate the electorate" controlling voter registration and voting itself -This decentralized system continues to create wide variations in the laws governing elections and voting, and thus participation in politics -registration requirements

third parties (on test)

-Typically organized to compete directly against the 2 major parties -Most of the time represent a specific interest that may not be as high of a priority to the 2 major parties -Can influence elections even if they don't win -Essentially running to protest people running: "Spoiler" parties -Ex: Ross Perot ran as an independent (reform party) Ran in 1992, ran again in 1996, Won 1 in 5 votes, so no chance of winning election but still influenced outcome -Ex: Al Gore (2000) would have won if Ralph Nader didn't run -The american public think you waste a vote if you vote for a third party ("wasted vote") Rules that serve as obstacles for the third party vote 1) winner take all in electoral vote 2) ballot access In order to even appear on the ballot you have to go thru a great deal of petitioning, timely process 2 major parties don't have to petition 3) campaign financing Less access to resources and funding Public can contribute some of their tax return to the national campaign for 2 major parties but 3rd parties but request that they don't get it naturally, have to show change over time w/ petition 4) excluded from presidential debates -Ranked choice voting

Issue Network

-a policy making instrument composed of loosely related interest groups, congressional committees, presidential aides, and others, they cooperate for a specific cause and then disband (temporary) -network that consists of people in interest groups, on congressional staffs, in bureaucratic agencies, in universities, and in the mas media who regularly debate an issue -informal -for debate

pocket veto

-a veto is automatically triggered if the president does not act on a piece of legislation and congress is no longer in session (veto by default) -if president doesn't take action within 10 days and congress is still in session then the bill becomes law -revolves around whether or not congress is in session -rarely used

committee deliberation

-after bill is drafted it is given to the clerk who puts a # on it and it is assigned to the appropriate committee -committees do the work of markups (revise/edit bill) -committee will vote whether to push bill to floor -when bills are reported out of the committee they are sent to the Rules Committee where debate time is determined and floor amendment rules (open vs. closed)

federal courts tier 2 - US Court of Appeals

-any case appealed behind district court level will hit this -12 circuits (12th is for DC, 13th circuit specializes on issues w/ patents and copyrights) -extensive caseload, hear lots from gov agencies -jurisdiction entirely held in appellate courts -no new evidence, no witnesses, no jury; lawyers and panel of 3 judges to hear case, each circuit rotates btw 6-28 judges (180 total) -en banc

senate powers

-approval of appointments -ratify treaties -approve Cabinet members -approve Supreme Court members -approve foreign ambassadors -approve federal judges and US Marshals -impeachment process - holds trial

libertarians

-argue gov should be limited to tiniest amount of activity as possible, minimal gov -gov should only be there for defense purposes -big on free market, freedom of expression

unilateralism

-believe that the post cold war world is unpredictable and dangerous -America has to use its power (hard power) to protect interests and values -no longer restrained by fear of cold war (let's kick some ass) -how we became one of most powerful countries in world -assertive/aggressive -provides freedom of action, acting out of interest of US (America 1st) -biggest priority is national security efforts ex: Trump's wall, Patriot Act

Concurrent Resolution

-both chambers of congress agree to pass the budget -doesn't have force of law, only allocations bills can solidify distribution of determined budget

What's the role of the President as a party leader?

-bull pulpit, speaker of party -setting agenda

policy making: Secretary Treasurer

-cabinet member, has expertise in finance and business -plays role in helping estimate gov's tax revenue/collection (what the gov needs to function w/ in terms of revenue)

political effects of judicial decisions

-can reform justice system ex: declared stop and frisk procedures unconstitutional, gave us Miranda rights -can direct social change ex: Brown v. Board, Obergefell v. Hodges -can shape legislative districts ex: constitutionality of gerrymandering (Baker v. Carr) -can strike down state laws ex: Loving v. VA -power to determine who is pres ex: Bush v. Gore -affect distribution of resources and entitlement ex: Kelly v. Goldberg (1970) - SCOTUS decided that welfare benefits cannot be taken away without due process

national convention (on test)

-candidates for presidency -Republican national convention (RNC) vs. Democratic national convention (DNC) nominating official candidate for pres -Establishing party rules, in terms of leadership and staff -Place where the party platform is officially adopted -Before WWII, national conventions were very timely and super collaborative, you went and debated who the best candidate was -Today they are more like media events, feels like the candidate has already been chosen, purpose is the same as before but operation is totally different today -Party rule -Feel more like internal docs b/c public doesn't read party platform (1 in 1000) Political parties members are chosen at state level to go to the national convention

1974 Federal Budget and Impoundment Control Act

-changed fiscal year form July 1 to June 30 o a calendar year to what we practice today, pres can't refuse to spend -allowed for transitional quarter which allows for more time to prepare budget for next fiscal year

Whips

-collect info on opinion of party members on certain bills -collect informal vote on their party members to see how many people support bills -each party has 100+ assistant whips

currency

-congress coins money and regulates its value -we removed gold stand in late 1970's, now US dollars only -allows congress to create bankruptcy laws

other congressional powers

-congressional oversight - techniques used by congress to control/supervise activities of executive branch, emphasized or encouraged w/ opposing party -senate power of advice and consent - 2/3rds vote in Senate will approve treaties and appointments -impeachment - shared House and Senate responsibility, House convicts and investigates, Senate holds trial

size of bureaucracy

-conservatives look to shrink it, liberals look to expand it (want larger fed involvement) -size largest in late 60s cuz of huge military (Vietnam era) -makes up 6-14% of US workforce -not growing any faster than pop or economy

how congress decides (voting)

-constituency - what people want -interest groups -party discipline: party unitary vote -roll-call vote - best strategy to ensure party line voters, have to say vote out loud -leadership PACs - fundraisers -committee assignments - if members get on a committee they want they'll probably be more loyal cuz they're happy -access to floor - controlled by party leader, shapes debate and vote -whip system - tries to maintain party unity, take tallies of voter interest -logrolling - idea of I'll support your bill if you support mine

Article 3

-created a single court (Supreme Court) -gave Congress power to create inferior courts

1921 Budget and Accounting Act

-creation of fed budget must begin w/ pres -began under Pres Warren G. Harding who argued that presidential involvement in preparing and presenting the budget helps congress and the public identify the pres's priorities

foreign relations and defense

-defense powers shared w/ congress and pres -pres = commander in chief -congress declares and funds war -hard to balance power until 1970's w/ the War Powers Resolution (1973) -approving treaties

political knowledge and changes in public opinion

-democracy requires that public opinion/mass views has a place in shaping public policy but Americans are ignorant when it comes to public policy -politicians should take into account mass views, public opinion is not accurate regarding political knowledge b/c Americans are ignorant -rational ignorance -political efficacy

House Rules Committee

-determine length of a floor debate on a bill -set rules for how a bill will be debated on the floor -open rule vs. closed rule

drawbacks to digital participation

-digital divide -Use of social media is cheaper for candidates, and may result in a more diverse number of candidates in general

minorities, women, and children

-disadvantage position in labor market -feminization of poverty -other than lobbying for children they have no political voice

limits SCOTUS has placed on congressional redistricting

-districts must be equally populated -lines must be contiguous or connect -redistricting cannot dilute minority voting strength -district lines cannot be drawn solely based upon race (no racial gerrymandering) -districts must be compact -communities of interest must be protected

right to bear arms

-early intent was state militia -today we look at is as personal rights to own a gun -NRA - biggest interest group for support of right to bear arms -Coalition to Stop Gun Violence - biggest opposer of NRA -McDonald v. Chicago 2010 (required) - helps understand process of selected incorporation

senate

-encourages more intimate and thorough debate -policy generalists -unlimited debate time -more media coverage -expulsion -censure -17th Amendment

political parties

-endorse well-qualified candidates ex: Emily's List: used to recruit democratic candidates, goal is to put women into office

goals of politicians when gerrymandering

-enhance political party strength/minimize strength of opposition party -protect incumbents/discourage challengers -inc/dec minority representation -punish foes/reward friends (cracking and packing)

federal courts tier 1 - Federal District Courts

-entry level tier -where most work gets done -94 district courts, each state has at least one but no more than 4 -each court gets at least 2 judges but no more than 28 -district judges hold office for life -magistrate judges - do a lot of real work for judges (429+ within federal district court system) -hold original jurisdiction over any question of federal law/nature (questions about constitution, challenges to fed agency) -courts employ grand and petit juries -evidence presented, witness called, is a cross-examination -defendant is represented by US attorney (crime against the states) -1 US attorney per district -juries deliver final verdict -special jurisdictions (fed courts have authority over first) 1) patents, copyrights, trademarks 2) bankruptcy issues 3) civil rights issues sometimes start here

freedom of expression

-essential to democracy -allows for an informed public -provides for a lot of misconception -a necessary evil -sedition - speech that criticizes gov, is it lawful?, historically the type of free speech most closely monitored

House and Senate Appropriations Committee

-evaluates individual funding allocations and discretionary spending -write budget legislation -final product: budget has been generated into a series of allocations bills that are sent to the pres for approval

2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

-expands funding to states -expired in 2011 -extended $ to low-income students

categorical grants

-fed $ tied to particular programs or categories for spending (strict requirements) -80% of fed $ is this -idea that sts have to take action to solve the problem but national gov gives them funding, instructions, compliance requirements -pos: policy uniformity, absolute st compliance -neg: takes long time to get $ to sts, not appropriate for local conditions -inc in 1960's ex: Johnson's Great Society and creation of Medicaid -ex: EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) channels $ to better enforce Clean Air and Water Act -best ex of cooperative federalism (marble cake federalism) cuz it involves intergovernmental cooperation -national gov loves these cuz they still are in control

block grants

-fed funding without strings attached -$ goes to broad purpose ex: welfare -sts love them -involves greater power to be innovative, could be efficient could be super inefficient -supported by devolutionists (people who want to return power to sts) ex: Nixon, Reagan, Bush -ex: largest is when Clinton replaces AFDC (Aids to fams w/ dependent children) which functioned similar to social security w/ TANF (temporary assistance to needy families) which gives sts power to shape their own welfare policies -high susceptible to budget cuts/changes -ex: 1974 urban development -> community development, housing, the project

Mains Powers of Congress

-finance -borrowing -commerce -currency -foreign relations and defense -implied power

Budget Enforcement Act of 1990

-for tax inc and a cap on discretionary spending

joint committees

-formed and comprised of both House and Senate members -permanent in nature but can't propose legislation, can only research and advise

Welfare State

-founded by Social Security Act of 1935 -created contributory and noncontributory programs

free riders/free rider problem

-free riders - people who benefit from interest groups work without being in the interest group - problem is that many interest groups efforts are centered on collective goods/benefits that are broadly available and can't be denied to nonmembers, which makes it easy for those who do not participate/lobby for said interests to benefit from those efforts ex: senior discounts, community association

drawbacks of online news

-general loss of investigative power (journalists declining) -a lot more various in quality of news (creates stronger more diverse marketplace of ideas but nature of media is freewheeling and internet could support hate speech, rumors, falsehoods -less likely to be objective -lower tolerance for social/religious/ethnic groups: reinforce preconceived notions about groups of people; self-selection -used as propaganda, enabled violent groups to spread their ideas ex: ISIS

Dual Federalism (layer cake federalism)

-goal to restrain national power -lasted from constitution to 1930's -st and national powers specifically defined -sts do most of fundamental governing -best reflection of intent of constitution -main focus of national level was trade/commerce, kept national gov small -good 1st step for US by putting power in sts, allowed national gov to take a back seat and have no pressure -since 1930's there's been an expansion of national gov power into local and st matters (not what framers intended)

promoting economic prosperity (growth)

-gov may now intervene for this = 20th century change in terms of role of gov in economy -Gross National Product (GNP) -Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

contracting

-gov must purchase goods and services by contract, law requires open bidding for part of the contracts, b/c gov contracts are extremely valuable and attractive to private sector businesses -this power is exercised buy gov regarding these deals: gov has power to set conditions on companies to sell goods or services to gov agencies to encourage corporations's improvements and to build up economy sectors w/ sound practices such as equal employment opportunities ex: military contracts -purpose to encourage people to do what they have not done, continue what they are doing, or alleviate what they have done

debate

-happens in House and Senate -Speaker of House and Senate Majority leader have power of recognition -debating in House is strict/rigid (set times, etc.) -debating in Senate is looser: Filibuster//Motion for Cloture

federal regulation policy over time

-has been in response to public demands -1st, gov regulated commerce btw states and internationally -by 1970s congressional policies shifted to regulate entire aspects of economy like health or environment -since 70s trend is against regulation b/c it was hurting economy

taxation

-has expanded over time -use to be mostly tariffs, now mostly income tax and social security tax

education policies

-help keep people out of poverty -provide opportunity for residtribution of welath -fed gov played minor role in edu until 50s/60s w/ Brown v. Board ex: Northwest Ordiance, GI Bill, National Defense Education Act 1958, No Child Left Behind 2001

Majority Leader (in House)

-help plan party's legislative agenda -help steer important bills thru chamber

McDonald v. Chicago 2010 (required)

-helps understand process of selective incorporation -incorporation of 2nd A thru 14th A to overturn Illinois law banning possession of handguns -protects individuals rights to own a handgun

federal courts tier 3 - US Supreme Court

-highest court in the nation -8 justices, 1 chief justice -deals w/ constitutional issues -only congress has power to change size of SCOTUS -Article 3 of constitution gives Scotus 2 types of jurisdiction: original and appellate

House and Senate Budget Committees

-hold hearings w/ members of executive departments to gather info/advise

continuing resolution

-if pres doesn't sign bills by start of new fiscal year then a continuing resolution passed by the House and Senate allows for temporary funding of gov

What do bureaucrats do?

-implement the law (primary responsibility) -work together/communicate/coordinate within agency/organization

radio

-inc in radio stations from a few hundred to several thousand -talk radio inc in popularity ex: NPR -radio audience is constantly changing so radio tends to repeat news

How do we pay for welfare state?

-inc in social policy spending -spend most on elderly (medicare, social security) -low or middle income fams bear burden for funding of social spending -very little spent on poor -majority of benefits provided for poor are noncash: services, food stamps

sources of campaign funds

-individual donors -PACs -candidates -independent 527 committees and 501 c(4)s

selective benefits in interest groups

-information benefits -material benefits -solidarity benefits - women and minorities benefits, info pamphlets -purposive benefits

What do state cases involve?

-interpretation of state constitution -state criminal offenses -tort and personal injury law -contract law -probate (wills) -family laws -sale of goods -corporations and business organizations -election issues -municipal/zoning ordinances -traffic regulations -real property

US v. Lopez 1995

-issue of federalism: can gov create law about where you can own a gun? -falls under 2nd A -permits guns near school zones: state power to determine whether that is permissible

conservatives

-large gov is counterproductive, threat to individual freedom, want small gov -tax cuts, less gov spending -> deregulation -maintenance and exercise of military strength -immigration policy is split: from business standpoint they like immigration but socially they want stricter policies -support status quo -suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formula and economic arrangements -believe that a large and powerful gov poses threat to citizens' freedom

Federal Reserve Board

-lead the Fed -appointed by Pres and confirmed by Senate -serve nonrenewable 14 year terms -largely independent of Pres and Congress, operate autonomously despite being elected by Pres and Congress -manipulates economic growth by controlling $ flow and managing th bankers' bank (Federal Reserve System)

Organizational components of interest groups

-leadership -money -agency or office -members

providing national security

-local level police -internal security - before 9/11 this fell under the Justice Department (DOJ), now falls under Homeland Security (DHS) -external security - Department of State - diplomacy abroad, promoting American interests, Department of Defense

recruiting candidates

-loyal to platform -good leadership records -need to raise enough $ to run (important), party expects you to raise by yourself -incumbent advantage

cabinet

-made of heads of major departments (15)(secretaries) and VP -no constitutional status by cabinet -> more determined by custom -appointed by pres, approved by senate -don't make decisions as a group - have an advisory role -don't answer to congress unless thru congress's oversight power -inner cabinet - councils or committees that can be comprised of heads of agencies or cabinet departments ex: NSA - pres's foreign advisory council, Secretary of St, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Treasury

Minority Leader (in House)

-maker sure party members vote on part lines and are present for votes

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

-means testing -provides extra income to people whoa re disables -financed thru general taxes, not thru Social Security

policy making: Federal Reserve (the Fed)

-members are led by the Federal Reserve Board -most important function is to regulate supply of $ and the circulation of $ and the reserve rate -can impact national $ supply by buying or selling gov bonds, when Fed buys bonds it puts $ back into circulation

solns to global warming

-mitigation -promoting alternative technologies: thru large scale research and development, may be challenged b/c of need for skilled labor force -adaptation policies: measures that allow us to adapt to warmer climate, establishment of green corridors, pest and disease control, water conservation, relocation of people from low-lying areas (many of these policies would be difficult to implement)

theories on how gov should operate economy

-monetarism -keynesianism -supply-side economics

socialists

-more gov involvement is best remedy for social and economic inequality -equality of outcome -believe in idea of social ownership, gov controls big corps./businesses -more likely to have very high tax rates but free health care and free college

religion

-most critical -fastest growing pop. in country are nonreligious people -evangelical protestants and catholics tend to be conservative on moral issues -Americans appear to hate muslims more than atheists

policy making: congress

-most important player in economic policy-making, more in House than Senate b/c all policy bills start in House -power of purse -tons of committees and subcommittees that look at economic policy

Speaker of the House

-most powerful -tightly control operation of chamber, agenda, debate process -appoints members to committees -refers bills to their proper committees -schedules bills for action -appoints members to House Rules Committee (where all bills pass thru) -appointed by majority party -have power of recognition for debates (choose who speaks)

Majority Leader (Senate)

-most powerful position in senate (a lot less formal authority in senate) -has power of recognition in debates (chooses who speaks)

national news vs. local news

-national news reporters are more likely to criticize and question political leaders -local reporters normally just report on issue itself -old people love local TV, youth loves social media

first-lady

-no constitutional basis - participates in ceremonial activities -within last 40 years they create their own initiatives ex: Michelle Obama - health program for children

borrowing

-no constitutional limit on how much $ congress can borrow -usually in deficit spending (spending more than taking in) -Pre Great Depression we borrowed $ to finance war -Post Great Depression we borrowed $ to finance social programs -1998-2001 operate w/o deficit spending under Clinton: The Balanced Budget Act of 1997

ethnicity

-no linked fate for latinos -latinos = fastest growing minority but super diverse -where they come from puts them on spectrum: Cubans are super conservative b/c Castro whereas we'd think most latinos are liberal

employment and training program

-no strong system on fed level -could inc job security if we had these on fed level (we have them on state level)

ERA (Equal Rights Amendment)

-not passed/never ratified -would have banned discrimination based on gender and guarantee women equal protection under the law -passed in House in 1970s and sat in Senate for 2 years, hit floor based on discharge petition, bill expired in 1982 (needed 38 states to ratify but only 35 states signed it) -in reality what would it actually change? and it's close to Roe v. Wade/other reproductive rights, super vague, didn't know what implications would be made

mandatory spending

-not subject to budget process federal spending which is made up of uncontrollables which are budgetary items that are beyond the control of congressional budgetary committees and are controlled by legislative action ex: debt interest -required by law, not subject to annual budget process -much of this $ goes to gov programs which Americans are entitled by law ex: social security, medicare -this type of spending has inc over time, reflective of increased involvment of fed gov in lives of American people -69% of federal spending, has inc over time so less wiggle room in budget for controversy policies/programs

electoral realignments

-occur every 30 years, some more critical than others -The party's principal changes, party replaces ruling party -Roughly every 30 years a party trumps another -Occur when new issues/problems arise, it weakens the established political elites (those in power) -Allows those new groups to gain influence ex: 1) Election of 1800 = 1st electoral realignment See the establishment of modern day democratic party Change of power, loser is federalist party and winner is democratic-republican party 2)Election of 1824-28 = Andrew Jackson Democratic-republicans are the winners and reinforcing the modern democrat and the losers were the whigs (no more) 3) Election of 1860 = Lincoln Winner is the republican party and the Know nothing party are the losers Lincoln is emerging as the leader of the republican party trying to maintain sense of nationalism in the civil war 4) Election of 1932 = FDR Rise of the southern democrat (but they had republican ideals) New democratic coalition now gaining support of the white southerners Pulling out of depression Shaped democratic ideals Democratic party wins, loser is the republican party, republicans had been "owning" politics until that time 5) Election of 1968 = Nixon Republicans win Election of 2004 and 2008 = Obama Republican to democrat power shift Realignment of the Democratic party

Appropriations Committee

-one exists in House and one in Senate -sign bills into laws that channel funds to different federal programs

US House Budget Committee

-oversees the annual budget process

policy making: Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

-part of Bureaucracy/Executive Office of the President (EOP) -include economic professionals, typically those aligned w/ Pres's views -analyze economic issues, forecast economic trends -prepares annual economic report the Pres sends to Congress

policy making: Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

-part of Bureaucracy/Executive Office of the President (EOP) -responsible for preparing the Pres's budget (contains presidential spending priorities and costs of policies -looks at needs of gov agencies: negociate departments budgets, estimate $ needed in fed budget, shape/create budget Pres sends to Congress

standing committees

-permanent committees -responsible for legislation/policy in a particular area (broad policy) (ex: agriculture, foreign affairs, Armed Forces Committee) -subcommittees exist (ex: Armed Forces Committee has subcommittees - land power, sea power, air power -committee chairs determined by seniority

mitigation

-policies aimed at the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions -includes tougher standards for auto fuel mileage and higher taxes on gasoline -adaption of "carbon tax" or the "cap and trade" system

liberals

-political and social reform, expanding welfare state -more gov involvement in economy -more open to change, progressive reform -more likely to push for criminal justice reform -more likely to support foreign aid to other countries -more likely to look for diplomacy rather than military force -more likely to push for stronger position in UN ex: protecting civil rights, controlling big business

Who picks federal judges?

-pres nominates -senate approves -blue slip process - senate tradition allows senator from state covered by the lower court to reject a nominee for that court (tradition frayed in recent years but still has influence)

federal budget process

-pres proposes budget w/ legislation (OMB for pres) - proposal for funding -congressional budget office -once budget is passed we need subsequent appropriations bills

regulation of the media

-print media is essentially free from gov interference -gov regulates content and ownership of broadcast media, monitored by FCC, regulate airwaves, prohibits obscenity, indecency, profanity, sexually explicit references, focus is broadcast air not cable TV, internet, or satellite radio

media

-private for profit business, try to make $ off advertisers who want to buy time, job is to profit not protect democracy -Americans distrust media

Reaganomics

-proposed and secured a general tax cut -inc $ supply so that more optimistic public would invest more, produce more, and get nation out of inflation (supply-side economics)

4th Amendment

-protects against unreasonable search and seizure of property, probable cause to maintain a warrant, modern tech has challenged what is considered property, drug testing in schools is permissible

measuring public opinion

-public opinion polls -random sampling -sampling size -sampling error -random digit dialling -survey design and question wording -internet surveys -face-to-face surveys -framing

social groups and public opinion

-race: linked fate -ethnicity -gender -religion -party polarization -social capital - social networks and connections

House Ways and Means Committee

-raises $ and helps shape how we spend it -deals w/ tax laws, social security, medicare, welfare (spending and taxation bills) (tax appropriation) -cannot serve on any other committees if you serve on this one

What do political parties do?

-recruiting candidates -party nominations and primaries -general election and mobilizing voters (raise $)

house powers

-revenue bills -impeach federal officers -elect pres in case of electoral college tie

implied power

-revolves around Necessary & Proper Clause -interpretation is tricky -McCulloch v. Maryland ex: social security and medicare

censure

-senate discipline -publicly denouncing a senator

expulsion

-senate discipline -senators w/ a 2/3rds vote in chamber can remove senators (has happened 15 times) ex: TN senator 1797 when he plotted w/ British to seize Florida; 14 other during Civil War for supporting Confederacy

President Pro Tempore (Senate)

-serves as pres of senate in absense of VP (a lot) -position of honor, no real responsibility/power -preside over senate -only votes to break a tie -recognizes members to speak but don't take part in debate themselves -based on seniority

agency clientele

-services provided by agencies tied to a specific segment of American pop. -strong relations w/ your clientele is crucial to preservation of agencies that often come under attack -typically results in Iron Triangle but today efforts are made to involve support from public, need efforts/resources to do so -in 80s Reagan tried to get rid of federal Department of Education but iron triangle created made it impossible ex: veterans, Department of Edu - appeal to teachers, Department of Agriculture - created to og assist the farmer

presidential action

-sign a bill into law -veto a bill: congress can override w/ 2/3rds vote in House and Senate -issue a pocket veto (default veto)

party caucus/conference

-start of congressional session (2 years) (now 115th congress) -choose leadership -closed meeting -each party meets separately -identify policy priorities -determine majority/minority leaders, whips, Speaker of the House (called caucus by Democrats and Conference by Republicans)

National Convention System

-strengthened role of pres in 1830's -used for nominating presidential candidates -King Caucus used before based on congressional party leaders w/ candidates chosen by st. legislators -gives pres mass popular base -switches accountability from pres and congress to pres and people -> delegates chosen to attend national convention -run by influential party leaders, may not rep entire electorate -> minimizes authentic rep presidential primaries - add element to democracy, ordinary citizens take part

unfunded mandates

-strict, specific requirements w/o national funding provided -threat of criminal or civil penalties if sts don't comply -cheap in national level, costly at st level -undermines st power and cooperation ex: No Child Left Behind Act (2001), Real ID Act (2005) - watermark, hologram, readable code, $11 M, Affordable Care Act/Obamacare (2010) - expanded eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare, 32 sts bought in as of 2016 -Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (1994) - Congress has to propose an estimate to the cost

no national gov influence/involvement

-sts have power to create own policies -diversity amongst st policies, inequality in sts, -reflection of dual federalism -ex: Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a fed holiday in 1968, only applied to fed jobs, all 50 sts don't recognize holiday until 2000

Non-Suspect Classifications

-subject to the rational basis test -noncontroversial ex: curfew laws

sources of revenue

-tariffs -estate tax -gift tax -non-tax sources

select committees

-temporary committees -investigate/address a particular problem ex: Watergate Committee (1973) ex: committee on Benghazi to investigate Department of State

conference committees

-temporary join committees -created in order to work out differences in a bill only meets if a House changes a bill and Senate changes bill and they are different -no balance/don't have to have proportion of part members equal to those in the House

Can a bureaucracy be downsized?

-termination or elimination of a program in general -deregulation -devolution -privatization

multilateralism

-the most important issues facing the US can't be resolved unilaterally (on our own), we need allies, but recognize that we are superior -transnational ex: ebola = global issues, responses should be together -American power is superior but not unlimited -allies and partnerships allow for pooling of capabilities to address problems -US should protect its status as a superpower but can't maintain that status thru unilateral policies

VA Plan

-the people are the source of power -bicameral (house and senate) structure of legislative branch -reps determined by amount of taxes the st pays -passes laws by simply majority (51% to pass) -congress has power to tax and regulate trade -single executive appointed by congress -national court system w/ power to overturns st laws -the people will approve the new constitution

NJ Plan

-the states are the source of power -unicameral structure of legislative branch -1 vote per state -supermajority to pass laws (67% = 2/3rds) -congress has power to tax and regulate trade -multihead executive panel -national court system but they have no power over states -st govs/legislatures will vote on constitution

Judicial Facts

-there is no specific requirement for becoming a federal judge -average age of Supreme Court Justices is 71 -federal judges are appointed for life and can only be removed through an impeachment process -Supreme Court term begins 1st Monday in Oct. and runs thru late June/early July, term is divided into "sittings" for the hearing of cases and delivering of opinions, and intervening "recesses: for the consideration of the business before the Court and writing of opinions

foreign policy positions

-unilateralism -multilateralism -isolationalism

King Caucus

-used to select pres candidates before 1830's before National Conventions -based on congressional party leaders w/ candidates chosen by st/ legislators

the working poor

-very limited assistance from gov ex: earned income tax credit, food stamps -seen as deserving but not a politically powerful voice ex: labor unions

Latinos voting*

-vote as the "sleeping giant" - the largest and fastest growing minority with the lowest levels of voter turnout -Rapid population growth, increased registration and voting, and uncertain party attachment all magnify the importance of the Latino vote

full employment

-wasn't promoted by fed or local gov before 1930s Great Depression demanded a change in outlook as fed programs provided a means of employment temporarily -WWII production boosted economy and employed many Americans -GD and WWII made it clear to Americans that gov should play role in combating unemployment -1960s fed gov policies work on achieving full employment -1990s high employment, low inflation

cloture (motion for cloture)

-when someone is filibustering you can get 2/3rds vote in Senate to silence them/get them off the floor -a vote to close the debate

Constitution

-written at the Philadelphia Convention -Charles Beard - believed framers were rich and looking to protect personal property, self-interest (elitest view) -John Roche - believed framers represented the needs of the populous, goal was economic development, framers upheld principles of Revolution -had to be strong enough to protect and promote trade -prevent threat of excessive democracy (tyranny of majority) -need to protect liberties and rights (Bill of Rights)

Wesberry v. Sanders 1963

1 person, 1 vote, districts should be equal in pop.

coattail effect

1 vote for 1 member of a party is a vote or the whole party

What 3 main things it takes to win a presidential election?

1) $ 2) personal appeal 3) good campaign (good slogan)

presidential programs

1) Congressional Research Service 2) Congressional Budget Office 3) Government Accountability Office

party systems

1) Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans -1790s-1820s: First Party Era 2) Democrats and Whigs -1828-1856: Second Party Era 3) Civil War and Post-Civil War Republicans and Democrats 4) System of 1896 Republicans and Democrats 5) The New Deal Party System -Fifth Party Era, Democratic Realignment 1932-1964 6) The Contemporary American Party System -Sixth Era 1968-present

power committees

1) House Ways and Means Committee 2) House Rules Committee 3) Appropriations Committee 4) House Budget Committee

What are we guaranteed as citizens?

1) Right to be free of government surveillance and intrusion. Especially in martial matters. 2) Right to not have private affairs made public by the gov 3) Right to be free in thought and belief from governmental compulsion

what committees do

1) authorize -authorizing committees to pass laws 2) appropriate -appropriation committees decide how much $ will be spent on particular programs 3) set rules -set rules more in House cuz it's bigger 4) budget -particular committees shape federal budget -critical to lawmaking process -best means of efficiently tackling different types of bills -not part of constitution, came from need over time -push bills onto floor for debate or kill them -conduct hearings (legislative oversight) -research policies and bills to evaluate them -tons of staff: lawyers, policy experts, interns -lead by chairperson, chosen by majority party -House Rules Committee and Speaker of House determine # of committee members in each but composition of committee must reflect composition of House (ex: 70% republicans in house = 70% republicans in committee) -congresspersons can serve on 2-4 committees at a time requests for committee assignments are driven by congresspersons, Speaker of House typically honors these requests

How SCOTUS makes decisions

1) choosing which cases to hear -SCOTUS gets 8,000 petitions per year -> reduc to 80-90 (intense screening) -rule of access: case/controversy - there has to be a literal controversy involved standing - the people involved have to have standing, have stake in the outcome, have to be impacted by outcome of case mootness - if they no longer require a resolution, they won;t be heard ex: Roe v. Wade she already had the baby -virtually all of SCOTUS courts are heard on appeal -writs of certiorari -law clerks and solicitor general -justices receive summaries: chief justice writes a "discuss list"/justices add to it, rule of 4, can be influenced by "amicus curiae" briefs 2) deciding cases -once on docket, lawyers create briefs (oral arguments) and get 30 min to present), justices can question lawyers -deciding the case happens in private conference meetings, chief justice breaks tie, need majority to decide a case (at least 5) (each side gets a justice to write an opinion) 3) after conference meetings -> writing of opinions -majority opinion of the court -dissenting opinion -concurring opinion 4) judicial philosophy #1 judges should limit the exercise of their own power -strict construction - perception of constitution -judicial restraint - judges should show more restraint when evaluating laws, rely on precedent, less likely to overturn laws -judicial conservatism #2 -loose construction - constitution as an outline that should be applied in a way to be relevant of the times (constitution is evolving to reflect what society needs at given time) -judicial activism -judicial liberalism

benefits of online news

1) convenience 2) currency - current, up-to-the-minute news 3) better/greater depth of coverage compared to TV -internet provides info and shows visuals and taps into emotions 4) diversity of opinion

campaign finance reform

1) created Federal Election Commission (FEC) -bipartisan administers and enforcers of campaign laws 2) provided public financing for presidential elections -matching funds from tax $ - you can check a $3 box on your taxes 3) limited presidential campaign spending -if you get federal $ you must spend less than $35 M on primaries and $80 M on general election 4) required disclosure -who contributed and how the money was spent

How do interest groups get what they want?

1) direct lobbying (capital hill strategies) 2) counteractive lobbying (capital hill strategies) 3) grassroots lobbying (outside of washington lobbying) 4) astroturf lobbying (outside of washington lobbying)

4 ways to take control of bureacracy

1) enhance power of EOP -6 in 1930's to 1,400+ today -OMB 2) increased power to review actions of bureaucracy -regulatory review - control rule-making process for agencies ex: Clinton and Bush used 3) expanding/relying on increasing use of executive orders -don't have to answer to anyone (unilateral goverance), executive orders have replaced treaties, which require senate approval, thus allowing pres to act unilaterally ex: Affirmative action 4) signing statements -formal announcements when a pres signs a bill into law -statement could show pres's interpretation of law, identify what he believes benefits to the law would be, clarity parts of the law

3 federal regulations concerning equal access to broadcast media and political content

1) equal-time rule 2) right of rebuttal 3) fairness doctrine

fed gov economic goal

1) general economic growth 2) low unemployment 3) stable prices for goods and services 4) balanced budget

3 types of 3rd parties

1) ideological - reject the prevailing attitudes fo existing parties, often these parties call for more active gov ex: socialist party, communist party, Tea Party 2) single-issue party - promotes a single principal ex: 1948 Dixiecrats - pro-segregation, Green Party - environmentally friendly 3) represents some specific social or economic interest that the 2 parties ignore ex: Populist Party, Rosse Perot's Reform Party -only 3rd party to become permanent is the Republican Party, use to be the Whips

3 positions on welfare

1) individualistic 2) permissive 3) puritan

Federalist #78

1) judiciary will be the least dangerous to political rights of Constitution (can't annoy or injure them) 2) no influence over sword or purse, only has judgement 3) weakest branch 4) need for life term, so they aren't subject to reelection, makes them disconnected from politics, no pressure from people 5) complete independence of courts of justice is essential 6) constitution must be regarded by judges as fundamental law, judges must ascertain its meaning Hamilton writes this, trying to ratify constitution (Anti-Feds worred about power of central gov), ensures public judiciary is weakest branch: -lacks power of purse (tax, spend, budget) (congress's power) -lacks power of sword (power to enforce law) (executive's power)

articles of the constitution

1) legislative 2) executive 3) judicial 4) state obligations to one another: Full Faith and Credit Clause; Privileges and Immunities Clause; extradition 5) amendment process: proposal, ratification 6) Supremacy Clause - laws on national level are supreme over state laws 7) ratification of constitution (9/13 sts to ratify)

how the federal economic policy protects public against potential abuse by concentrated economic power

1) national gov establishes conditions governing the operations of big business to ensure fair competition 2) federal gov can enforce antitrust policy in order to force a larger company to break into smaller ones if it has established a monopoly

4 ways to influence sts

1) no national gov influence/involvement 2) categorical grants 3) block grants 4) unfunded mandates *5) revenue sharing

How do voters decide?

1) partisan loyalty 2) issues -salient issues -valient issues -wedge issues 3) economy 4) candidate characteristics prospective vs. retrospective voting

4 ways congress persons represent us

1) policy representation 2) allocation 3) casework 4) symbolic representation

How do minority parties make important contributions to the political system?

1) present new ideas/voices 2) enhance political participation -Do gain support just not the majority 3) put pressure on major parties to include underrepresented ideas or groups -Major parties want to gain new voters by incorporating these ideas 4) help clarify major party positions for the public

top 3 decisions makers who shape foreign policy

1) president (inherent power) 2) House leaders (budget) 3) Department of State - look more to foreign policy Department of Defense carries these policies out

how FCC regulates airwaves

1) prevent near-monopolies of control over a broadcast market by establishing rules regarding # of stations owned or controlled by same company 2) conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performance of stations as part of its licensing authority 3) establishes rules of fair treatment concerning equal access to airwaves

3 goals of gov intervention in economy

1) promoting economic stability 2) stimulating economic growth 3) protecting employees and consumers -best way to stimulate economy is thru spending -economic stability relies on jobs (inc jobs incs public spending)

5 important functions of the law and American legal system

1) provide security and order 2) predictability 3) conflict resolution 4) reflect social values 5) ensures that the benefits and rewards of society are distributed the way they should be

5 functions of congress

1) representation 2) lawmaking 3) overseeing/supervising the bureaucracy (departments and agencies) 4) power of confirmation - confirm presidential appointments, Senate ratifies treaties 5) investigate operation of gov agencies

constitutional principles

1) separation of powers 2) checks and balances 3) federalism 4) limited gov 5) popular sovereignty 6) judicial review

4 types of online news

1) social media 2) niche journalism 3) citizen journalism 4) non-profit

kinds of law

1) substantive (know) 2) procedural (know) 3) criminal (know) 4) civil (know) 5) constitutional 6) statutory 7) administrative law 8) executive orders

2 strategies African Americans used to push for equal rights

1)protesting 2)litigation - process of using courts to bring about some resolve, NAACP used this the most

Slaughterhouse cases 1873

14th A exists, SCOTUS doesn't apply 14th A, revolves around monopolization of slaughterhouses (only certain # could operate), substantive guarantee - right/freedom to work, in era of dual federalism so despite guarantee of substantive guarantee being jeopardized this structure of dual federalism prevents application of 14th A breaking up monopoly, fail on selected incorporation

Equal Protection Clause

14th amendment clause that prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law, and has been used to combat discrimination

Hatch Act

1939 part of New Deals reform, bans federal employees from active participation in certain type of political activities -protects Civil Service members from being fired due to their political affiliation

responsible party model

4 criteria that help us measure the efficiency of a party 1) coherent platform - voter needs to know where the party stands, party needs to stand in direct contrast to the opposite party 2) loyalty/adherence to platform - this is our pledge if you put us in power we will carry it out 3) level of accountability to the voter - b/c voter is gonna either keep or remove you from power 4) voter accountability over party leaders - do so thru opinion pulling b/c we don't get to elect our leaders (ex: leader of the house) in essence ex: 2 year election for congress person, vote people out

felon disenfranchisement

48 states, except Maine and Vermont, and DC prohibit prison inmates who are serving a felony sentence from voting, 29 states prohibit it while on parole -formal barrier to voting

majority system

50% + 1 -maintain power of 2 major parties

The Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail, Fed 10 & 51 by Madison are important

protest

A form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional tactics.

unitary system

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government; a state governed as a single power in which the central government is ultimately supreme and any administrative divisions exercise only the powers that the central government chooses to delegate ex: England during Revolutionary War

Public Sector Groups

A growing arena, ex. League of Cities/public sector -Ex. "research lobby" -Think tanks and universities that have an interest in obtaining government funds for research and support -Universities have expanding lobbying efforts while reducing faculty size -Ex. Harvard

bicameralism

A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses ex: USA - House of Reps and Senate

Letter form Birmingham Jail

A letter in which Martin Luther King Jr. says that Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. He meant by this that everyone is connected and it is everyone's responsibility to push for justice everywhere.

affirmative action

A policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities

republic/representative democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people; indirect democracy, what the USA is today

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power, limits power of fed gov

American Bankers Association

Accused muckrakers of promoting socialism

digital political participation

Activities designed to influence politics using the internet, such as visiting a candidate's website, organizing events online, and signing online petitions -Includes discussing issues and mobilizing supporters thru social media, email, text, contributing money online for campaigns -outside of voting this is the most common form of political participation ex: Twitter

Articles of Confederation

America's 1st constitution that was weak and governed America during the Revolutionary War, supported by anti-federalists Powers denied to central gov: -can't regulate trade -can't maintain or raise an army -no way to collect money/tax (can't fund gov) -no executive branch/element (no Prez) -no national courts Powers of Congress: -only branch! -war/foreign relations -make laws (still restrained by states) 9/13 votes to pass a law, 13/13 votes to amend AoC -settle issues regarding west (Northwest Ordinance - made it clear a stronger nat. gov was good for country) Weaknesses: -no strong leader -no means of revenue -no way to interpret law -*each state gets 1 vote regardless of size -9/13 states to approves of laws -any changes to articles themselves required unanimous agreement -little respect for central gov

Sierra Club

American environmental organization. Helped promote the protection of the environment and nature.

two-party system

Americans have prefered this system for the past 150 years, doesn't look like it's gonna change -single member districts -presidential election campaign fund -ballot access

role of Congress

Article 3 gives Congress power to create inferior courts, they did w/ Judiciary Act of 1789

right of rebuttal

FCC regulation that grants individuals the opportuntiy to publicly respond to personal attacks made about them on radio or TV

fairness doctrine

FCC requirement for broadcasters that air programs and on controversial issues to provide time for opposing views, this enforcement expired in 1985

2 highlights of social policy

FDR 1930s New Deal -address unemployment, economic crisis LBJ 1960s Great Society -addresses poverty and care for elderly -medicare, medicaid -Redevelopment Act of 1964

Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

Federal law requiring employers to verify and maintain records on applicants' legal rights to work in the United States

majority-minority districts

In the context of determining representative districts, the process by which a majority of the population is from the minority.

Redevelopment Act of 1964

$ to cities for revitalization of old homes

symbolic speech

(freedom of expression) ex: burning a draft card, burning the American flag, voting, Tinker v. Des Moine 1968

NY Times v. US 1971 (required)

(freedom of speech case) about Pentagon Papers and involved in Vietnam, Nixon tried to exercise prior restraint power to keep Papers from leaking but SCOTUS said no you can not use it to censor NY Times

Texas v. Johnson

(freedom of speech case) said you couldn't burn the American flag, Flag Protection Act 1989 overturned this

NY Times v. Sullivan 1964

(freedom of speech case) words published that show evident mal-intent is prohibited but only if the person who wrote those words knew the truth prior to doing so (if journalist knows truth but publishes falsehood)

Schenck v. US 1919 (required)

(freedom of speech case) (freedom of expression) -"Clear and Present Danger Test" -"Imminent Lawless Action Test"

Reno v. ACLU 1997

(obscenity.pornography case) porn considered 1st A protection and can't be limited on internet

Flag Protection Act 1989

(symbolic speech) SCOTUS overturned Act in Texas v. Johnson 1989 so you could burn the flag, protected as symbolic speech

young voters

-10% of Americans are on the sidelines, this group is young and diverse -increasing amount of young people identify as independent

legal sources of Civil Rights

-13, 14, 15, 19, 26 Amendments -federal and state laws -due process -selective incorporations

stereotypical democrat

-African Americans -Latinos -Asian Americans -women -Jews -nonreligious -lower income -working class minorities -coasts, upper midwest, and nothern states -blue -young people

history of Social Welfare System

-before 30s (FDR, New Deal) addressing need of poor was responsibility of private charities and local govs

staff system

-every congress member has tons of staff -help handle constituent requests -help research policies -deal w/ clerical work (keeping congressperson organized) -around 12,000 staffers in congress -staff agencies help w/ congressional/bureaucratic oversight

power in social policy (weakest to strongest)

-judiciary -bureaucracy -congress -president

house of representatives

-larger and more organized than the senate, structure and rules defined -policy specialists -all revenue bills start here - House Ways and Means Committee (tax appropriation) -impeachment process - house convicts

in-kind benefits

-noncash goods and services provided to need indivudals ex: food stamos

news coverage

1) press release 2) media leaks 3) adversarial journalism

Amendment 26

18 years old to vote; product of student movements

America's growth rate over time

1800s-1880s: -natural resources propelled economic growth Industrial Revolution-WWII: -manufacturing industries are the driving economic force 1990s: -economy growth rate at over 4%/year (=high) w/ low inflation and high employment

Buckley v. Valeo

1976 it was determined that contributing to a candidate was a protected form of speech (1st A) -struck down limits on candidate spending, independent expenditures, and use of personal funds

Bill of Rights

1st 10 Amendments, NOT part of og constitution, only protection on national/federal level/law (didn't apply to states)

Iowa caucus

1st state to determine those candidates, frontrunner, media coverage for whoever wins in Iowa will gain momentum

Which Amendments give us privacy rights?

1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 14th

5) campaign strategy

2 types 1) grassroots campaigns 2) mass media campaigns

SCOTUS change over time

3 phases of SCOTUS history 1) constituion -> New Deal -state vs. national power -dual federalism -McCullough v. Maryland 2) 1930s-1980s -liberal -national gov in regards to economy, regulation of trade labor 3) return to conservatism -general protection of our civil liberties

lobbying executive branch

40% of lobbyists contact the legislative and executive branch for enforcement/implementation of their interests

How many people do US House districts roughly represent?

700,000

Robinson v. California 1962

8th A in question, Robinson gets pulled over for traffic violation, cop notices he has track marks on his arm probs from drugs (heroine), cop asked if he was high, at time CA had a law that criminalized addiction, he told truth and said he was cuz of CA law they didn't need to catch him in the act so he gets arrested, SCOTUS takes case thru application of 8th A and said it was cruel punishment cuz addiction is a disease, you can't criminalize a condition/status/desire, died of drug overdoes before case was decided, SCOTUS uses 14th A to justify for stepping in

theocracy

A government controlled by priests or religious laws

Poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857

Africans Americans not considered citizens

ballot access

Allowing a political party to put a candidate on the ballot -harder for 3rd parties

Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1971, 1974

Allows corporations, unions and trade associations to form PACs as a means of raising campaign funds. United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns, and amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. The amendment also created the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

AARP*

American Association of Retired Persons

AARP

American Association of Retired Persons; Nationwide organization for people over 50 that offers discount drug purchases, health & auto insurance, publications, & other activities most popular/influenctial interest group

AFL-CIO

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

winner-take-all

An almost obsolete system whereby a presidential aspirant who won the preference vote in a primary automatically won all the delegates chosen in the primary

equality of opportuntity

An economic value in American culture which maintains that all people should have the same opportunity to get ahead

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

An independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable, and satellite.

national supremacy

Article VI, makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits

Supremacy Clause

Article VI, makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits, anti-feds don't this

general election and mobilizing voters

As soon as the nomination process is finished, voter mobilization occurs (campaign immediately starts) -Occurs first on local level -Can include data mining - both political parties have giant database for potential voters -Microtargeting - campaigns efforts/messages intended to reach specific groups of people

indoor relief

Assistance given to the poor and the needy through placement in institutions, such as poor-houses, orphanages, and prisons

Regents v. Bakke 1978

Bakke is white student 78' denied admission to specific program due to quotas, 16 of 100 seats reserved for minority groups, Bakke argues it's reverse discrimination cuz he cannot compete for any of those 16 seats, SCOTUS deems quotas unconstitutional but upholds Affirmative Action

constitutionalism

Basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the law; the rule of law (the constitution); The set of arrangements, including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and a bill of rights, that requires our leaders to listen, think, bargain, and explain before they act or make laws, we then hold them politically and legally accountable for how they exercise their powers.

double jeopardy

Being tried twice for the same crime

Amendments 1-10

Bill of Rights

Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) (hw)

Brandenburg, a leader in the Ku Klux Klan, made a speech at a Klan rally and was later convicted under an Ohio criminal syndicalism law, Court's per curiam opinion held that Ohio law violated Brandenburg's free speech (freedom of speech case)

Proposition 209 CA 1996

CA state law prohibited affirmative action policy (argued not necessary)

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Can NY st gov protect a monopoly on transit from NY to NJ (interstate monopoly) -No, violates Commerce Clause, fed gov can regulate interstate trade

McCulloch v. Maryland

Can congress create a national bank? And can sts tax that bank for being in the st?; establishes -Yes, creation of 1st national bank was an implied power -No, sts can't tax bank cuz Supremacy Clause

presidential executive powers

Chief Executive Officer -make sure all laws are faithfully executed -appointment and removal of executive officers and federal judges -Executive Privilege - a president's claim that confidential communication, especially in regards to national security - should not be made public, ex: 1st exercised by George Washington; Nixon and Watergate -executive order - rule or policy issued by pres that has the force of law and doesn't require senate approval

Appropriations Bills

Congress creates these, each bill sends $ to agencies/departments.programs (allocating $ thru individual bills)

National Labor Relations Act

Congress passed this in response to Great Depression, set up new framework for industrial relations

Interstate Commerce Clause

Constitutional clause that gives Congress the right to regulate interstate commerce. This clause has been broadly interpreted to give Congress a number of implied powers.

separation of powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law and being the most powerful so its bicameralism makes it weaker, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (hw)

Dale was kicked out of boy scouts for being gay and a gay rights activist, SCOTUS - ruled Boy Scouts had authority cuz their 1st A right of expressive association as a private organization 5:4 Boy Scouts win (freedom of speech case)

de jure v. de facto segregation

De jure = segregation by law De facto = not law, but a reality (matter of fact)

electoral competition

Defined as at least 2 parties actively contesting a position -Limited exposure to competitive elections may be one reason for the lower levels of voter turnout recorded since the 1960s ex: In many national, state, and local government elections, incumbents(with the help of gerrymandering) run unopposed or win by sweeping margins -Electoral competition reduces the cost to individuals of becoming informed, leading to higher turnout (If elections are not competitive, little political information is generated) -Battleground states, early primary states have higher turnout compared to late primary states

gender gap

Difference in political views between men and women -women vote at higher rates than men -women more likely to be democratic -women less likely to run for office

safe districts

Districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more.

party polarization

Division between 2 parties on major issues if not all issues -little crossover: unlikely to reach and vote in favor of the opposing ideology -Measured/maintained by roll call votes in congress - mandate that sense of unity -Today laws pass by small margins - b/c of voting on party lines to maintain party unity -parties in government are more polarized than the actual american public -resulted in uncompetitive elections and "safe seats" - guaranteed to get your position (hard for third party to penetrate that) -Discourages compromises: less incentive to compromise bc worried about party itself -Rules of debate in congress can heighten polarization -Filibustering, majority party controls everything -Can be polarized within parties (ex: tea party within the republican party)

14th Amendment 1868

Due process clause - All persons born or naturalized in the US are citizens of the US and of the State where they reside, the state can't make/enforce any law that abridges privileges or immunities of citizens, and can't deprive of life, liberty, or property without due process, can't deny equal protection of laws, probable cause, equal protection clause, only amendment that allows us to apply protection to state laws/policies dual citizenship - state citizen and US citizen due process clause - states that the same rules that stop the national gov from restricting your rights apply to states as well ex: Gitlow v. NY (1925) - court ruled that state govs can't violate rights from Bill of Rights like the fed gov can't

EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)

Enforces laws to prevent unfair treatment on the job due to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, or age.

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

rise in split-ticket voting

Ex: You might vote for a republican pres but you'll vote for a democrat in the senate seat -part of dealignment

expressive politics

Expressive capacity of technology can lead to increased citizen involvement in politics -Becoming a fan or follower of a candidate arguably leads to direct political participation

National Organization for Women

Founded in 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) called for equal employment opportunity and equal pay for women. NOW also championed the legalization of abortion and passage of an equal rights amendment to the Constitution.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Founded in 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) called for equal employment opportunity and equal pay for women. NOW also championed the legalization of abortion and passage of an equal rights amendment to the Constitution.

1st Amendment

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition; identifies limits on gov 2 sections is divided into 2 clauses Establishment Clause - no law respecting an establishment of religion Free Exercise Clause - no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion

counteractive lobbying (capital hill strategies)

Goal is to maintain support 1) draft pieces of legislation/proposals -Proposal legislations to bureaucracy, those proposals go directly to that legislature 2) Prepare research reports on proposed laws/policies/topics of interest 3) Testify before committees -Efforts made to combat opposition 4) litigation - can sue gov if they think a policy is unconstitutional/applied unconstitutionally -Amicus curiae briefs - "friend of the court" brief

collective goods

Goods and services, such as clean air and clean water, that by their nature cannot be denied to anyone.

Regulatory taking

Government regulation of property so extensive that government is deemed to have taken the property by the power of eminent domain, for which it must compensate the property owners.

GOP

Grand Old Party, the republican party

Public Interest Groups

Groups that lobby for public concerns not addressed by traditional lobbies Most visible in consumer and environmental protection areas -Ex. Sierra Club, Common Cause, Union of Concerned Scientists -Many claim to represent the general good, but it is not uncommon for groups to pursue selfish goals under the guise of public interest -Ex. Partnership to Protect Consumer Credit

Reynolds v. Sims 1964

Held that "one person, one vote" must apply to apportionment of both houses of a state legislature.

Professional Associations

Help shape legislative policy and have been particularly successful in both state and federal legislatures -Ex. American Bar, American Medical Association -Ex. American Bankers Association

How the court works

High Court: -US Supreme Court Appellate Courts: -US Circuit Court of Appeals (12 circuits) -US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Trial Courts: -US District Courts (94 districts) -US Bankruptcy Courts (1 in each district) -US Court of Federal Claims -US Court of International Trade Federal Courts and Boards Outside the Judicial Branch: -Administrative Agency Offices and Boards -IRS Appeals Office -Board of Veterans Appeals -US Courts of Military Review (US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard)

media

Highlighting person not party's agenda Product of growing diversity, don't have to rely on 2 parties -part of dealignment

2016 election democrats

Hillary Clinton -controlled party machine, had fundraising capabilities, lots of influence in party -won Iowa -used superdelegates Bernie Sanders -super aggressive, portrayed Hillary as old politics, self-proclaimed socialist lots of turnout for democratic primaries

decline in partisan attachment

How young are becoming far more informed but old are still voting on party lines -part of dealignment

National Rifle Association (NRA)

In 1974, this organization, which led the gun lobby, was angered when the Anti-Crime Bill banned the sale of most assault rifles. (p. 666)

6th Amendment

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense

Asian Americans voting

Income and education is closer to that of whites, but they are less likely to votes than blacks or whites; voter turnout for Asians is similar to Latinos -No single asian nationality dominates this population; this diversity has impeded efforts -Trend lean toward democratic party as immigration reform tends to be of highest priority to Asian American

same-day registration

Increases overall voter turnout by 5%, impacts who turns out, not necessarily how many -5 states have automatic registration

interest groups vs. political parties

Interest Groups: -influence policy, gov officials -promote goals -endorse political candidates -influence gov -battles wages thru lobbyists and PACs -want to see their special interests addressed -more homogenous membership -grassroots structure -activities are less regulated -influence gov thru campaign contributions Political Parties: -win elections/put party in power -nominate political candidates -run/operate gov -determine public policy -battles wages thru electoral process -broad range of goals -more diverse membership -hierarchical structure -activities are more regulated

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Interest group that supports the reform of laws dealing with drunk driving.

Gonzales v. Raich

Is controlled Substances Act a violation of the Commerce Clause? Raich used homegrown weed in Cali, legal in st, illegal federally, feds destroy her weed and she sues saying it violated Commerce Act and 10th Amendment -gov said the weed affected whole interstate market so it counted as commerce even though it was only in Cali

safe seats

Legislative districts that regularly remain in the hands of the same candidate or party. -noncompetitive elections -party polarization resulted in this

non-protected speech

Libel, obscenity, fighting words, and commercial speech, which are not entitled to constitutional protection in all circumstances.

direct lobbying

Lobbying is an attempt by a group to influence the policy process through persuasion of government officials

Miller v. California (1973) (hw)

Miller conducted mass mailings to advertise sale of "adult" material and was convicted of violating a CA statute prohibiting distribution of obscene material, SCOTUS - obscene materials do not enjoy 1st A rights, but definition of obscene was lessened -Miller Test 5:4 Cali wins (freedom of speech case)

Gitlow v. NY 1925 (required)

NY had law - Criminal Anarchy Act of 1902 - you can't go against gov, incite violence against gov, can't talk about overthrowing gov, socialist man gets arrested for saying we should take over gov, halfway won, SCOTUS applies 14th A to step in (idea of due process) to use the 1st A to his defense of freedom of speech (1st time every free speech is recognized by SCOTUS, success of selective incorporation, socialist didn't really win

NAACP*

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People most successful using litigation

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People -Civil rights interest group -use of litigation (used power of courts for change)

Oregon Employment Division v. Smith 1990 (hw and in notes)

Native American counselors fired for doing drugs for religious purposes in school, they requested unemployment compensation but were denied, SCOTUS denied them unemployment compensation cuz the drugs were still illegal 6:3 Oregon Employment Division wins (Free Exercise Clause case)

digital citizenship

Navigating the digital world safely, responsibly, and ethically.

penny press

Newspapers that, because of technological innovations in printing, were able to drop their price to one cent, therefore making papers affordable to working and middle classes and enabled newspapers to become a genuine mass medium

5th Amendment

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law (due process lead to establishment of Miranda Rights)

Are huge budget changes possible?

No, b/c 2/3rds of gov spending is tied up/saved in entitlement programs ex: social security, medicare (medicaid is not an entitlement program)

Although the Constitution prevents the fed gov from infringing your rights, does it stop state and local govs?

No, it says nothing about state/local govs

Wisconsin v. Yoder 1971 (required)

Old Order Amish religion refused to send their children to school after age 16 cuz it's against their religion SCOTUS said it violated 1st Amendment and held that individual's interest in the free exercise of religion (1st A) outweigh state's interests in compelling school attendance beyond 8th grade unanimous Yoder wins, amish only have to go to school until 8th grade (Free Exercise Clause case)

old vs. young voter turnout

Older people participate at higher rates than the young, attributed to the fact that the old are more than likely homeowners and are concerned with property taxes, and have a greater awareness of the importance of government -The young either lack interest or have yet to be politically mobilized, political campaigns rarely target young voters, -The young are more likely to participate in community service projects than to be politically engaged, and 9 out of 10 young persons say they will never run for any type of political office

Unicameral

One-house legislature ex: Finland

permanent absentee ballot*

Option in some states to have a ballot sent automatically to your home for each election, rather than having to request an absentee ballot each time ex: Oregon and Colorado, 27 states don't do this

parties and policy

Particular party in gov shapes policy agenda -Parties always want to seek out and add voters, look to develop issues that could add new groups of people = policy entrepreneurship Ex: Reagan looked to inc support from white southerners, he picked school prayer, pro-life; Clinton projected himself as a new democrat to pull in moderates, economically conservative to pull in moderates

federalism since 2000

Patriot Act (2001), No Child Left Behind Act (2001), medical marijuana, immigration reform

all expressed congressional powers

Peacetime Powers: -establish and collect taxes, duties, excises -borrow $ -regulate foreign and interstate commerce -create naturalization laws -create bankruptcy laws -coin $ and regulate its value, regulate weights and measures -punish counterfeiters of fed $ and securities -establish post offices -create courts inferior to Supreme Court -define and punish crimes at sea and international law violations -exercise exclusive jurisdiction over DC and other fed properties -make all laws necessary and proper to the execution of any of the other expressed powers Wartime Powers: -declare war, make laws regarding captures on land and water -raise and support armies -provide and maintain a navy -make laws governing land and naval forces -provide for summoning the militia to execute fed laws, suppress uprisings, repel invasions -provide for organizing, arming, disciplinging the militia and governing it when in service of the Union

Suffragettes

People who campaigned for women's right to vote in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Amendment 9

People's rights are not limited to those in the Constitution

PIPA

Personal Information Privacy Act - preventing real online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property act

Developments in Fed Framework since 1930's

Pre New Deal: trickle down economics New Deal: grants and aid ex: school lunch programs, highway programs, welfare

Latino

Preferred term for referring to individuals who claim a heritage from a Spanish-speaking country other than Spain.

State of the Union Address

Pres alludes to the estimated revenue and spending efforts by the manner in which he presents particular priorities

mobilization

Process by which large numbers of people are organized for political act; online and offline networks for mobilization -Studies suggest a decline and a need for personalized mobilization ex: fact-to-face interations w/ mobilzers, phone chats not automated -Competitive elections since 2000 has prompted party efforts to increase grassroots style mobilization efforts ex: canvassing, phone interview, blogs -2016 election, voter mobilization was centered around the Internet and social media

National League of Cities

Provides training to municipal officials, holds conferences, lobbies and provides assistance to cities in education issues

religious identity

Religious representation/influence in government heightened with Engel v. Vitale 1972, banning school prayer -Religious groups seek to inject moral views into the public's perception of politics and role of government (ex. Culture war) -White, evangelical Protestants appear to be the most cohesive political force (moral majority 1979, preserved w/ Reagan election

Barron v. Baltimore 1833

SCOTUS does not apply BoR to states, city paving job drove gravel and debris into Barron's harbor, he sues Baltimore city cuz it destroyed his harbor, wants to apply 5th A (eminent domain) to state action, he didn't win cuz there was no 14th A to force SCOTUS to apply this on a state level, fail on seleced incorporation, Barron wasn't protected on state level

Lemon v. Kurtzman 1971 (hw and in notes)

SCOTUS strikes own law that said public funding/tax money could go to teaching to nonreligious or religious subjects at private schools, creates Lemon Test (keep separation of church and st -before it was declared unconstitutional -must neither advance nor inhibit religions -must not cause excessive entanglement w/ religion -1st applied in 80s for school prayer in public schools some people believe it violated separation of church and state in 1st A, sued to have statute declared unconstitutional cuz it violated Establishment Clause of 1st A, RH statute was declared unconstitutional under 1st A 8:1 Lemon wins (Establishment Clause case)

Griswold v. Connecticut 1965 (packet and in notes)

SCOTUS struck down state law that banned birth control and any distribution of info about birth control, Court uses Amendments 1, 3, 4 to justify which create a zone of privacy which includes family planning - helps pro-choice advocates in direction towards Roe v. Wave Can the state of Connecticut deny the use of birth control to married couples? Though the Constitution does not explicitly protect a general right to privacy, the various guarantees within the Bill of Rights create penumbras, or zones, that establish a right to privacy, together 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 9th Amendments create a new constitutional right, the right to privacy in marital relations, The CT statute conflicts w/ the exercise of this right and is therefore null and void

judicial selection

SCOTUS: -selected based on merit, judicial philosophy, reward (connections w/ pres), representations (help meet needs of time) -current SCOTUS does not reflect US pop. -60s were most liberal time of the courts federal level judges: -mainly WASP men -pres's try to shape courts based on ideology -senatorial courtesy

Segregation

Separation of people based on racial, ethnic, or other differences

Hispanic

Someone who can claim a heritage from a Spanish speaking country other than Spain.

SCLC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 1957 Martin Luther King Jr.

Ideological Groups

Support a philosophical perspective -Ex. People for the American Way, promotes liberal values -Ex. Christian Coalition, supports conservative goals -Ex. National Taxpayers Union, supports reducing the size of government

US v. Lopez (1994)

Supreme Court struck down fed law that banned handguns near school properties, argued that the law violated the 10th Amendment so they struck it down, revolves around Commerce Clause, gun free school zone act didn't pertain to do w/ gov's ability to regulate commerce, sts can decide on guns, 1st time since New Deal that Supreme Court limited congressional power

6) broadcast media

TV = hallmark of presidential campaigning, millions spent on advertising, become less formal on TV< presidents make appearances on talk shows, involves more interaction w/ candidate and voter

APAs

The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States and Canada

SOPA

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was a United States bill to expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement to combat online copyright infringement and online trafficking in counterfeit goods

negative campaigning

The act of attacking an opposing candidate's platform, past political performance, or personal characteristics.

Business and Agricultural Groups

These groups have a direct economic interest in governmental action. They include producers or manufacturers in the economic sector -Ex. National Petroleum Refiners Association -Includes highly active members such as Shell Oil and General Motors

Labor Groups

These groups lobby on behalf of organized labor -Ex. United Mine Workers -Ex. AFL-CIO/ American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (national)

Heart of Atlanta Motel v. US 1964

Title VII broadened Commerce Clause powers...interstate trade -SCOTUS overturns policy segregation

issue advocacy

Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like "vote for" or "vote against," although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.

Bush v. Gore 2000

Use of 14th Amendment's equal protection clause to stop the Florida recount in the election of 2000.

African American voting

Vote as a cohesive block since the 1960s, by 1968, black votes matched that of white votes in the South -Increase in the number of black elected officials has positively impacted level of participation, especially if that official is on the local level

National Wildlife Federation

Works to protect nature and wildlife.

runoff election

a "second round" election in which voters choose between the top two candidates from the first round

spot (advertisement)

a 15-, 30-, or 60-second television campaign commercial that permits a candidate's message to be delivered to a target audience

EMILY's List

a 2004 campaign movement to give soft money to improve women's voter turnouts and support women's issues., for pro-choice women

bundling

a PAC tactic/strategy where they collect contributions from people -we are limited to $2,000 to donate

bureaucrat

a career government employee

paid media

a category of promotional tactic based on the traditional advertising model, whereby a brand pays for media space

Impeachment

a constitutional procedure by which federal judges and civil officers can be removed from office before their terms expire

impeachment

a constitutional procedure by which federal judges and civil officers can be removed from office before their terms expire

original jurisdiction

a court's authority to hear a case 1st, the 1st court assigned to deal w/ a question, responsible for determining facts (in a criminal case this would be the trial) most original jurisiction courts are district courts but there are exceptions -any case that's btw the US and 1 of the 50 states -cases btw 2 or more states -cases involving an ambassador/foreign minister -cases brought by 1 state against a citizen of another state

jurisdiction

a court's authority to hear a case; cases come to state and fed courts under 2 means of jurisdiction: 1) original - a court's authority to hear a case 1st 2) appellate - cases a court will hear on appeal

docket

a court's list of cases to be heard

the digital citizen

a daily internet user, rise of online news has given rise to this, has high speed home internet access and has skills to utilize online news sources to make better decisions -8/10 Americans are this -biggest disparity is ethnicity: nonenglish speaking hispanic fams are least likely to have internet at home -income and edu also affect it: creates a digital divide

referendum

a direct vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new law

institutional advertising

a form of advertising designed to enhance a company's image rather than promote a particular product

federal mandates

a gov requirement imposed as a condition for fed money/fed order imposed upon sts ex: Americans w/ Disabilities Act 1990 (ramps), No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (standardized testing)

constitutional democracy

a governing or controlling body whose power exists only within pre-defined limits that are established by a constitution or other source of authority

limited/constitutional government/democracy

a governing or controlling body whose power exists only within pre-defined limits that are established by a constitution or other source of authority

news enclave

a group seeking specialized information not provided by the mainstream media -blogs

Bill of attainer

a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court

faction

a majority or minority of citizens who are united and actuated by a common passion/goal -eliminate by removing its causes or controlling its effects

discharge petition

a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in a committee

Brookings Institution

a non-profit policy organization

lobbyists

a person who advocates for something/acts to benefit an interest group or corporation -heavily regulated

Plaintiff

a person who brings a case against another in a court of law.

political values/beliefs

a person's basic orientation to politics, guiding principles in making sense of political world; 3 core values: 1) liberty 2) equality 3) democracy

Affirmative Action

a policy that requires employers and other institutions to provide equal opportunity for minority groups or members of underrepresented groups -began in 1960s, applied to fed gov jobs and colleges, white people in 1970s criticized this for causing reverse discrimination

dark horse

a political candidate who is not well known but could win unexpectedly

New Politics Movement

a political movement that began in the 1960s and '70s, made up of professionals and intellectuals for whom the civil rights and antiwar movements were formative experiences; the New Politics movement strengthened public interest groups

executive privilege

a president's claim that confidential communication, especially in regards to national security - should not be made public, 1st exercised by George Washington (1st cabinet was St Treatury, War, Attorney General

direct primary

a primary in which members of a party nominate its candidates by direct vote

bill

a proposed law some congress member sponsors, sent to the clerk, needs simple majority to pass -public vs. private bills

median voter theorem

a proposition predicting that when policy options can be arrayed along a single dimension, majority rule will pick the policy most preferred by the voter whose ideal policy is to the left of half of the voters and to the right of exactly half of the voters

administrative adjudication

a quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties in a manner similar to the way courts resolve disputes, Power of agencies to function like courts; powers/procedures similar to functions of courts; judgment on a corporation for not abiding by certain conditions (adjudication = application of rules and precedents)

ideology

a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual

Federal Reserve System

a system of 12 Federal Reserve Banks that facilitate exchanges of cash, checks, and credit -regulates member banks ad implements monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation -responsible for ensuring price stability -advantage to a bank of the FRS is the ability to borrow money from it to expand bank-loan operations: this grants FRS power to control (expand or shrink) the amount of credit available -can affect total amount of credit thru interest (discount rate) it changes on loans to members -control over reserve retirement -ability of member banks to borrow from each other = federal funds market -responsible for setting and carrying out monetary policy

common law

a system of law based on precedent and customs

federal funds market

ability of member banks to borrow from each other

13th Amendment

abolished slavery

plaintiff

accuser, must have "standing to sue"

traditional political participation

activities designed to influence government such as voting, face-to-face activities such as volunteering for campaigns or working on behalf of a candidate or political organization -most common form of participation was to riot, or protest, involving the assembly of crowds to confront government -> attracts media attention, raises public awareness, and sends politicians clear messages ex: Blacks Lives Matter

online political participation

activities designed to influence government using the Internet, including visiting a candidate's website, organizing events online, or signing an online petition

issue ads

ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate

2) candidate must work closely w/ advisers

advisers = for hire, paid professional campaign consultants, coordinate and execute campaign - job of party boss back in the day

hawkish

advocating war or a belligerently threatening diplomatic policy; favoring the use or display of force rather than diplomacy to achieve foreign policy goals.

Ex post facto law

after the fact laws, you can't be arrested for something you did before it was considered a crime/violation ex: if I murdered someone yesterday and it was legal but it was made illegal today then I can't be arrested, part of og constitution, reflect civil liberties or rights, protections for us or restrictions on gov

theory of pluralism

all interest are and should be free to compete for influence in the gov -outcome of this competition should be compromise

dissenting opinion

all the justices read all of the decisions before the decision is published, so sometimes justices will change their minds

iron triangle

alliance btw congressional committee, administrative agency, and 1 or more supportive interest group ex: defense industry

phone bank

allow campaign workers to make personal contact with hundreds of thousands of voters

proportional representation

allows each political party representation (seats in House) in portion to percent of the vote -works to advantage of smaller party ex: if Independent won 30% of votes they'd get 30% of the seats in the House -used in Parliament

Free Exercise Clause

allows you to freely engage in religious activities of your choice, or can be nonreligious -any restriction on religious freedom must be justified by a compelling state interest ex: animal sacrifice

reserve rate

amount of $ banks must have just in case everyone decides to withdrawal their money

confederation

an agreement between separate bodies to cooperate with each other; not a strong as a federation which has a central gov

executive agreement

an agreement between the president and the leader of another country that have force of a treaty but do not require pres's advice and consent (don't sign senate approval) ex: NAFTA (North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement) as of 1972 all agreements must be documented -2 types: sole executive agreement - btw pres and nation, executive-congressional agreement - submitted for a simple majority approval

devolution revolution

an effort during the 70's to shift back to more state power; Nixon, Reagan, Bush era

precedent

an example for all future courts to follow -lower courts are expected to use this based on SCOTUS rulings

seniority rule

assigns president pro tempore and committee chairs in standing committees based on seniority (longest on committee or in congress)

salient interests

attitudes and views that are especially important to the individual holding them

majority rule v. minority rights

balancing act btw giving the majority what they want and protecting minorities

2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain Feingold Act)

banned soft $ -In order to bypass the restriction of soft $ being banned, political party candidates established super pacs

2002 McCain-Feingold Act

banned soft $ -before 2002, soft $ was legitimate, $ contributed directly to political parties for voter registration/mobilization -parties bypass this now by channeling funds to state and local party organizations for advertising

24th Amendment

bans poll tax

American legal tradition

based largely on common law -legal system based on accumulation of court rulings by judges, "judge-made law" -based on precedent: stare decisis = let the decision stand, can be overturned ex: Plessy v. Ferguson

National Defense Education Act 1958

beef up curriculum of math and science (space era)

forced ticket voting

before 1890's each political party printed their own ballots so if you voted for 1 person from that party it forced you to vote for all the people running from that party, vote all Republican or all Democrat -coattail effect

Thomas Hobbes

believed humans are evil, need a social contract btw gov and people - people give up perfect freedom in exchange for gov protection

John Locke

believed natural rights must be protected by gov, if people don't like the gov they shoudl abolish it and create a new one

mainstream

belonging to a widely accepted group

puritan

benefits should be conditional, based on their willingness to work

the shadow welfare state

benefits your employers offer workers ex: health insurance -middle class benefits most

superdelegates

big names within political parties, can support any candidate they choose, aren't bound by state laws -only democrats used them ex: Obama, Clinton, Biden

NRA

biggest interest group for support of right to bear arms

microtargeting

campaigns efforts/messages intended to reach specific groups of people

party rule

can determine the type of delegate that goes to the national convention -in 1972 the democratic party enacted a policy that required in every upcoming presidential election that the delegates that are sent to the national convention are better representative of the political parties demographics -Democrats insist on female and minority delegates -Republican party in 2012 looked to add more delegates that were socially conservative and were tea party members

open primary

can register w/ party on the day of the of and participate

What happens when you inc gov spending while cutting taxes/

can result in large budget deficits, leading to more borrowed $ in form of bonds

plurality (in voting)

candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half

markups

committees revise/edit bills

deregulation

cutting rules, reducing restraints, eliminating guidelines or rules for how an agency behaves

Protection against cruel and unusual punishment, 8th A

death penalty -Atkins v. VA 2002 -Furman v. Georgia 1972

Defense of Marriage Act (1996)

defined marriage as a man and woman, 38 sts bought into it so they didn't have to recognize any other marriages

imperial presidency

describes expansion of power that is a product of US involvement abroad, presidents have expanded their power and dominated foreign policy by 1) using party as source of power -constantly in contact w/ party leaders to maintain unity and agenda 2) going public -use a mass base to maintain or expand support, appeal to voters, State of the Union Address 3) administrative state -presidents try to control executive agencies or create new agencies to give them more independent policy-making capability

parties in government

describes the party in power, rn party in house is democratic party, executive branch it's republican 1) parties and policy 2) parties in congress 3) parties and the President's Policy Agenda

grand jury

determines whether or not there is enough evidence against someone to be indicted

states rights/new federalism

devolution - return power to states, part of cooperative federalism

Accidental mobilization

digital politics may engage those who would not otherwise be involved in politics (ex political ads on google search pages)

Amendment 17

direct election of senators

House of Representatives

directly responsible to the people, constituent/district-minded, 2 year term, direct election

Article 2 Section 1 of Consitution

electoral college

non-tax sources

entrance fees at some national parks, Federal Reserve System earnings from interest placed on loans to banks

Fair Labor Standards Act (1938)

established minimum wage

dovish

favoring peace

patronage

filling jobs in the bureaucracy based on loyalty or party affiliation (rewards for allies)

bonds

financial instruments in which the borrower (fed gov) pays back the possessor w/ interest -historically, purchase has been encouraged during times of war or economic decline

2 policies to maintain a strong economy

fiscal policy: -taxes and spending -people get angry about it -Treasury Department - income tax -Federal Reserve System - system of the nation's 12 federal banks that facilitate chas exchange, credit, etc. -Revenue Agencies - charge w/ specific task of tax collection ex: IRS - agency that ensures you pay your incoe tax, US Customs - tax imported goods, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms -tax those specific goods monetary policy: -circulation of money, interest rates ex: -Federal Reserve System - will try to combat inflation

Korematsu v. US 1944

forced detention of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor, passes the test

National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC)

formed in 1971 by feminist leaders, an influential organization that worked to get more women elected to office and supported male candidates who took a strong stand on women's issues

People for the American Way

formed in 1982 by prominent figures to support American civil liberties and freedoms rather just conservative Christianity

liberty

freedom from gov control -free speech (1st A), 70% of Americans want free speech -1 of 3 core values

Amendment 4

freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures

Amendment 1

freedom of religion, speech, press, peacefully assemble, and petition gov

civil rights

freedom to participate in gov, be engaged, be civic-minded, without discrimination based on race, gender, age -equal treatment/equal allocation of the laws -right to fair status -right to participate in gov -ensures a self gov -rooted in Amendments 13, 14, 15, 19, 26 rights that grew out of the 14th Amendment - the promise that you will be treated equally under the law, involve things that aren't guaranteed but rather things you won't be denied due to discrimination

equality of opportunity (not outcome)

freedom to use whatever talents and wealth one has to reach one's fullest potential -success comes from individual effort, not privileges, result of hard work rather than gov handout -1 of 3 core values

solidarity benefits

friendship, networking, consciousness raising, which is especially important to members of women's organizations, religious, or ethnic groups -women and minority benefits

party polarization

geographic sorting - people in south tend to be more conservative, people in north tend to be more liberal, people in cities tend to be liberal, people in rural areas tend to be conservative

opposition research

get dirt on other candidate

Fair Housing Amendments Act 1988

gives Housing and Urban Development Department the power to initiate legal action against housing discrimination

Voting Rights Act of 1965

gives federal government the power to register voters in states that had discriminated against minority citizens; re-enfranchisement for southern blacks for the first time since 1860s!

public goods

goods provided by gov b/c they are neither supplied by market or are produced by market but not supplied to consumers in sufficent quantities -essential to market operations and gov's actions will impact market's character -gov sometimes provides this to stimulate economy, then allows private companies to take over -recently they have enhanced public security ex: takeover of airport security, creation of pharmaceutical stockpile to protect against bioterrism ex: air, TV shows, hiking, roads, water, parks

Consumer Product Safety Commission

gov agency responsible to inform citizens about product hazards and set public standards

Citizens United v. FEC 2010

gov can't restrict corporations or unions from buying into political campaigns

Establishment Clause

gov cannot establish or support any official religion -very cloudy/vague -separation of church and state

Amendment 16

gov has power to collect income tax

long form ballot/Australian ballot

gov prepares identical ballots at turn of 20th century -leads to split ticket-voting

Amendment 14

granted citizenship to African Americans; equal protection clause

Proposition 187

grants CA power to deny services to illegal immigrants except for emergency care -declared unconstitutional under Judicial Review

commerce clause

grants Congress the power to regulate interstate trade and relations w/ other countries, Article 1 Section 8, fed uses this to stop discrimination; this follows the definition of federalism cuz federalism grants independence to states for internal affairs ex: peaches traveling from Alabama to Georgia can be regulated by fed gov -McCulloch v. Maryland -Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) -facilitation vs regulation -National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. (1937)

Baker v. Carr 1962

grants SCOTUS power to intervene in redistricting, districts must be roughly the same pop.

fiscal federalism

grants-in-aid, part of cooperative federalism

caucus

group of congressmen (like a club) -sometimes created based on race, gender -help attend hearings -informal ex: Congressional Black Caucus - black congress members get together say for breakfast to discuss and push legislation

interest groups

group of people with alike interest/concern that seeks to influence gov from outside -interest groups w/ most $/resources have ore influence/voice

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

guarantees fundamental right for same sex marriages

deserving poor

hardworking person who may have been laid off

sample size

has to be large enough to provide accurate representation of pop.

house leadership

has to be stronger than in senate cuz more people -Speaker of House -Majority Leader -Minority Leader -Whips

incumbent advantage

have more $ by default to raise for candidates

executive orders

have the force of law, subject to judicial review ex: 1948 Executive Order by Harry Truman to desegregate armed forces

closed primary

have to be registered w/ political party beforehand to go and vote in that primary

national committees

head the political parties, responsible for raising $ for candidates, maintaining a positive media image, headed by a chairperson, determine delegates from each party that will represent each state that attend the national convention -RNC and DNC raise tens of millions of dollars in soft $ -2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain Feingold Act) -meet once every 4 years

staff agencies

help w/ congressional/bureaucratic oversight -oversee executive branch, evaluate presidential programs: 1) Congressional Research Service 2) Congressional Budget Office 3) Government Accountability Office

permissive

idea that thru means testing/ if entitled you should have a legal right to welfare benefits (state should provide it)

Writ of Habeas Corpus

idea that you can't be tried and sentenced without being told what you are being accused of, idea of due process, part of og constitution, reflect civil liberties or rights, protections for us or restrictions on gov

shut down

if pres continues to refuse to sign allocations bills, the fed gov shuts down as no funding can be channeled to programs

en banc

if the case is super crucial, all of the judges in a circuit will meet together to make a decision

mootness

if they no longer require a resolution, they won't be heard ex: Roe v. Wade she already had the baby

concurring opinion

if you agree w/ the majority, but for a different reason

conference

importance of secrecy

American Medical Association

in 1901, when many doctors who considered themselves trained professionals the began forming local associations and societies such as this one, which was organized into a national professional society, including nearly 2/3 of all doctor, they called for strict scientific standards in practicing medicine.

Minority Leader (Senate)

in charge of minority party in Senate (not much power)

Christian Coalition

in the 1990's, Pentecostal minister Pat Robertson began a political movement and launched this organization. These and other organizations of the Christian right opposed federal interference in local affairs; denounced abortion, divorce, feminism, and homosexuality; defended unrestricted free enterprise, and supported a strong American posture in the world.

Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, 2010

increased the role of money in campaigns, ruled that corporations and labor unions could directly spend unlimited amounts of money in favor of candidates as long as the corporations and unions did not coordinate directly with the candidates' campaign organization

independent agency

independent of federal/cabinet departments but set by congess and sometimes pres -typically smaller than cabinet departments -answers to pres ex: EPA, CIA, NSA, NASA

Civic engagement*

individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern

civil liberties

individual freedoms that place limits on the power of gov -protection of our ability to think, act , be , and do without gov interference -freedom from gov control -ensures limited gov -rooted in Bill of Rights -1st A = most critical and most controversial to this those rights protected in the Bill of Rights - free speech, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, freedom from unlawful searches, these rights are guaranteed by constitution and BoR but only protects against fed gov not state/local govs, 14th A prevents state govs from infringing role of Supreme Court to interpret and define limits of gov in respect to our civil liberties

Government

institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled; people, power, policies 1) ensures national security 2) maintaining order 3) resolving conflicts - politics, courts 4) functions to provide services 5) providing for the public good

Article 4: State Obligations to one another

intended to promote national unity/preserve union, catch: sts don't have to recognize decisions from other sts -Full Faith and Credit Clause -Loving v. VA 67' -Defense of Marriage Act 96' -US v. Windsor (2013) -Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) -Privileges & Immunities Clause/extradition -Interstate Compact Clause (Article 1)

federal funds rate

interest rate charged by one bank to the other

judicial branch power over social policy

judicial review - determining whether or not a policy in Constitutional

Federalist 78

judicial review, written by Alexander Hamilton

Lemon Test

keep separation of church and state

grassroots campaigns

labor intensive, canvassing communities, public appearances, cheaper but have to pay all the works footwork/fieldwork (face-to-face)

random digit dialling

landlines and cellphone #'s

constitutional

law stated by the constitution, can be reflected in judicial decisions, involved interpretation of constitution

administrative law

laws created by the bureaucracy, disconnected from public (not necessarily made w/ direct collaboration w. public)

statutory

laws passed by a legislative body ex: wearing a seat belt

fiscal year

maiming year in which the amount of $ to be collect and spent is determined, broken into 4 quarters

agenda setting

media brings public attention to particular issues, sets an agenda -can lead to bandwagon effect -can shape the way a president communicates his policies/priorities -2 forms: alarm mode and patrol mode

Medicaid

medical services for low income individual, financed by both the state and fed gov

Synder v. Phelps (hw)

members of Westboro Baptist Church picketed at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyders funeral, family accused the church of defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, US district judge awarded family $5 M in damages but appeals for the 4th Circuit violated 1st A protections on religious expression, SCOTUS agreed and said church was allowed to 8:1 Phelps wins (freedom of speech case)

Earmarks

money to states attached onto bills, all about money

social media

more interactive

retrospective voting

most Americans vote this, we look at past failures/successes already in power and determine whether to vote for them based on their history/record

Amendment 3

no quartering of soldiers

In what ways does the SCOTUS see the Establishment Clause in question in 2 ways?

not absolute, up to individual interpretation

trustee

not shared backgrounds w/ constituents, vote on what they think is best for the constituency

internal mobilization

occurs when a political conflict prompts people within the gov/people in power to mobilize support/the public ex: federalists and their mobilization of New England colonies

bandwagon effect (on quiz)

occurs when polling results convince public to support a candidate that has been marked as the likely victor -important for presidential primaries ex: Hillary for president in 2016

online process

occurs when we receive and evaluate info as the event unfolds, we remember how a circumstance made us feel but we can't remember the specific events that caused that feeling

National Security Council

office created to coordinate pres's foreign and military policy advisers, formal members are pres, VP, secretary of state, and secretary of defense, managed by pres's national security assistant

writ of certiorari

official decision by Supreme Court to hear a case, petition for the court to hear a case from the lower districts -written by the losing party; $300 -> forma pauperis/waives = fee is waved

federal register

official record of what the federal bureaucracy does -public information ex: if Department of Agriculture decides to make new rules for organic food standards they must put the rule in the federal register and it must be made public

How are elections in the US organized?

on the state/local level -states organize district boundaries, deal w/ staffing polling locations, set qualifications for voting

deficit year

only the interest on borrowed $ can be repaid

checkbook members

overtime, active membership in interest groups has decreased and there are more of these members -$ is easier to say you are participating in an interest group -less people involved otday but more interest groups than every before

Brown v. Board of Education (required)

overturns Plessy v. Ferguson and leads to desegregation of public schools -Brown II: desegregate at "all deliberate speed"

Shelley v. Kraemer 1948

overturns the practice of restrictive covenants (contracts btw buyers and sellers of homes to prevent selling to African Americans)

Federal Reserve System

part of monetary policy to maintain a strong economy, will try and combat inflation

discretionary spending

part of the budget that is subject to change each year, spending subject to annual budget process -congress may use own judgement when allocating or districbuting these funs -funds are liied, can create conflict during budget-making process

convention delegates

party activists, selected to vote at national convention, bound by state law to vote in same manner that they promised at the caucus -most are white men -superdelegates

parties in congress

party in control of congress will control entire chamber, agenda, leadership post, committee assignments

party bosses

party leaders who were typically installed in urban environments to tightly control electioneering -chose party candidates for election as well, system of patronage -Sin Second Party Era (Democrats and Whigs = know-nothing party)

1) create an exploratory committee

party puts candidate out there and assesses likelihood of their success to gain enough votes, money, media image

constituents

people a member of Congress represents, voters

geographic sorting

people in south tend to be more conservative, people in north tend to be more liberal, people in cities tend to be liberal, people in rural areas tend to be conservative

referendum

people petition gov for a policy to be brought to a vote

slacktivism

point and click activism that involves very little authentic effort or sustained engagement, and understanding of political issues -critics argue that online political participation has resulted in this

federal budget

policy document that announces how much the gov expects to collect in taxes, how much they expect to spend, and how $ will be allocated to departments, programs, and agencies -started in 1921, congress acted independently before -budget address is what the pres submits to congress and then legislative branch takes over

17th Amendment

popular vote for senators (1913)

Amendment 10

powers reserved to the States

freedom of press

prior restraint -NY Times v. US 1971 libel -NY Times v. Sullivan 1964 slander

3 most recent trends

privatization, deregulation, devolution

indirect election

process in which voters in an election do not choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice; mostly this on a national level ex: use to be how to elect senators

Voting Rights Act 1965

protects African Americans from poll tax, literacy tests, and Grandfather Claue, 24th A - bans poll tax (1964)

direct patronage

reference to efforts of Congress persons to bring home specific benefits to constituents -pork barrel -private bills

Northwest Ordiance

required land in west to be reserved for public schools

party platform

rules for party are established, happens at the national convention

regulatory agencies

similar to independent regulatory commission, job is to make sure rules are followed in whatever policy or arena they are in ex: Federal Communications Commission, Federal Elections Commission, FDA

substantive (know)

simply define what we can and cannot do

Has power of pres inc or dec over time?

since New Deal power of pres has increased while power of congress has decreased -powerful pres + weak congress + ill-informed public = not good

Contributory Programs

social program financed by taxation of the present or future recipient (considered forced savings) ex: social security -demands saving = can be seen as conservative -redistributes wealth = can be seen as liberal

undeserving poor

someone who is not working or making an effort to contribute to society, leads to discrimination

Atkins v. VA 2002

struck down death penalty for mentally disabled

bureaucracy

system of government that includes different job functions and levels of authority, 4 levels 1) structure/hierarchy 2) rules and guidelines (how to operate) 3) specialization (placed in hierarchy based on specialization) 4) concrete tasks/objections

litigation

the process of taking legal action

Why are 3rd parties short lived?

they are short lived b/c voting for them is a "waste of a vote", less funding, issues aren't prevalent all the time, single-member district - winner take all system

public-sector groups

think tanks and universities that have interest in obtaining gov funds for research and support 12% of lobbyist in Washington, DC. ex: National League of Cities

attentive public

those who follow politics and public affairs carefully

judicial review

to determine whether an act of congress is constitutional in court ex: Marbury v. Madison

3) conducting and using data from polling

to get a feel for what voters/electorate want

contemporary party conventions

today is more of protocol, use to be for debate -just to confirm who was nominated

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

total of goods and services produced, excluding foreign investments

senatorial courtesy

tradition of granting senators of the pres's party power over federal judge appointments in their home states (pres must ask them permission to be appointed)

custom and usage

traditions that have been incorporated into the political system and which have lasted over time have changed the meaning of the Constitution ex: tradition of no 3rd presidential term before the 22nd Amendment limited them to 2 terms

non-profit

transmission of political info from a university/research think tank ex: Brookings Insitution -important when we think about university research and outreach -lots of professors are bloggers, function as opinion leaders -sole purpose is to put out research for free

bicameralism

two chambers: House and Senate

alarm mode

urgent, something is happening and you need to know -part of agenda setting

packing

ushering a minority group into a single district

issues

voters look for people who think the same way on how to fix issues -salient, valient, wedge issues

recall

votes/election to remove a governor/state official -need a petition -18 sts practice this

26th Amendment (1971)

voting age from 21 to 18

prospective voting

voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues

19th Amendment

women's suffrage